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The problem is thou that while it is a lot of rhetoric, they have demonstrated that they have nuclear bombs (however crude) and are working on missiles to shoot them with. Pre-nuclear NK could say what it wanted and everyone would just laugh it off for the most part. Once you have them thou it's...

As a longtime resident of the Netherlands, I've partaken in a few "ladies of the evening" myself. I'm of 2 minds on the matter. On one hand it far more regulated and "clean" here in NL than most other places in the world. The girls are much safer, and receive proper medical care (for the most...

I couldn't agree more that being able to master gravity is a far reaching goal. The thing that gets me with big projects like this is what happens after the big discovery is made. Ok they finally collide enough atoms and find this "holy grail". What then. Do they merely just chalk it up as...

Well thanks for that. Where did I say that harnessing the discovery would be easy? I fully realize that ever getting something practical out of the confirmation of the Higgs Boson, would be a monumental task. It took an international effort lasting decades by some of this generations best minds...

A more brief explanation of the Higgs Boson is that it is the theoretical particle that imparts mass. Mass causing gravity. If the particle is proved and then harnessed one could envision a number of scenerios. An object with it's Higgs Bosons removed would effectively become weightless. Think...

Keep in mind thou that items of clothing and particularily shoes fall into a grey area when it comes to returns. On one hand they should indeed not be falling apart after 3 uses, but on the other hand if your misses weighs 300 lbs (no offence intended) and decided to go hiking with them last...

Indeed, to debate another facet of the issue, I tend to look at the common source debate in a couple of ways. 1: It could well be that there is one (or very limited number of sources) where all life comes from. The conditions on earth were right, but the organic "spark"...

Slow down. I can see you foaming at the mouth from here:) Your so mad that your typing is suffering. Chill please and have a pint. I don't want to provoke you, but just as you think I'm spouting drivel, it feels like your doing the same to me. I'm asking you questions to try and get a...

Lets put it this way. Can you accept that there are conditions that exist that offer a flat 0% chance of life forming in any way, shape, or form at any point on the timeline?

Like I said, we are not on the same page then. Please don't see it as a criticism. It is just surprising thats all. The chaos theory question is just me trying to get a handle on your mindset.

The issue is that we are all not on the same page with regards to how probability is to be viewed and applied. I have to say when I entered this thread I didn't think this would be such a point. A question if you will. Do you believe in chaos theory? To be sure I mean this one...

I look at at from a slightly different perspective. Rather than thinking in terms of likelyhood, I would suggest that life is inevitable, if the right conditions are met. When basic requirements are met it will occur everytime. It is the number of factors that need to align that is the limiting...

The problem is that some peoples grasp of variables and probability is limited. It is then easier to such a mind to just declare it all too much, and not even bother to try and make extrapolations. As another person mentioned it isn't any wonder that some people turn to religion for answers...

The only credibility I could give to ancient alien claims is that in the past we wouldn't have recognized them for what they were, and if they knew that they could move among us more freely. They would just be yet another mythical creature to tell campfire stories about. Nowdays most...

Pretty hardcore attitude there. Your stating a lot of absolutes that you can hardly be sure of. You can place it in caps all you want but it doesn't make it any more true. I merely stating that equations are a valid method to make predictions and to try and make some sense of it. If you don't...

Indeed, but that is kind of the whole paradox about it all. Until we get that signal we can only rely (rely being a bit of a strong word perhaps) on math to try and make predictions, but as you say once that signal is found then a lot of it becomes moot. The thing is that perhaps Drakes's...

Where I disagree is that all the numbers being inputted are random or guesses. If they were I would agree that it is essentially useless. Some of the initial numbers were guesses, but here we are 50 years later with billions invested in space technology. One could hardly say that this is just...

True it will never be accurate science, but it gives a reference point. Another thing to think about is could Drake himself have ever predicted how it would expand into the mainstream.

There is a difference between highly variable numbers and random numbers. People often mistake the 2 as outcomes using either appear random and mind boggling.

Another point that I find interesting is that large numbers tend to make averages more accurate, which gives me confidence in the Drake equation. If anything the universe presents us with large numbers often. For example I was doing some reading the other day on the stars in our local area of...