From: mk_thisisit
The idea that humanity could be visited by intelligent life forms from elsewhere is considered a possible logical possibility, not a crazy one [00:00:00]. However, from a scientific standpoint, the likelihood of such an event is remote [00:01:23].
The Improbability of Visitation
The development of life, from a planet’s birth to the emergence of intelligent life, is a process spanning billions of years [00:01:32]. Given this vast timescale, it would be an extremely unlikely coincidence for another civilization to be at the same stage of evolution as humans [00:02:00].
- Behind Us: If a civilization is billions of years behind in development, they would not be building spaceships or visiting Earth [00:02:10].
- Ahead of Us: If they are billions of years ahead, they would likely have no interest in humanity, viewing us as “tiny ants” [00:00:27], and would not bother to visit [00:02:16]. Furthermore, if they wished to remain hidden, their advanced intelligence would easily allow them to do so, rendering primitive human detection equipment ineffective [00:02:56]. The notion of them “drifting trying to avoid detection” is deemed absurd and anthropomorphic [00:00:45], [00:03:05].
The Quest for Tangible Evidence
While UFO observations frequently appear, a scientific approach demands verifiable evidence [00:03:27].
- Observation Reliability: Approximately 95% of UFO observations are suitable for rejection, but about 5% are described as “hair-raising,” involving multiple witnesses and different technologies [00:03:39].
- Gold Standard: The “gold standard” for confirming intelligent life forms in the universe is not merely observing “flying saucers” [00:04:01]. It requires tangible evidence [00:04:16].
- Lack of Physical Proof: To date, no one has managed to find alien technology or capture an alien [00:04:19]. Even accounts of abduction lack physical proof; scientists encourage individuals claiming abduction to bring back “anything” as tangible evidence, such as a “spaceship alien hammer [or] transistor” [00:04:48].
- David Grusch’s Claims: In June 2023, military intelligence officer David Grusch claimed the Pentagon ran a secret program to recover “crashed vehicles of non-human origin” and that bodies were being examined [00:05:11]. However, when questioned before Congress, Grusch testified he had no hard evidence or personal sightings of alien technology or bodies, only that he had spoken to people who claimed to have them [00:05:42].
- Conclusion on Evidence: Despite the possibility of alien existence, there remains no “hard evidence” or “repeatable evidence of multiple observations using different methods that will confirm contact without a doubt with a technologically advanced civilization” [00:06:06], [00:09:43].
Cultural and Psychological Factors in Belief
A significant factor contributing to belief in unexplained phenomena, like UFO observations and channeling, is a human longing for reality to possess a deeper dimension beyond superficial experience [00:07:17]. This desire is often rooted in:
- A need to feel a greater influence on the universe [00:07:28].
- A yearning for a deeper connection with the universe [00:07:30].
- A desire for one’s life to have more meaning [00:07:33].
Such needs can push people to take “strange phenomena seriously” because these beliefs reinforce the idea that they are “chosen ones” or have access to a “deep truth” [00:07:43].
The role of science in understanding extraterrestrial phenomena is crucial. Scientists argue that understanding science, particularly quantum mechanics, offers a reality that is already “magical enough” and “extraordinary,” supported by experimental evidence [00:08:00]. This scientific understanding of the universe is seen as more intriguing and satisfying than fanciful imaginations [00:08:41]. Therefore, efforts should be made to enchant people with the “strange wonderful reality that science reveals” instead of relying on desperate imaginings for meaning [00:09:07].
Theoretical Possibilities: Warp Drives and Civilization Types
While alien visitation is deemed improbable based on current evidence, theoretical physics explores concepts like faster-than-light travel.
- Warp Drives: Two types of theoretical warp drives are discussed:
- Alcubierre drive: Involves bending space-time to create a shortcut, consistent with Einstein’s theory [00:10:52].
- Wormhole: Involves cutting a “hole” in space-time to create a shortcut from point A to point B [00:10:45].
- Energy Requirements: The catch for building such drives is the immense energy required, specifically “Planck energy” (10^19 billion electron volts) [00:11:30].
- Civilization Scale: This level of energy is characteristic of a Type 3 civilization, which might have access to such power and potentially even be able to build a time machine [00:11:56]. Humanity, by contrast, is a “Type zero civilization” [00:12:23], far from harnessing such energies.
In conclusion, while the belief in intelligent life forms is widespread and the theoretical possibility of visitation exists, scientific skepticism about UFO observations remains due to the absence of concrete, verifiable evidence and the logical improbability of such encounters given vast cosmic timescales and developmental differences [00:09:43]. The focus remains on rigorous scientific investigation and the demand for hard facts.