Hey /sci/ could a couple of you guys explain something to me? What sense does it make to say that alien life doesn't exist if we assume the universe is infinite?
In other models where the universe is finite in size I can understand there being no aliens, but doesn't there being an infinite universe mean there's a infinitely high chance of alien life?
Even if there's no proof of alien life, isn't life arising on earth and assuming it is just one small speck in the universe enough to warrant the belief in alien life?
>>7934618
You're right, it doesn't make sense to say alien life can't exist.
>>7934618
It's the same problem as with the sum of all natural numbers.
If you calculate the chance of there being alien life in an infinite universe, you count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ... and end up with -1/12, so the chance of there being life in the universe is actually negative.
>>7934625
Nobody said that, though.
see fermi paradox
>>7934618
Just because the universe is infinite doesn't mean everything is going to occur an infinite number of times. That would only be true if the chance of the event occurring in some finite space is greater than 0. It's possible for example that the chance of life occurring is 0 and that it occurred only once or a finite number of times over infinite space.
It's because WE are the aliens, not them.
Is there any chance we are just the first life form to become so intelligent? It sounds unlikely but is it possible?
>>7934618
There is a limited mass in the universe and it's infinite space as mass / infinity = 0
>>7934665
>There is a limited mass in the universe
No, according to the cosmological principle the distribution of mass over the entire universe is homogeneous. So if there is a non-zero density of mass in our part of the universe there is a non-zero density everywhere else.
>>7934634
This, and the universe isn't infinite.
>>7934691
It is infinite.
>>7934694
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse
>>7934705
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe
>>7934618
I think you might be confusing intelligent alien life with regular alien life. Its certain both exist but very unlikely we will come in contact with intelligent alien life because of the relative distance between us and them. Realistically, there must be intelligent life but also humans will probably never meet them.
Assuming real distribution then the possibility is also infinite thus 0
