UFOs?

[Brett327]

To summarize:
- Other forms of life probably exist in the universe
- People observe things they cannot explain
- Eyewitness observations/testimony is known to be unreliable... even for us "highly trained" aviators
- Of the 650+ UAPs reported to the DoD's AARO, 95% have been explained
- Of the 650+ UAPs reported to AARO, none have been determined to be of ET origin, nor have they conclusively demonstrated "breaking the laws of physics."
- Beyond AARO, there remains zero conclusive evidence that ETs or ET technology exists on Earth
- Several nefarious motives exist that explain why some people would make false claims about ETs or ET technology.

Synthesis:
- Claims of ETs or ET technology on Earth are almost certainly mistaken, or outright falsehoods. These claims should receive the highest level of scrutiny and meet the highest standard of evidence if they are to be viewed as legitimate.

 

[Random8145]

We need not understand intelligence to create AI. The idea is to create a self-improving algorithm that then improves itself further with each iteration as it gets smarter and smarter.

Wouldn't we need to understand how human intelligence works in order to create an artificial variant of it? A self-improving algorithm won't be able to act as a general intelligence, like you'd find in a human, dolphin, chicken, wolf, cat, etc...

2 points:
1. Which one of your options applies to us when we study the ocean depths? What if we discovered monkeys on another planet.. would it be any different?

We are not dealing with a very high-level intelligence in those cases, such as a group of creatures with advanced technology, belief systems, and so forth, whereas to aliens, it'd be pretty clear they are dealing so with us humans.

2. Why must a possible visitor have humanized motivations or thought processes like you describe? For example, maybe we wouldn't be that important to them, and they couldn't give a damn if we know about them or not. Maybe they're probes that are neither programmed to avoid or seek us out. Countless possibilities outside your small list.

We can observe (albeit light years into the past) billions of light years out into the observable universe and the laws of physics are still the same. And most intelligent life forms on Earth seem to share similar reasoning capabilities. Animals, like humans (which are also an animal), can hold grudges, seek revenge, steal, be greedy, be jerks, like to play, like to kill for sport, be happy, etc...we observe this with killer whales, dolphins, apes, birds, canines, felines, etc...So assuming intelligent life evolved on other planets, it probably would be similar to intelligent creatures on Earth. And in order to create advanced technology, it would have to be a tool using and making creature. So that is why I presume it would have similar reasoning and thought processes.

But if we aren't important to them and they don't care if we spot them or not, then you'd think there would by now be some more concrete evidence of their existence, especially with all of the cell phone cameras now, not just grainy footage.

 

[RobLyman]

The universe is big. The radius of our GALAXY is 52,850 light years. Our solar system is about 2/3 of the way out from the center on the Orion spiral arm of our galaxy. Light speed travel is very unlikely to bring intelligent visitors to our planet from within our own galaxy. There are people who study and estimate these things for a living. They are very smart; smarter than most of us. I wouldn't want to rely on them as my only social interaction in life.

Given an alien species could visit us, would they? It could be rare and expensive to travel here. Or for that species, it could be as common as it is for us to drive our cars to Walmart. Maybe some of the aliens aren't the Einsteins of their species. Maybe they come to Earth to visit our Walmarts. That could explain a lot of things.

I would say it is unlikely aliens have visited Earth. If they have, it is certain they haven't done so with intent to contact us. Study us covertly? Maybe. Accidentally crashed here? Only the Walmart thesis could explain that. It is fodder for some of the more entertaining alien movies.

 

[Random8145]

Maybe they come to Earth to visit our Walmarts. That could explain a lot of things.

Many Wal-Martians do seem like they're from another planet.

 

[Mirage]

Wouldn't we need to understand how human intelligence works in order to create an artificial variant of it? A self-improving algorithm won't be able to act as a general intelligence, like you'd find in a human, dolphin, chicken, wolf, cat, etc...

We are not dealing with a very high-level intelligence in those cases, such as a group of creatures with advanced technology, belief systems, and so forth, whereas to aliens, it'd be pretty clear they are dealing so with us humans.

We can observe (albeit light years into the past) billions of light years out into the observable universe and the laws of physics are still the same. And most intelligent life forms on Earth seem to share similar reasoning capabilities. Animals, like humans (which are also an animal), can hold grudges, seek revenge, steal, be greedy, be jerks, like to play, like to kill for sport, be happy, etc...we observe this with killer whales, dolphins, apes, birds, canines, felines, etc...So assuming intelligent life evolved on other planets, it probably would be similar to intelligent creatures on Earth. And in order to create advanced technology, it would have to be a tool using and making creature. So that is why I presume it would have similar reasoning and thought processes.

But if we aren't important to them and they don't care if we spot them or not, then you'd think there would by now be some more concrete evidence of their existence, especially with all of the cell phone cameras now, not just grainy footage.

You are making so many assumptions throughout your post that are not valid and causing you to conclude things prematurely, and that has been my point all along.

No, we don't need to understand human intelligence to create artificial general intelligence any more than nature understood it when it created it. This is what all the experts say.. just read up on it.

No, we are not necessarily a "very high level of intelligence" with clearly "advanced technology". Our cities may look like ant farms in comparison to what could be out there. Nor does our development dictate that a visitors response would be any different than us visiting the ocean depths.

No, intelligent life need not have the same way of thinking as us. As one small example of what's possible, one day we might have implants or gene editing that completely alter the way we view things and eliminate all the animalistic traits you mentioned.

No, the fact that we don't have concrete evidence they came but don't care about us does not prove they didn't come. Perhaps they came in small numbers, mostly stay over the ocean and uninhabited areas (which is the vast majority of the Earth), etc.

 

[webmaster]

I have experienced a recent uptick with non aviation and military friends, family members and acquaintances asking me lately “have you ever seen a UFO ? while flying?”.

 

[Random8145]

You are making so many assumptions throughout your post that are not valid and causing you to conclude things prematurely, and that has been my point all along.

No, we don't need to understand human intelligence to create artificial general intelligence any more than nature understood it when it created it. This is what all the experts say.. just read up on it.

Nature evolved intelligence by processes not yet fully understood. Humans are trying to centrally engineer it, which is different. Not saying you are wrong as I am not familiar with the experts, but I don't know how they can conclude we don't need to understand general intelligence as humans have it to create an artificial version.

No, we are not necessarily a "very high level of intelligence" with clearly "advanced technology". Our cities may look like ant farms in comparison to what could be out there. Nor does our development dictate that a visitors response would be any different than us visiting the ocean depths.

No, intelligent life need not have the same way of thinking as us. As one small example of what's possible, one day we might have implants or gene editing that completely alter the way we view things and eliminate all the animalistic traits you mentioned.

No, the fact that we don't have concrete evidence they came but don't care about us does not prove they didn't come. Perhaps they came in small numbers, mostly stay over the ocean and uninhabited areas (which is the vast majority of the Earth), etc.

These are points, but I am not arguing they absolutely haven't come, just that I don't believe they have. If we are like ants to them and they don't care either way, I'd think by now there'd be some more solid proof.

 

[Brett327]

I have experienced a recent uptick with non aviation and military friends, family members and acquaintances asking me lately “have you ever seen a UFO ? while flying?”.

Same, and they seem surprised when I say that I’ve never seen anything unusual, though I do usually mention the heart shaped Mylar balloon that I passed over the cascades at 15kft. I think it was mid February.

 

[Random8145]

Just make sure if you guys see anything, you film it using a decent quality camera. I am tired of all the footage in like 144p

 

[GroundPounder]

Just make sure if you guys see anything, you film it using a decent quality camera. I am tired of all the footage in like 144p

That's the kind of talk that will end up with black helos over your house.

 

[nittany03]

I have experienced a recent uptick with non aviation and military friends, family members and acquaintances asking me lately “have you ever seen a UFO ? while flying?”.

I've seen more weird-ass shit when I worked in downtown Seattle than I ever saw in the cockpit.

 

[Flash]

I have experienced a recent uptick with non aviation and military friends, family members and acquaintances asking me lately “have you ever seen a UFO ? while flying?”.

What's your answer to them?

 

[webmaster]

What's your answer to them?

Depends on the family member … and how many drinks I have had.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Depends on the family member … and how many drinks I have had.

My wife asked me over breakfast what I think about aliens this morning... I said they're so far away I don't give them much thought. I also said UFOs =/= aliens, and how tired I am of people making that leap.

After decades of relative quiet in the public space, why is this suddenly getting so much attention again?

 

[IKE]

My wife asked me over breakfast what I think about aliens this morning... I said they're so far away I don't give them much thought. I also said UFOs =/= aliens, and how tired I am of people making that leap.

After decades of relative quiet in the public space, why is this suddenly getting so much attention again?

Because it's less crazy than politics?