this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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Futurology

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Futurology: A space for the discussion of the future of us - the human organism, and the relationship we have with the spaces we may inhabit.

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[–] dojan@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Sometimes I wonder if the reason we've not found any life might be because we just don't recognise it as such. It might be too alien; maybe it's such a large system that we don't fully comprehend it, or perhaps it moves at a timescale that we just cannot grasp.

We created gods in our image to explain existence. Anthropocentric as we are, we assumed that humanity was somehow special, distinguished from all other life on Earth. Now we're doing the same with the very definition of life. Life looks a certain way on Earth, so obviously it needs to look the same everywhere.

It makes sense as an outset though, you can only look for what we know to look for.

[–] crapwittyname@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

If you think about it, looking for life that's very similar to us is the exact opposite of presuming we are special. It's presuming we are average.

[–] dojan@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

That's certainly one perspective! I'm a pessimist by nature, which I suppose is reflected in my view on humanity as a whole.

[–] Hotzilla@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 years ago

We humans are made out of most basic atoms of the universe, so it does make some sense to assume most life to be carbon based. There could be more advanced silicon based life forms, but it would be much more complex.

Of course it might be that more advanced life forms would consider us as same level as we consider ants. How many conversations have you had with ants lately.

[–] SamsonSeinfelder@feddit.de 8 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Reminder, that the furthest man made spacecraft right now is the voyager that started 46 years ago in 1977. it is 18 lighthours away. Not a lightday, not a lightweek. No a lightmonth. Not a light year. Not 60 lightyears. 18 lighthours in 46 years. One human lifetime is around 24-28 lighthours, in voyagers speed.

If we want to reach a system that is 60 lightyears away, we need to astronomically advance our technology for propulsion technology and long time human space flights. Bone and muscle loss is a real problem when staying in space even for relativity short time.

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/bone-and-muscle-loss-in-microgravity/

[–] Jaytreeman@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yes.
Communication could happen though. A person could send and receive a message in a single lifetime.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

"hello"

"What?"

*dies*