> On 26 May 2014, at 9:58 am, Russell Standish <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On Mon, May 26, 2014 at 11:12:56AM +1200, LizR wrote: >>> On 25 May 2014 23:32, Telmo Menezes <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> >>>> On Sun, May 25, 2014 at 1:15 PM, LizR <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> I guess it would be pedantic to point out the silliness of aliens wanting >>>> to have sex with humans. I mean, we're more closely related to grass, >>>> jellyfish and slugs than we are to aliens... >>> >>> Makes sense, of course, but I'm not so sure. I don't think we know enough >>> at this point to estimate the diversity of the solution space for >>> biologically evolved entities with human-level intelligence or above. It >>> could be that something very similar to us is the only viable solution, or >>> the most likely solution. >>> >>> Functionally similar (perhaps), but certainly not genetically similar. We >> aren't even gentically similar enough to interbreed with any other species >> that evolved on the same planet under very similar conditions to us - for >> example, we are very closely related to chimps, but we still can't >> interbreed with them. >> >> It is however fascinating that we're so fascinated by this idea. From "I >> married a monster from outer space" via Mr Spock to "Mars needs women!". > > I agree with Liz. Anyone who thinks otherwise has no feeling for just > how ginormous the number 4^1 billion is. That is the size of the > solution space using Terrestrial DNA (4 base pairs, around a billion > base pairs makes up human DNA). > > For comparison, the number of protons in the visible universe is a > mere 4^132 or so. > > Cheers > --
Yes, but what if we are already the product of alien genetic tinkering? That would certainly reduce the odds. The leap from homo erectus to homo sapiens remains unresolved in the fossil record. I don't think you can just wipe the floor with the "ancient aliens" hypothesis just yet. Some evidence is halfway convincing. The interesting assumption we appear to be making here is that humans are solely the product of evolution. If we aren't, and we are a somewhat tricked-up genetic experiment by ETs then it's less likely that your average grey alien with almond-shaped eyes looks similar to us as we do to them. Are you going to dismiss every single alien abduction claim? When Whitley Streiber got "the anal probe" after being levitated on board a flying saucer in the middle of the night he was pronounced as having undergone a rape by his doctor. OK - have a good giggle a la The Simpsons and South Park but the guy was diagnosed with PTSD as have been many so-called abductees. Explain away the persistent cattle mutilations. Explain away the implants in people that have been surgically removed and shown to be made of unfamiliar materials. What if human history was already linked to the history of other races in the galaxy? To say that things are the way Evolution has arranged them to be is a bit glib. It's a bit like saying "it's the way it is because the Bible says so." Evolution is of course real - only a complete nutter would dispute it - nevertheless, the processes of Evolution can be tinkered with and even circumvented by artifice; humans do it all the time with animals in cages so why wouldn't ET do it to us? What if they tinkered with us at a relative stage of our ignorance and primitivity and produced an entity: homo sapiens, that was an experiment they always wanted to carry out and monitor at various stages of its subsequent evolution? Excuse me, the doctor has sent me an email to remind me it's time to take my pill. Kim > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) > Principal, High Performance Coders > Visiting Professor of Mathematics [email protected] > University of New South Wales http://www.hpcoders.com.au > > Latest project: The Amoeba's Secret > (http://www.hpcoders.com.au/AmoebasSecret.html) > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Everything List" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
