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You know what's more terrifying than aliens? That we might be the only life in the universe and not in a simulation. Could base reality planet earth be the only

You know what's more terrifying than aliens? That we might be the only life in the universe and not in a simulation. Could base reality planet earth be the only conscious experience? Is it possible things are exactly as we experience them?

techwiz137 3y ago
I mean it means more land for us I guess.
- JKCalhoun 3y ago
  Ha ha, but seriously, it may also suggest that we'll flicker out in an instant like all other species that got this far.
  - firesteelrain 3y ago
    If there ever was a species that got this far. See: Great Filter
- api 3y ago
  It means if we fail there is nothing.
jonplackett 3y ago
Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying. - Arthur C. Clarke
airstrike 3y ago
Intelligent* life may exist elsewhere and just never be able or inclined to reach us. Say we find out there's intelligent life as close to us as Alpha Centauri. It would still take us probably 100,000+ years to get there with current technology, so why even bother traveling? Even sending a probe would take thousands of years.
- CapitalistCartr 3y ago
  We could achieve 5%+ C by using nuclear weapons as propulsion (Project Orion). Building a ship in space bigger than the Empire State Bldg. would be a massive undertaking, but we could arrive at a nearby system in the next century. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propu... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion
blooalien 3y ago
It would be incredibly sad if that turned out to be true, considering how much effort we're expending as a species to extinguish the life-bearing capabilities of the planet. Alone in the Universe, and not terribly far from wiping at least ourselves out (just one or two really bad decisions away from it, really)?

techwiz137 3y ago

I mean it means more land for us I guess.

JKCalhoun 3y ago
Ha ha, but seriously, it may also suggest that we'll flicker out in an instant like all other species that got this far.
- firesteelrain 3y ago
  If there ever was a species that got this far. See: Great Filter
api 3y ago
It means if we fail there is nothing.

jonplackett 3y ago

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying. - Arthur C. Clarke

airstrike 3y ago

Intelligent* life may exist elsewhere and just never be able or inclined to reach us. Say we find out there's intelligent life as close to us as Alpha Centauri. It would still take us probably 100,000+ years to get there with current technology, so why even bother traveling? Even sending a probe would take thousands of years.

CapitalistCartr 3y ago
We could achieve 5%+ C by using nuclear weapons as propulsion (Project Orion). Building a ship in space bigger than the Empire State Bldg. would be a massive undertaking, but we could arrive at a nearby system in the next century. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propu... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion

blooalien 3y ago

It would be incredibly sad if that turned out to be true, considering how much effort we're expending as a species to extinguish the life-bearing capabilities of the planet. Alone in the Universe, and not terribly far from wiping at least ourselves out (just one or two really bad decisions away from it, really)?