Do you think there are other human civilizations in space?

Other human civilizations? No.

why can’t there be other developed human life anywhere else?

Just to clear this up, do you mean intelligent life? Or do you literally mean human beings, homo sapiens sapiens or something related to us?

To put it simply, there can’t be other developed human life out there because we humans here have yet to even successfully venture away from our own cradle. Unless you’re suggesting that some aliens swooped by, picked up some of us for use as livestock and have a human breeding program somewhere, it’s just not possible. Well, maybe not impossible, but certainly not probable.

Now if you mean other intelligent life, then yeah, I’m sure there are some civilizations out there. They are just incredibly few and far between (I think Drake equation is far too liberal in the number it predicts).

In order to entertain the theory of similar human life on other planets we can look at our planet first.

In the Galapagos islands tortoises exist but have varied due to environment as larger than their counterparts on the mainland.

Though they are both different they are both indeed tortoises.

Lets now take the step a bit further and say that our solar system was created at the same time as any number of other solar systems. If so it is possible that similar life forms can be on another planet in another solar system with similar location as earth.

However the likelihood of the human forms on this other planet (or planets) being the same as us is remote as conditions under which the humans have lived will have influenced the overall development of the remote human species.

Thus as humans they may look a great deal different than us. They may be less advanced or more advanced, bigger or smaller, or perhaps even snuffed themselves out with stupidity and nuclear advancements.

So in theory it is possible that there is other “human” life on other planets.

well if you are hinting at parallel universes because there are infinite possibilities in an ever expanding galaxy and that the likely hood that humans evolved some where else in a manner that they are so similar to us they are still able to procreate with us (because this is a requirement of being part of the same species) then I guess anything is possible in an infinite universe of possibilities, However I think the likelihood is pretty slim.

Unless you consider the alternative, that aliens captured humans a long time ago and enslaved us and used us across the galaxy and we are scattered all over the place, I guess that is possible but still pretty far fetched.

I think some of us are missing the “big” picture (although @LKidKyle1985 hinted at it). I read an article a few years back, not sure where, but Scientific American is ringing a bell, about a theory (probably quantum physics and/or mechanics) that states that if there truly is “infinite space”—space that literally never ends—(a concept that we humans can’t really even grasp) then at some point the universe will begin repeating itself, even if through mere chance, and at some point far, far beyond that, the universe will repeat itself exactly down to every detail of our current existence and your current life. Of course this also means that there exist infinite other universes where every little descision you made was different and so what happened after that was different, too, and so forth and so on, for every person who ever lived or has lived. Sounds impossible, too much to accept or grasp, but in the realm of a truly infinite universe, it is not only possible, but eventually unavoidable. Or so the theory goes. The article was pretty interesting. Even had a chart of how far apart the universes may be before they start repeating (the technical answer: really frickin’ far!!) Sorry I can’t remember more specifics about it. If anyone else is familiar w/ this theory then perhaps they can shed a little more light on it.

@tb1570 I have been thinking about your post from Scientific American. It is fascinating and has possibilities but in my thinking the logic is flawed.

Even if one could create identical species there would still be too many random variables that would alter the lives in different solar systems. For one example the weather which alters lives and even takes lives which would completely throw off mirror – lives. Another is chance- as in egg fertilization and generic outcome.

Just thinking out loud here and enjoying the posts.

@Dog Glad you liked it. It’s a confusing theory to try to get your head around and I’m sure I do not understand it thoroughly, and it’s quite likely that my somewhat dim-witted attempt at an explanation did not make it too clear. However, I think maybe you missed the gist. The gist was that in a truly infinite universe, everything would eventually repeat, exactly has it has in other places, “random variables” and all. It’s not so much about one “creating an identical species” as it is that eventually after an almost infinite (read: trillions of trillions of trillions of trillions,, etc, etc.—basically, a number that we as humans cannot comprehend) amount of universes & galaxies, everything would eventually have to happen again in exactly the same pattern. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. To truly try to be able to understand this theory, you really have to try to get your head around the idea of real infinity, which as I’ve said before, is a concept so large that our little brains really cannot comprehend it.

I don’t know why there couldn’t be. We shouldn’t just assume that were’re the only group of beings there are.

@jbfletcherfan If you believe in infinity, then the idea is that we simply cannot be the only beings, even if the other beings are so far away that we’ll never meet them, let alone know of their existence, or so the theory goes.

@tb1570 Good point. I agree.

sure, why not.

@tb1570: If the universe is truly infinite, that would lead me to believe that there are an unlimited or infinite number of outcomes (living and non-living prospects). The 118 or so (I forgot my periodic elements) periodic elements is only representative of our world. With an infinite universe their is likely an infinite amount of elements as well. The possibilities are limitless and with an infinite number of possibilities the likelihood of repeatability is in essence 0. Just in my opinion and for debate.

@critter1982 Guess we look at “infinity” differently. The theory I was discussing states that in genuine infinity, everything must eventually repeat and that the likelihood for this is almost absolute.

@tb1570: No I think we look at infinity the same. The difference is that in your infinte universe you assume that the elements that produce living and non-living matter are finite. My assumption is that if the universe is truly infinite the liklihood that the types of elements that exist are also probably infinite. The probability then becomes 1/infinity which as a limit approaches 0. This means that the probability that something, of which is infinite, will occur more than once is 0. I am strictly speaking of probability and if our universe had an infinite amount of elements and variables, which may or may not be the case.

In your analysis or the theory that you are discussing they assume that the amount of elements is finite. In which you would get a probability equation that looked something like infinity/x (where x is some finite number). As a limit as this approaches infinity the probability that something will repeat goes to infinity which means that if our universe is truly infinite the likelihood that our exact situation here on earth is occurring somewhere else as I speak is 100% probable. Of course all this is just mathematically speaking.

I don’t believe our universe is infinite with regards to space or infinite in the way we think it is. Most people tend to believe that there is really only 2 options and that is an infinite universe or null. I tend to believe that beyond the scope of our universe contains something else. Something not a universe but not empty space either. Our world tends to be very mathematical. We can truly describe anything and everything we see mathematically yet this term infinite has yet to apply to any “real” thing except for those things we don’t understand. Infinite is so abstract that even things mathematically break down when you try to use it. I can’t imagine (which is part of the problem) that something non abstract and very real could be infinite.

Noobs there is no argument about this theory. an Infinite expanding universe = infinite possibilities. Therefore in theory at least, all possibilities are possible and eventually every possibility will repeat itself. This is the concept of parallel universes, eventually there will be a universe just like ours some where with the same people in it. Because if space and time are never ending, it will eventually repeat itself. What are the odds of another place just like earth with the same people on it fluthering about this subject? it is probably .0000000000000000000000000001 to the 100th power times 1 million or something stupid like that. But since time and space are infinite, it will eventually repeat.
(bows out)

@LKidKyle1985 Thanks for stating a little more succinctly what I for some reason couldn’t get out clearly!

@LKidKyle: Wrong! Do the math yourself. The odds are not 0.000000000000000000001 to the 100th power times 1 million. It is 0. 1/infinity = 0. The repeatability of infinite possibilities is 0. If there are 10000000000000000000000000000000000 to the gugol possibilies then yes you will repeat but if you accept infinite possibilities you also accept the fact that mathematically speaking it is not likely that our life is occuring somewhere else.

Well that is what this entire theory hinges on. So it really comes down to if you believe there are infinite possibilities or not. And neither of us will ever be able to answer such a question. I really don’t think its likely either, but in theory its a possibility.