Ask A Scientist© Astronomy Archive

 >> >    name         Robert 
 >> >    status       student
 >> >    age          20s

 >> >    Question -   Actually, mine is more of a hypothesis than a question,
 >> > although
 >> >I'd be interested to hear what you think about it...
 >> >
 >> >Theory has it that the Universe was created 15 billion years ago,
 >> >in which many people believe this is just a second in the history
 >> >of what time will be.. if this being the case.. and that after the
 >> >amount of research that has been undertaken to try and discover
 >> >if there is any such thing as intelligent life elsewhere along with
 >> >habitital planets (assuming that any form of life created would
 >> >require similar environments to that required by all creatures on
 >> >earth) perhaps we are the fathers of what will be our expansion into
 >> >first our Galaxy and then the Universe. Maybe we are the pioneers in
 >> >space exploration across the galaxy.. maybe there is no other life
 >> >elsewhere as we are the creatures that will develop the technology
 >> >to venture into the stars and inhabit other worlds. If the Universe is
 >> >so early into it's life... and for all the searching and radiowave
 >> >broadcasts received to study the Universe, could this be a possible
 >> >theory in our (human life) role in it's development????
 >> >
 >> >Interesting to think about, at least...

So the short version of our question would be, "Could we be the elder race
in the universe?"  It's certainly possible.  We don't have a good idea of
the chances of intelligent life appearing on other planets.  We haven't yet
found any evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, although we haven't
looked long or hard.

Either there is other intelligent life out there, or we are alone in the
universe.  Either possibility is staggering.


                Richard Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
                Chemical Separations Group
                Chemistry Division CHM/200
                Argonne National Laboratory
                9700 South Cass Avenue
                Argonne, IL 60439
                richb@anl.gov

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