I don't want to fail!
I need help with speech contest too!
5 posts •
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I need help with speech contest too!
I would have put this on sparten's thread, but it's his thread, not mine. I'm in the same class as sparten's, and research is due tomorrow! Doubt that I'm going to get it done. Does anyone know where I could find info against contacting extraterrestrials? As far as I can find, everyone's for it. I need help please!!!!!!
I don't want to fail!
I don't want to fail!
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SereneDolphin - Posts: 79
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:31 am
- Location: Duh. The ocean with all the other dolphins.
Then you should have gotten to it earlier. What do you mean by 'against contacting'. Do mean that you plan to argue that it's a silly idea or that it's a bad or potentially dangerous one?
The scientific method," Thomas Henry Huxley once wrote, "is nothing but the normal working of the human mind." That is to say, when the mind is working; that is to say further, when it is engaged in corrrecting its mistakes. Taking this point of view, we may conclude that science is not physics, biology, or chemistry—is not even a "subject"—but a moral imperative drawn from a larger narrative whose purpose is to give perspective, balance, and humility to learning.
Neil Postman
(The End of Education)
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge
Isaac Aasimov
Neil Postman
(The End of Education)
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge
Isaac Aasimov
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Technomancer - Posts: 2379
- Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 11:47 am
- Location: Tralfamadore
It's not a certain reason I'm looking for, it's any reason, whether it could be potentially dangerous, or not worth our time.
I know i should have got this in sooner, but the earliest i would have been able to post this was a few days ago, like two or three at the most. I have slacked off lately, and no excuses for that.
I know i should have got this in sooner, but the earliest i would have been able to post this was a few days ago, like two or three at the most. I have slacked off lately, and no excuses for that.
I am unique, just like everyone else.
[size=84]"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waitors who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like"- Lemony Snicket[/SIZE]
[size=84]"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waitors who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like"- Lemony Snicket[/SIZE]
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SereneDolphin - Posts: 79
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:31 am
- Location: Duh. The ocean with all the other dolphins.
Well, one could argue that the chances of finding life are very small, so therefore it's not something that's worth our time or money. Directly beaming out signals is also pretty much a wasted effort, since even if they do exist we don't know where they are (and in a galaxy with ~100 billion stars that's quite a large search space). However, if there are any extraterrestrial civilizations, we are already beaming stuff at them in the form of high-power radio and television signals. So instead of intelligent communication between advanced beings, they'll be receiving 'Let's Make a Deal' and monster truck extravaganzas.
In addition, we are limited by the speed of light which will make any intersteller communications very slow. For example, Proxima Centauri, which is the star nearest to our own is 4.2 light years away. IOW, a message sent from Earth to there will take 4.2 years to arrive. The Milky Way galaxy as a whole is about 100,000 light years across, so you can pretty much forget about anything like speedy communcations.
As far as more unusual arguments, you're pretty much limited to the realm of fiction. In that case, I'd recommend reading Carl Sagan's novel 'Contact' (don't see the movie, it's a gross corruption of the original work). I'd also recommend Sagan's book 'Cosmos' which describes some of the issues involved in extraterrestrial contact. Specifically, the later chapters such as 'Encyclopaedia Galactica' and 'Who Speaks for Earth'.
In addition, we are limited by the speed of light which will make any intersteller communications very slow. For example, Proxima Centauri, which is the star nearest to our own is 4.2 light years away. IOW, a message sent from Earth to there will take 4.2 years to arrive. The Milky Way galaxy as a whole is about 100,000 light years across, so you can pretty much forget about anything like speedy communcations.
As far as more unusual arguments, you're pretty much limited to the realm of fiction. In that case, I'd recommend reading Carl Sagan's novel 'Contact' (don't see the movie, it's a gross corruption of the original work). I'd also recommend Sagan's book 'Cosmos' which describes some of the issues involved in extraterrestrial contact. Specifically, the later chapters such as 'Encyclopaedia Galactica' and 'Who Speaks for Earth'.
The scientific method," Thomas Henry Huxley once wrote, "is nothing but the normal working of the human mind." That is to say, when the mind is working; that is to say further, when it is engaged in corrrecting its mistakes. Taking this point of view, we may conclude that science is not physics, biology, or chemistry—is not even a "subject"—but a moral imperative drawn from a larger narrative whose purpose is to give perspective, balance, and humility to learning.
Neil Postman
(The End of Education)
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge
Isaac Aasimov
Neil Postman
(The End of Education)
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge
Isaac Aasimov
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Technomancer - Posts: 2379
- Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 11:47 am
- Location: Tralfamadore
Okay, research is all turned in, so I don't need to worry.
And I didn't fail!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I didn't fail!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am unique, just like everyone else.
[size=84]"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waitors who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like"- Lemony Snicket[/SIZE]
[size=84]"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waitors who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like"- Lemony Snicket[/SIZE]
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SereneDolphin - Posts: 79
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:31 am
- Location: Duh. The ocean with all the other dolphins.
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