From: Rob Harris (rob@hbinternet.co.uk)
Date: Wed Nov 24 1999 - 09:23:46 MST
> > Unless we gain positve evidence, Fermi and Tipler are right.
> > We have met 'intelligent-life' and they is us.
> Distinctly possible, but saying it doesn't explain *why* that is
> the case.
Are you saying that Fermi & Tipler made this statement completely without
qualification? This doesn't say much for anything else these people might
come up with, especially as this statement would be perfect for the purposes
of a desperate-to-glorify-humanity panic-artist.
>Perhaps Universe is so young that we are the first kids on the
>block.
Consider the number of stars in this galaxy, and then the number of galaxies
in the universe, and then the fact that our galaxy is far from the most
outward-lying (ancient). For us to be No.1 in this universe would be quite
incredible luck. In fact, I'm sure I couldn't even write the odds in
standard form and fit all the digits on all the computers on earth.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 15:05:50 MST