Extra-terrestial life and religious belief?

Originally posted by Rank outsider
I think you mean 'pedant'.

Can't subscribe to that kind of thing myself.

*applause*

Originally posted by checkbaiter
Nothing will be found. I am confident of that. What it will show is how incredible God is. Man cannot even begin to fathom how glorious God is. He has given each of these stars a name.

Latest rough estimate of number of stars in the Universe (that we can see-ish):

"...Almost all the stars in the Universe are collected together into galaxies. They can be small dwarf galaxies, with just 10 million or so stars, or they can be monstrous irregular galaxies with 10 trillion stars or more. Our own Milky Way galaxy seems to contain about 200 billion stars; and we’re actually about average number of stars.

So an average galaxy contains between 10^11 and 10^12 stars. In other words, galaxies, on average have between 100 billion and 1 trillion numbers of stars.

Now, how many galaxies are there? Astronomers estimate that there are approximately 100 billion to 1 trillion galaxies in the Universe. So if you multiply those two numbers together, you get between 10^22 and 10^24 stars in the Universe. How many stars? There are between 10 sextillion and 1 septillion stars in the Universe. That’s a large number of stars."

http://www.universetoday.com/24328/how-many-stars

Originally posted by Taoman
Latest rough estimate of number of stars in the Universe (that we can see-ish):

"...Almost all the stars in the Universe are collected together into galaxies. They can be small dwarf galaxies, with just 10 million or so stars, or they can be monstrous irregular galaxies with 10 trillion stars or more. Our own Milky Way galaxy seems to contain about 200 bi ...[text shortened]... niverse. That’s a large number of stars."

http://www.universetoday.com/24328/how-many-stars

How many stars? There are between 10 sextillion and 1 septillion stars in the Universe. That’s a large number of stars.

Interesting to combine this information with the announcement that God has given each one a name. This can only entail a different and unique name for each one, otherwise the statement would be inaccurate. So that's up to 1 septillion unique names. That's a large number of names.

When we name a new (to us) star, what are the odds that we give it the wrong name and how would we get it right?

Originally posted by finnegan

How many stars? There are between 10 sextillion and 1 septillion stars in the Universe. That’s a large number of stars.

Interesting to combine this information with the announcement that God has given each one a name. This can only entail a different and unique name for each one, otherwise the statement would be inaccurate. So that's up to 1 (to us) star, what are the odds that we give it the wrong name and how would we get it right?

That's a large number of names,

not if you are infinite its not.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
That's a large number of names,

not if you are infinite its not.

robbie, your statement about "God" and infinity has intriguing implications and has provoked in me a new post to discuss it separately.

Originally posted by checkbaiter
Nothing will be found. I am confident of that. What it will show is how incredible God is. Man cannot even begin to fathom how glorious God is. He has given each of these stars a name.

It's a sad thing that you need an imaginary friend to help you appreciate the splendor of the universe, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

Originally posted by finnegan

Interesting to combine this information with the announcement that God has given each one a name. This can only entail a different and unique name for each one, otherwise the statement would be inaccurate.

Right. There's Fred, and Dick, and that dim one in the Big Dipper is Vickee...

I forget the rest.

Originally posted by Soothfast
Right. There's Fred, and Dick, and that dim one in the Big Dipper is Vickee...

I forget the rest.

I actually tried to refrain out of mercy, but I just cracked up! lol.

Originally posted by googlefudge
You really do like spamming the number keys don't you...

So you think that science is limited to exploring a sphere with a radius of approximately 94 thousand kilometres...

That doesn't even get you to the moon...

((((3/4)*((1e-56)*(3.5e80)))/(pi))^(1/3))/1000

The extent of the material creation is trillions x trillions x trillions of miles.............meaning science can only explore their door step.

Absolutely a complete waste of the tax payers money when the money could be spent on clean energy and social welfare programs and education.

Space exploration is criminal because of its obscene expense and uselessness.

Originally posted by Dasa
The extent of the material creation is trillions x trillions x trillions of miles.............meaning science can only explore their door step.

Absolutely a complete waste of the tax payers money when the money could be spent on clean energy and social welfare programs and education.

Space exploration is criminal because of its obscene expense and uselessness.

Well, maybe there'll be an updated set of Vedas out there.

Originally posted by caissad4
Agreed. Even when I bring it up in person to someone they get a "deer in the headlights" look and change the discussion. Fear is an interesting emotion sometimes.

Very revealing emotion, but it seems we need to strip those (non existent) layers of fear away to find our 'gems' inside.
It's hard to know sometimes when someone is running away or if they are dealing with it on some level. Other times it's obvious 🙂

Originally posted by sumydid
I often wonder about our planet-wide fixation on Mars. Of course, we've now discovered water on Mars, as well as what we believe are fossils of microbial organisms. Could it be that we originated there, destroyed the planet with our destructive ways, and escaped to Earth for the survival of the species?

Obviously it would be very difficult for a bible-b ...[text shortened]... me to seriously consider such a thing. But though I am Christian, I still have an imagination.

If you only get part of the story it doesn't make much sense. I'm pretty sure there is room in this universe for JC and his followers🙂

Originally posted by Soothfast
Well that's good, because no respectable scientist is advancing such a theory.

Yes but unrespected ones are. I wonder why they pursue such obviously ludicrous ideas.

Our 'natural evolution' as a human species is not to be interfered with (by aliens), so that we may truly learn the responsibility of a fully concious human who understands how to caretake this planet properly, and not pretend like they own it.
A united race of future humans, free from fear through the understanding of death may be contacted formally by E.T's at some stage in our future. But all in all, they are largely sitting back and enjoying the show.
Some help a bit, even though they know they have to be very careful what they alter.