https://conservapedia.com/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Ga+ohoytConservapedia - User contributions [en]2026-06-18T09:01:45ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.24.2https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&diff=738301Pi2009-12-27T21:10:38Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Does the Bible attempt to define Pi? */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Pi''' (<big><math>\pi</math></big>) is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; which means that it cannot be fully expressed as a fraction or a decimal (regardless of the number of digits used). To five decimal places, <big><math>\pi</math></big> <big><math>\approx</math></big> 3.14159. Using the convention that Greek letters in mathematics have conventional meaning, the ratio takes its name from the sixteenth letter of the [[Greek alphabet]]. It is an important number and appears in many [[mathematical]] and [[physics|physical]] formulae. <br />
<br />
The approximate value of 3.14159 is precise enough for almost all ordinary purposes; it can, for example, be used to calculate the circumference of a circle of the size of the Earth with an error of only about 110 feet. For rough approximations, the fraction 22/7 (= 3.142857...) is sometimes used.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
Mathematicians have worked for centuries to calculate <big><math>\pi</math></big> to more and more decimal places. To some extent, the progress of mathematics&mdash;or at least of computation&mdash;can be gauged by the progress in the number of digits to which <big><math>\pi</math></big> has been calculated. <br />
<br />
Some ancients expressed <big><math>\pi</math></big> by using fractional approximations. Papyrus of Ahmes, dated c. 1650 B.C., shows that ancient Egyptians had value 3 1/6 = 3.167). The Babylonian value from the same era was 3 1/8 = 3.125<ref>Boyer, A History of Mathematics, 2nd Edition</ref>. Both these values are accurate to within 1 percent. Note that the value 22/7 (3 1/7) is still used today.<br />
<br />
[[Archimedes]] of Syracuse (287-212 BC) carried out "the first theoretical calculation" of <big><math>\pi</math></big>.<ref>[http://veling.nl/anne/templars/Pi_through_the_ages.html Pi through the ages]</ref><br />
He said it was between 223/71 and 22/7. This is ten times better than the Egyptian and Babylonian values: within 0.04% of <big><math>\pi</math></big>.<br />
<br />
In 1873, Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits.<ref>http://www.super-computing.org/pi_current.html</ref> That result was never printed out.<br />
<br />
==Pi in mathematics==<br />
It's impossible to overestimate the importance of <big><math>\pi</math></big> (and [[e]]) for mathematics. Both values are intrinsically tied, e.g. by [[Euler's identity]]<br />
<math> e^{\pi \imath} +1 = 0</math>.<br />
<br />
==Recreation==<br />
Memorizing <big><math>\pi</math></big> is a challenge that appeals to some people. Mnemonics have been devised. Counting the letters in each word of the phrase "Now I want a drink&mdash;alcoholic, of course" gives <big><math>\pi</math></big> to seven places (which is more than enough for all ordinary purposes). Numerous other mnemonics of this kind have been devised; in 1995, Michael Keith wrote one entitled [http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm Near a Raven] which simultaneously parodies [[Edgar Allen Poe]]'s poem ''The Raven,'' while encoding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 740 places.<br />
<br />
March 14 marks [[Pi Day]], a holiday on which the mathematical constant is celebrated. The date, 3/14, comes from the first three digits of <big><math>\pi</math></big>; some people begin their celebration at 1:59 pm, derived from the following three digits.<br />
<br />
<big><math>\pi</math></big> Approximation Day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7). <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/mathscience/2007-03-14-pi-day_N.htm USA Today (3/14/2007) - Pi-day]</ref><br />
<br />
<big><math>\pi</math></big> is approximately:<br />
<br />
{{quotebox|<br />
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419&#8203;7169399375&#8203;1058209749&#8203;4459230781&#8203;6406286208&#8203;9986280348&#8203;2534211706&#8203;7982148086&#8203;5132823066&#8203;4709384460&#8203;9550582231&#8203;7253594081&#8203;2848111745&#8203;0284102701&#8203;9385211055&#8203;5964462294&#8203;8954930381&#8203;9644288109&#8203;7566593344&#8203;6128475648&#8203;2337867831&#8203;6527120190&#8203;9145648566&#8203;92...}}<br />
<br />
== Greek Language Usage ==<br />
This letter's name is pronounced the same as its equivalent Latin letter in English (P), and has the phonetic value, /p/.<br />
<br />
==Does the Bible attempt to define Pi?==<br />
Virtually all serious students of the [[Bible]] say no. Still, critics frequently claim that the Bible contains an incorrect value for <big><math>\pi</math></big><ref>http://www.cygnus-study.com/writings/allowableerror.shtml</ref>, and the question is raised frequently enough to earn mention in the [[Skeptics Annotated Bible]].<br />
<br />
The claim is based on a verse in the [[I Kings|first book of Kings]]:<br />
{{bible quote|He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten [[cubit]]s from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it.|book=1_Kings|chap=7|verses=23|version=NIV}}<br />
Thus, critics say, the Bible claims that the value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is 3, and is therefore in error. However, there are a number of assumptions in this claim, any of which might invalidate the argument if wrong:<br />
<br />
* That the tools and system of measurement available to the builders were sufficiently accurate to distinguish between 3 and pi.<br />
* That the phrase translated as "circular in shape" means perfectly circular, not simply "round" as an ellipse is round.<br />
* That the Bible is trying to provide a value for <big><math>\pi</math></big>, and not merely describing the historical event of building this object.<ref name="math">Peterson and Rick, 1999.</ref><br />
* That a value is ''wrong'' simply because it is imprecise. To the nearest [[whole number]], the value is correct<ref name="math" />, and it was quite common at the time to round to whole numbers.<ref name="jph">Holding, J.P.</ref> <br />
* That both the [[diameter]] and the [[circumference]] are measuring the same edges. Since the sides of any practical vessel have thickness, it is possible that the diameter is an outside measurement and the circumference is an inside measurement.<ref name="jph" /><br />
* That both the diameter and the circumference are measuring the same part of the object. The object is also described as having an outward-turned rim. The easiest places to measure the diameter would be across the wider rim, and the easiest place to measure the circumference would be around the body below the rim.<ref>Grigg, 1995.</ref><br />
<br />
Common sense and a rudimentary knowledge of the Bible should cause one to question whether it sets out to define mathematical concepts. The creation of a "sea of cast metal" by human beings in ancient times, without modern construction tools and measuring equipment, does not require nor could it utilize a precise value for pi. An even more fundamental objection is that pi is an [[irrational number]], and therefore has an infinite number of digits. (A "closed form" of pi does exist, but requires mathematical notation that was invented many centuries later.) A decimal expression of pi could not "fit" in the Bible, or in any other finite text.<ref>http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html</ref><br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
* Grigg, Russell, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1731/ Does the Bible say Pi equals 3.0?] ''Creation'' 17(2):24–25, March 1995.<br />
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Pi Gets In Your Eye] (Tektonics).<br />
* Peterson & Rick, [http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html Rounding Pi] 1st June(?), 1999 (The Math Forum).<br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
*[[Pi day]]<br />
*[http://yacas.sourceforge.net/Algochapter5.html#c5s5 Calculation of pi with computers]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Mathematics]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&diff=738294Pi2009-12-27T20:49:52Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Does the Bible attempt to define Pi? */ tightening a bit</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Pi''' (<big><math>\pi</math></big>) is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; which means that it cannot be fully expressed as a fraction or a decimal (regardless of the number of digits used). To five decimal places, <big><math>\pi</math></big> <big><math>\approx</math></big> 3.14159. Using the convention that Greek letters in mathematics have conventional meaning, the ratio takes its name from the sixteenth letter of the [[Greek alphabet]]. It is an important number and appears in many [[mathematical]] and [[physics|physical]] formulae. <br />
<br />
The approximate value of 3.14159 is precise enough for almost all ordinary purposes; it can, for example, be used to calculate the circumference of a circle of the size of the Earth with an error of only about 110 feet. For rough approximations, the fraction 22/7 (= 3.142857...) is sometimes used.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
Mathematicians have worked for centuries to calculate <big><math>\pi</math></big> to more and more decimal places. To some extent, the progress of mathematics&mdash;or at least of computation&mdash;can be gauged by the progress in the number of digits to which <big><math>\pi</math></big> has been calculated. <br />
<br />
Some ancients expressed <big><math>\pi</math></big> by using fractional approximations. Papyrus of Ahmes, dated c. 1650 B.C., shows that ancient Egyptians had value 3 1/6 = 3.167). The Babylonian value from the same era was 3 1/8 = 3.125<ref>Boyer, A History of Mathematics, 2nd Edition</ref>. Both these values are accurate to within 1 percent. Note that the value 22/7 (3 1/7) is still used today.<br />
<br />
[[Archimedes]] of Syracuse (287-212 BC) carried out "the first theoretical calculation" of <big><math>\pi</math></big>.<ref>[http://veling.nl/anne/templars/Pi_through_the_ages.html Pi through the ages]</ref><br />
He said it was between 223/71 and 22/7. This is ten times better than the Egyptian and Babylonian values: within 0.04% of <big><math>\pi</math></big>.<br />
<br />
In 1873, Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits.<ref>http://www.super-computing.org/pi_current.html</ref> That result was never printed out.<br />
<br />
==Pi in mathematics==<br />
It's impossible to overestimate the importance of <big><math>\pi</math></big> (and [[e]]) for mathematics. Both values are intrinsically tied, e.g. by [[Euler's identity]]<br />
<math> e^{\pi \imath} +1 = 0</math>.<br />
<br />
==Recreation==<br />
Memorizing <big><math>\pi</math></big> is a challenge that appeals to some people. Mnemonics have been devised. Counting the letters in each word of the phrase "Now I want a drink&mdash;alcoholic, of course" gives <big><math>\pi</math></big> to seven places (which is more than enough for all ordinary purposes). Numerous other mnemonics of this kind have been devised; in 1995, Michael Keith wrote one entitled [http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm Near a Raven] which simultaneously parodies [[Edgar Allen Poe]]'s poem ''The Raven,'' while encoding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 740 places.<br />
<br />
March 14 marks [[Pi Day]], a holiday on which the mathematical constant is celebrated. The date, 3/14, comes from the first three digits of <big><math>\pi</math></big>; some people begin their celebration at 1:59 pm, derived from the following three digits.<br />
<br />
<big><math>\pi</math></big> Approximation Day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7). <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/mathscience/2007-03-14-pi-day_N.htm USA Today (3/14/2007) - Pi-day]</ref><br />
<br />
<big><math>\pi</math></big> is approximately:<br />
<br />
{{quotebox|<br />
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419&#8203;7169399375&#8203;1058209749&#8203;4459230781&#8203;6406286208&#8203;9986280348&#8203;2534211706&#8203;7982148086&#8203;5132823066&#8203;4709384460&#8203;9550582231&#8203;7253594081&#8203;2848111745&#8203;0284102701&#8203;9385211055&#8203;5964462294&#8203;8954930381&#8203;9644288109&#8203;7566593344&#8203;6128475648&#8203;2337867831&#8203;6527120190&#8203;9145648566&#8203;92...}}<br />
<br />
== Greek Language Usage ==<br />
This letter's name is pronounced the same as its equivalent Latin letter in English (P), and has the phonetic value, /p/.<br />
<br />
==Does the Bible attempt to define Pi?==<br />
Virtually all serious students of the [[Bible]] say no. Still, critics frequently claim that the Bible contains an incorrect value for <big><math>\pi</math></big><ref>http://www.cygnus-study.com/writings/allowableerror.shtml</ref>, and the question is raised frequently enough to earn mention in the [[Skeptics Annotated Bible]].<br />
<br />
The claim is based on a verse in the [[I Kings|first book of Kings]]:<br />
{{bible quote|He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten [[cubit]]s from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it.|book=1_Kings|chap=7|verses=23|version=NIV}}<br />
Thus, critics say, the Bible claims that the value of <big><math>\pi</math></big>is 3, and is therefore in error. However, there are a number of assumptions in this claim, any of which might invalidate the argument if wrong:<br />
<br />
* That the tools and system of measurement available to the builders were sufficiently accurate to distinguish between pi and 3.<br />
* That the phrase translated as "circular in shape" means perfectly circular, not simply "round" as an ellipse is round.<br />
* That the Bible is trying to provide a value for <big><math>\pi</math></big>, and not merely describing the size of the object.<ref name="math">Peterson and Rick, 1999.</ref><br />
* That a value is ''wrong'' simply because it is imprecise. To the nearest [[whole number]], the value is correct,<ref name="math" /> and it was quite common at the time to round numbers.<ref name="jph">Holding, J.P.</ref> <br />
* That both the [[diameter]] and the [[circumference]] are measuring the same edges. Since the sides of any practical vessel has a thickness, it is possible that the diameter is an outside measurement and the circumference is an inside measurement.<ref name="jph" /><br />
* That both the diameter and the circumference are measuring the same part of the object. The object is also described as having an outward-turned rim. The easiest places to measure the diameter would be across the wider rim, and the easiest place to measure the circumference would be around the body below the rim.<ref>Grigg, 1995.</ref><br />
<br />
However, even if the claim is correct, rounding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 3 is not "incorrect," an "error" or "wrong" and is perfectly acceptable in some circumstances.<ref>http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html</ref> The creation of a "sea of cast metal" by human beings (not God) in ancient times without modern construction tools and measuring equipment is easily understood as one of those circumstances.<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
* Grigg, Russell, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1731/ Does the Bible say Pi equals 3.0?] ''Creation'' 17(2):24–25, March 1995.<br />
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Pi Gets In Your Eye] (Tektonics).<br />
* Peterson & Rick, [http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html Rounding Pi] 1st June(?), 1999 (The Math Forum).<br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
*[[Pi day]]<br />
*[http://yacas.sourceforge.net/Algochapter5.html#c5s5 Calculation of pi with computers]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Mathematics]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=671198Extraterrestrial life2009-06-06T18:16:59Z<p>Ga ohoyt: Moving. Since this is at least a quasi-scientific subject, the science should come first, the religious debate later.</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
<br />
The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
<br />
The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
<br />
# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
<br />
=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
<br />
Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
<br />
# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
<br />
With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
<br />
The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
<br />
# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The hydroplate theory of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
<br />
Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
<br />
=====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System=====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
<br />
=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
<br />
No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. Novelist [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he describes a fictional extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of Earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill from earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century introduced other now-familiar themes, often through the media of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these themes and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''[[Star Wars]]'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations. The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near Roswell, New Mexico, United States was the subject of another film.<br />
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The ''[[Star Trek]]'' television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and even trans-galactic empires, is well known. Also in the 1960s, producer Quinn Martin created the series ''The Invaders'' that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that Eath had been infiltrated with extraterrestrial spies. More recently, Kenneth Johnston created ''V'', a series in which a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral at first puts on a friendly appearance (similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]], the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but then subverts human governmental and media institutions in order to further the aliens' true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation about the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Religious Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
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===Christian views===<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
====John 10:16 ====<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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====Uniqueness of the Atonement====<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
<br />
Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
<br />
The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by Hugh McDiarmid.<br />
<br />
==== Extent of the Creation ====<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the hydroplate theory is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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===Non-Christian Views===<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''Hale-Bopp movement''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of Comet Hale-Bopp, believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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=== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ===<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=671196Extraterrestrial life2009-06-06T18:01:39Z<p>Ga ohoyt: Moving. This idiosyncratic research is not, and does not claim to be, "Christian"</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
<br />
The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
<br />
# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
<br />
===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
<br />
Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
<br />
===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
<br />
Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
<br />
The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by Hugh McDiarmid.<br />
<br />
=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the hydroplate theory is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
<br />
=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
<br />
== Microbes and other primitive forms ==<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
<br />
Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
<br />
# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The hydroplate theory of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
<br />
Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
<br />
====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ==<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
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[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. Novelist [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he describes a fictional extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of Earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill from earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century introduced other now-familiar themes, often through the media of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these themes and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''[[Star Wars]]'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations. The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near Roswell, New Mexico, United States was the subject of another film.<br />
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The ''[[Star Trek]]'' television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and even trans-galactic empires, is well known. Also in the 1960s, producer Quinn Martin created the series ''The Invaders'' that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that Eath had been infiltrated with extraterrestrial spies. More recently, Kenneth Johnston created ''V'', a series in which a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral at first puts on a friendly appearance (similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]], the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but then subverts human governmental and media institutions in order to further the aliens' true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation about the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''Hale-Bopp movement''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of Comet Hale-Bopp, believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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=== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ===<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
<br />
Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
<br />
Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=671195Extraterrestrial life2009-06-06T17:55:16Z<p>Ga ohoyt: not a subdivision of "microbes"</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
<br />
===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by Hugh McDiarmid.<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the hydroplate theory is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
=== Christian Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ===<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
<br />
Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
<br />
[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
<br />
The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
<br />
{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
<br />
Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Microbes and other primitive forms ==<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The hydroplate theory of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
<br />
====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ==<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
<br />
No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
<br />
====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
<br />
In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. Novelist [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he describes a fictional extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of Earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill from earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
<br />
The middle twentieth century introduced other now-familiar themes, often through the media of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these themes and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''[[Star Wars]]'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations. The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near Roswell, New Mexico, United States was the subject of another film.<br />
<br />
The ''[[Star Trek]]'' television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and even trans-galactic empires, is well known. Also in the 1960s, producer Quinn Martin created the series ''The Invaders'' that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that Eath had been infiltrated with extraterrestrial spies. More recently, Kenneth Johnston created ''V'', a series in which a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral at first puts on a friendly appearance (similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]], the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but then subverts human governmental and media institutions in order to further the aliens' true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
<br />
Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation about the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
<br />
#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''Hale-Bopp movement''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of Comet Hale-Bopp, believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
<br />
Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Punk&diff=654190Punk2009-04-19T00:29:41Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Subgenres of punk */ The point is that Naedcore (from the city of Oxnard) is a geograpjic distinction, not really a subgenre</p>
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<div>'''Punk music''', or '''punk rock''', originated in a club called [[CBGB]] in [[New York City]] in the mid-1970s with [[Television]] and [[The Ramones]] followed by the still popular [[The Dead Kennedys]]. It was seen as a response to the cultural sterility of [[progressive rock]] and other highly commercialized forms of rock. Although punk had limited popularity in America, it quickly spread to the [[UK]] where bands such as [[The Sex Pistols]], [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]] and [[The Clash]] became massively popular.<br />
<br />
==Musicality==<br />
Punk is charactarised by up-tempo arrangements, and seldom employs instruments other than [[guitar]], bass, and drums. By design, the songs are usually structured to be very simplistic, with the 1-4-5 [[chord]] progression being typical. The lyrics, which are almost always written in a 1-1, 2-2 [[rhyme scheme]], can be concerned with any topic, but usually deal with some aspect of youth culture or express some theme of "punk attitude" such as opposition to authority.<br />
<br />
==Dancing==<br />
Various methods of dancing to punk rock have emerged, such as skanking, pogo-ing, and slam dancing. Most punk-style dancing is synasthetically expressive of an emotion, rather than a particular representational style, such as a jitterbug. Dancing tends to be individual or communal, seldom couples-oriented.<br />
<br />
==Punk Culture==<br />
Punks typically distinguish themselves from others with their unmistakable appearances. This has included things such as Mohawk hairstyles, tight pants, studded leather jackets, bullet belts, combat boots, etc. Clothing and hairstyles vary widely throughout the punk scene, and often particular outfits denote particular strains of punk or core-beliefs. Most true punks however will claim that the punk subculture is more based on the idea of non-conformity.<br />
<br />
==Subgenres of punk==<br />
As punk-rock grew in popularity, several subgenres became apparent, some of which represent very fine distinctions (such as anarcho-punk), or small (Muslim punk) or localized (Nardcore) groupings. Some subgeneric names are probably useful, however, or at least well-known. Hardcore punk, usually characterized by fast tempos and a stripped-down/minimalist sound was a staple of West Coast punk during the 1980's, especially in the important Southern California-region and has since spread throughout the world. New Wave, despite being descended of punk, developed its own distinctive sounds and subculture respectively. Forms such as [[Grunge]] and [[Emotive-Hardcore]](both descended of the Post-Hardcore punk movement) each developed largely into their own subcultures respectively in their own right.Among the many punk subgenres, real or imagined, are:<br />
<br />
* [[Art-Punk]]<br />
* [[Post-Punk]]<br />
* [[New-Wave]]<br />
* [[Gothic-Rock]]<br />
* [[Hardcore-Punk]]<br />
* [[Anarcho-Punk]]<br />
* [[OI!]]<br />
* [[Horror-Punk]]<br />
* [[Crust-Punk]]<br />
<br />
==Notable Punk bands==<br />
===United States===<br />
* [[Against Me!]]<br />
* [[Anti-Flag]]<br />
* [[Bad Religion]]<br />
* [[Black Flag]]<br />
* [[Blondie]]<br />
* [[Dead Boys]]<br />
* [[Dead Kennedys]]<br />
* [[Dropkick Murphys]]<br />
* [[Richard Hell]]<br />
* [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]]<br />
* [[Misfits]]<br />
* [[New York Dolls]]<br />
* [[The Ramones]]<br />
* [[Patti Smith]]<br />
* [[Social Distortion]]<br />
* [[Talking Heads]]<br />
* [[Television(band)|Television]]<br />
* [[X (band)|X]]<br />
<br />
===United Kingdom===<br />
* [[Adicts]]<br />
* The [[Anti-Nowhere League]]<br />
* [[The Buzzcocks]]<br />
* [[The Clash]]<br />
* [[Conflict]]<br />
* [[Crass]]<br />
* [[The Damned]]<br />
* [[The Exploited]]<br />
* [[The Fall]]<br />
* [[Flux of Pink Indians]]<br />
* [[Poison Girls]]<br />
* [[The Sex Pistols]]<br />
* [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]]<br />
* [[The Stranglers]]<br />
* [[Subhumans]]<br />
* [[U.K. Subs]]<br />
* [[Wire]]<br />
<br />
==Christianity in Punk Music==<br />
There are a few bands that are considered to be Christian punk bands. Some examples are:<br />
*[[MxPx]]<br />
*[[Slick Shoes]]<br />
*[[Dogwood]]<br />
*[[Audio Adrenaline]]<br />
*[[Hawk Nelson]]<br />
*[[Stellar Kart]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
[http://www.punkvoter.com Punkvoter.com]<br />
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[[Category:Punk| ]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=635027Extraterrestrial life2009-03-05T18:07:30Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
<br />
The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
<br />
The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
<br />
# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
<br />
=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
<br />
Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
<br />
# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
<br />
With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
<br />
The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
<br />
# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The hydroplate theory of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
<br />
Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
<br />
====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
<br />
=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. Novelist [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he describes a fictional extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of Earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill from earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century introduced other now-familiar themes, often through the media of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these themes and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''[[Star Wars]]'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations. The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near Roswell, New Mexico, United States was the subject of another film.<br />
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The ''[[Star Trek]]'' television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and even trans-galactic empires, is well known. Also in the 1960s, producer Quinn Martin created the series ''The Invaders'' that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that Eath had been infiltrated with extraterrestrial spies. More recently, Kenneth Johnston created ''V'', a series in which a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral at first puts on a friendly appearance (similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]], the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but then subverts human governmental and media institutions in order to further the aliens' true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation about the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by Hugh McDiarmid.<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the hydroplate theory is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''Hale-Bopp movement''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of Comet Hale-Bopp, believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=634670Extraterrestrial life2009-03-05T00:18:26Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction */</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
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[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. Novelist [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he describes a fictional extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of Earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill from earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century introduced other now-familiar themes, often through the media of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these themes and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''[[Star Wars]]'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations. The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near Roswell, New Mexico, United States was the subject of another film.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires, hardly needs introduction. Producer Quinn Martin created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, Kenneth Johnston created a concept (''V'') of a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=634647Extraterrestrial life2009-03-04T23:56:28Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction */</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
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[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. Novelist [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he describes a fictional extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of Earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill from earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century introduced other now-familiar themes, often through the media of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these thems and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''[[Star Wars]]'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations. The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near Roswell, New Mexico, United States was the subject of another film.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires, hardly needs introduction. Producer Quinn Martin created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, Kenneth Johnston created a concept (''V'') of a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=634637Extraterrestrial life2009-03-04T23:49:57Z<p>Ga ohoyt: I will put your precious Roswell stuff back, but you deleted all my other changes as well. Please be more careful.</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
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[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. Novelist [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he describes a fictional extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of Earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill from earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century introduced other now-familiar themes, often through the media of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these thems and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''[[Star Wars]]'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires, hardly needs introduction. Producer Quinn Martin created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, Kenneth Johnston created a concept (''V'') of a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=634447Extraterrestrial life2009-03-04T19:42:46Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction */</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. Novelist [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he describes a fictional extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of Earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill from earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century introduced other now-familiar themes, often through the media of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these thems and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''[[Star Wars]]'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires, hardly needs introduction. Producer Quinn Martin created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, Kenneth Johnston created a concept (''V'') of a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=634443Extraterrestrial life2009-03-04T19:34:47Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction */</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
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[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state that launched an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century intoduced other now-familiar themes, often in the form of comic books, novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these thems and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''Star Wars'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires, hardly needs introduction. Producer Quinn Martin created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of Matthew Perry (the American commodore who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from back-contamination|back-contaminating the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=634442Extraterrestrial life2009-03-04T19:32:03Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction */ more tightening</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial life, from nation-states to microbes, has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the early days of the genre. [[H. G. Wells]] speculated on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. In ''The First Men in the Moon'', he speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects. Wells also wrote about a Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), only to fail when the invaders fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems had no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century intoduced other now-familiar themes, often in the form of [[comic books]], novels, low-budget films, and [[television]]: humans caught up in events on other inhabited worlds, spacefaring starship crews, and extraterrestrial "prophets" appearing on earth with either good intentions or bad. By the late twentieth century, big-budget films repeated these thems and introduced new ones, sometimes (as in ''Star Wars'') bypassing Earth altogether in favor of mythlike tales of ancient civilizations.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] television franchise created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires, hardly needs introduction. Producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a spaceborne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
<br />
== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
<br />
Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
<br />
[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
<br />
The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
<br />
{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
<br />
Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
<br />
[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=634434Extraterrestrial life2009-03-04T19:07:07Z<p>Ga ohoyt: deleted arguments that belong, if anywhere, in the evolution article</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
<br />
The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that spaceborne microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
<br />
=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
<br />
Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
<br />
# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
<br />
With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
<br />
# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====Theoretical approaches====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process. If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial nation-states and, almost as often, extraterrestrial microbes, have been a staple of [[science fiction]] since soon after science-fiction writers first began speculating on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. [[H. G. Wells]] even speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects (''The First Men in the Moon''). Wells also speculated that the Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), an invasion that would fail when the Martian soldiers and pilots fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems would have no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of popular-culture icons that were either:<br />
# Humans caught up in events on other, inhabited worlds, some of which were making war against the earth, or<br />
# An extraterrestrial "refugee" that became an obvious [[God-substitute]] after, [[Moses]]-like, he crashed to earth in a small space capsule launched from a world that later destroyed itself in a cataclysm far more devastating than the [[Great Flood]] had been.<br />
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In addition to this, the [[motion picture]] industry, especially in the [[United States]] but also in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], produced scores of low-budget films having a theme involving an extraterrestrial nation-state attempting either:<br />
<br />
# To recruit humans, usually by fraudulent means, into assisting them in weapons or defensive-systems development,<br />
# To subvert human society and/or the international community by infiltration or by playing some individual humans or human nation-states against others, or:<br />
# To invade the earth by main force.<br />
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The motion picture industry abandoned that theme as the century progressed, and produced a number of films showing extraterrestrials to be friendly. Toward the very end of the century, the theme of extraterrestrial invasion returned, in the form of a number of high-budget films that linked the basic theme to a number of modern-day legends, including:<br />
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# The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico]], [[United States]].<br />
# The synthetic religion, called [[Scientology]], developed by the late [[L. Ron Hubbard]]. This movement informed many of Hubbard's works, including [[Battlefield Earth]] (which the actor [[John Travolta]], an adherent of Scientology, has lately adapted for the [[motion picture]]s), and [[Mission Earth]], a ten-volume series completed shortly before Hubbard's death and published posthumously.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] [[television]] franchise that [[Gene Roddenberry]] created, with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires hardly needs introduction. But in addition, producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a space-borne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
<br />
===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
<br />
#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extrasolar_planets&diff=634432Extrasolar planets2009-03-04T18:57:08Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Current count */</p>
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<div>'''Extrasolar planets''', or '''exoplanets''', are planets that orbit stars other than the sun. <br />
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Planets have no light source of their own, and most extrasolar planets are too far away to be seen by the light they reflect from their own suns; however, some have been detected by the methods described below.<br />
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== Methods of detection ==<br />
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=== Astrometry ===<br />
A star and planet orbit about a spot that is the center of gravity of the system known as the [[orbit|barycenter]]. For the Sun and Jupiter, the barycenter is 1.068 solar radii. With larger planets orbiting closer to the star, it is possible to detect the movement of the star against the distant background. This method was used to detect a planet orbiting Gliese 876.<br />
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=== Radial velocity ===<br />
Instead of mapping the position of the star against the background, it is also possible to detect the minute [[Doppler effect|Doppler shift]] in the star's spectrum as it is tugged by the planet. This method is responsible for the majority of extrasolar planet detection.<br />
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=== Transit method ===<br />
When a planet passes in front of its star, it blocks some of the light of the star. By measuring this periodic momentary dimming of the light, it is possible to identify a planet that is properly aligned. This method does not work if the planet itself does not eclipse the star from our perspective.<br />
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=== Direct imaging ===<br />
In the situation where a star is not extremely bright, it is possible to detect a planet orbiting it. Such was the case with the brown dwarf 2M1207 which had a detectable companion that was named 2M1207b.<br />
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On November 13, 2008 a planet orbiting the star [[Fomalhaut b|Fomalhaut]] at a distance of approximately 115 AU became the first exoplanet observed directly in visible light. The planet, whose existence was theoretically predicted, was photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is believed to be a few times the mass of Jupiter and to posess an extrensive ring system.<br />
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== Current count ==<br />
As of 2009, the number of extrasolar planets detected stands at more than 340. Since the detection methods devised to date favor large, gaseous planets, most detected planets are quite dissimilar to Earth, and they are not thought to be good candidates for finding life. However, the planet [[Gliese_581c|Gliese 581c]] orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light-years from earth) appears to be a terrestrial (that is, rocky) planet that orbits in the "habitable zone" of space surrounding its star. The term "habitable" in this context simply means that the stellar light flux it receives is similar to that of Earth, and it therefore might have an Earthlike temperature. Whether it is in fact habitable depends on many other factors, and is pure speculation at present.<br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[Extraterrestrial life]]<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
==Links==<br />
*[http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/ NASA's PlanetQuest]<br />
*[http://exoplanet.eu/ Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia]<br />
*[http://exoplanets.org/ ExoPlanets]<br />
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[[category:astronomy]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=633981Extraterrestrial life2009-03-03T19:00:13Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Extraterrestrial Civilizations */ tightened it up a bit</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that such microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as Project Blue Book, by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
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[[Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence|SETI]] ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via radio [[telescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the Project Blue Book investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as outright hoaxes, misinterpretations of common weather features, or misinterpretations of sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of a vessel that could have launched any of the craft that witnesses report having encountered. And the SETI projects, despite years of searching for a signal (at one point recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====The Drake Equation====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process.<br />
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If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero. This is a serious problem if one relies only on naturalistic explanations of the genesis of life. One of the most well-accepted scientific laws, the [[law of biogenesis]], says that life only comes from life, which means that it cannot come from non-life. Furthermore, scientific observations are that evolution itself is impossible, as evolution requires ''increasing'' genetic [[information]], whereas observations show that living things ''lose'' genetic information.<ref>Wieland, Carl, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/431/ The evolution train’s a-comin’], ''Creation'' 24(2):16–19, March 2002.</ref><br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial nation-states and, almost as often, extraterrestrial microbes, have been a staple of [[science fiction]] since soon after science-fiction writers first began speculating on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. [[H. G. Wells]] even speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects (''The First Men in the Moon''). Wells also speculated that the Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), an invasion that would fail when the Martian soldiers and pilots fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems would have no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of popular-culture icons that were either:<br />
# Humans caught up in events on other, inhabited worlds, some of which were making war against the earth, or<br />
# An extraterrestrial "refugee" that became an obvious [[God-substitute]] after, [[Moses]]-like, he crashed to earth in a small space capsule launched from a world that later destroyed itself in a cataclysm far more devastating than the [[Great Flood]] had been.<br />
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In addition to this, the [[motion picture]] industry, especially in the [[United States]] but also in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], produced scores of low-budget films having a theme involving an extraterrestrial nation-state attempting either:<br />
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# To recruit humans, usually by fraudulent means, into assisting them in weapons or defensive-systems development,<br />
# To subvert human society and/or the international community by infiltration or by playing some individual humans or human nation-states against others, or:<br />
# To invade the earth by main force.<br />
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The motion picture industry abandoned that theme as the century progressed, and produced a number of films showing extraterrestrials to be friendly. Toward the very end of the century, the theme of extraterrestrial invasion returned, in the form of a number of high-budget films that linked the basic theme to a number of modern-day legends, including:<br />
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# The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico]], [[United States]].<br />
# The synthetic religion, called [[Scientology]], developed by the late [[L. Ron Hubbard]]. This movement informed many of Hubbard's works, including [[Battlefield Earth]] (which the actor [[John Travolta]], an adherent of Scientology, has lately adapted for the [[motion picture]]s), and [[Mission Earth]], a ten-volume series completed shortly before Hubbard's death and published posthumously.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] [[television]] franchise that [[Gene Roddenberry]] created, with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires hardly needs introduction. But in addition, producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a space-borne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
<br />
Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
<br />
The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
<br />
=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
<br />
=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
<br />
==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
<br />
#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
<br />
== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
<br />
Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
<br />
[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
<br />
The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
<br />
{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
<br />
Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
<br />
[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
<br />
Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=633973Extraterrestrial life2009-03-03T18:42:04Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, and has more recently become the subject of scientific debate and even theological debate.<br />
<br />
The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
<br />
# The genesis, nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that such microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
<br />
=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
<br />
Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
<br />
# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
<br />
With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
<br />
# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
<br />
Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
<br />
====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbor life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
<br />
=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as [[Project Blue Book]], by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
SETI ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via [[radiotelescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
<br />
No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the [[Project Blue Book]] investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as anything from outright hoaxes to misinterpretations of common weather features to misinterpretation of the sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of, much less contact with, any carrier-like vessel that would have been capable of launching any of the alleged two-seater or similar small-crewed craft that various "witnesses" report having encountered. Nor has any [[physics|physicist]] yet suggested a method by which such a craft could have visited our [[solar system]], given the fixed speed limit set by the [[Special Theory of Relativity]]. Finally, the SETI project, for all their searching for a signal (even to recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
<br />
====The Drake Equation====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
<br />
In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process.<br />
<br />
If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero. This is a serious problem if one relies only on naturalistic explanations of the genesis of life. One of the most well-accepted scientific laws, the [[law of biogenesis]], says that life only comes from life, which means that it cannot come from non-life. Furthermore, scientific observations are that evolution itself is impossible, as evolution requires ''increasing'' genetic [[information]], whereas observations show that living things ''lose'' genetic information.<ref>Wieland, Carl, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/431/ The evolution train’s a-comin’], ''Creation'' 24(2):16–19, March 2002.</ref><br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial nation-states and, almost as often, extraterrestrial microbes, have been a staple of [[science fiction]] since soon after science-fiction writers first began speculating on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. [[H. G. Wells]] even speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects (''The First Men in the Moon''). Wells also speculated that the Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), an invasion that would fail when the Martian soldiers and pilots fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems would have no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
<br />
The middle twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of popular-culture icons that were either:<br />
# Humans caught up in events on other, inhabited worlds, some of which were making war against the earth, or<br />
# An extraterrestrial "refugee" that became an obvious [[God-substitute]] after, [[Moses]]-like, he crashed to earth in a small space capsule launched from a world that later destroyed itself in a cataclysm far more devastating than the [[Great Flood]] had been.<br />
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In addition to this, the [[motion picture]] industry, especially in the [[United States]] but also in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], produced scores of low-budget films having a theme involving an extraterrestrial nation-state attempting either:<br />
<br />
# To recruit humans, usually by fraudulent means, into assisting them in weapons or defensive-systems development,<br />
# To subvert human society and/or the international community by infiltration or by playing some individual humans or human nation-states against others, or:<br />
# To invade the earth by main force.<br />
<br />
The motion picture industry abandoned that theme as the century progressed, and produced a number of films showing extraterrestrials to be friendly. Toward the very end of the century, the theme of extraterrestrial invasion returned, in the form of a number of high-budget films that linked the basic theme to a number of modern-day legends, including:<br />
<br />
# The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico]], [[United States]].<br />
# The synthetic religion, called [[Scientology]], developed by the late [[L. Ron Hubbard]]. This movement informed many of Hubbard's works, including [[Battlefield Earth]] (which the actor [[John Travolta]], an adherent of Scientology, has lately adapted for the [[motion picture]]s), and [[Mission Earth]], a ten-volume series completed shortly before Hubbard's death and published posthumously.<br />
<br />
The [[Star Trek]] [[television]] franchise that [[Gene Roddenberry]] created, with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires hardly needs introduction. But in addition, producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a space-borne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
<br />
Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
<br />
== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
<br />
===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatibility advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
<br />
===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
<br />
Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
<br />
The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
<br />
=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
<br />
=== Exotheology ===<br />
:''Main article: [[Exotheology]]''<br><br />
Many Christians examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life from within a Christian perspective. Many believe that if aliens exist they would necessarily be free from [[Original Sin]] as they are not descended from the Earthly Adam and Eve. Proponents of this view include the [[Vatican]]<ref>Willey, David. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm Vatican says aliens could exist]?" ''BBC News'' (London), 13 May, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.</ref> and [[C. S. Lewis]] who expanded upon the idea in his book [[Out of the Silent Planet]]. In the book a human explores Mars which, due to its isolation from Earth, is free from sin.<br />
<br />
==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
<br />
#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelism|Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
<br />
== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
<br />
Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
<br />
[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
<br />
The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
<br />
{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
<br />
Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
<br />
[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
<br />
Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extrasolar_planets&diff=633968Extrasolar planets2009-03-03T18:26:41Z<p>Ga ohoyt: non-existent link</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extrasolar planets''', or '''exoplanets''', are planets that orbit stars other than the sun. <br />
<br />
Planets have no light source of their own, and most extrasolar planets are too far away to be seen by the light they reflect from their own suns; however, some have been detected by the methods described below.<br />
<br />
== Methods of detection ==<br />
<br />
=== Astrometry ===<br />
A star and planet orbit about a spot that is the center of gravity of the system known as the [[orbit|barycenter]]. For the Sun and Jupiter, the barycenter is 1.068 solar radii. With larger planets orbiting closer to the star, it is possible to detect the movement of the star against the distant background. This method was used to detect a planet orbiting Gliese 876.<br />
<br />
=== Radial velocity ===<br />
Instead of mapping the position of the star against the background, it is also possible to detect the minute [[Doppler effect|Doppler shift]] in the star's spectrum as it is tugged by the planet. This method is responsible for the majority of extrasolar planet detection.<br />
<br />
=== Transit method ===<br />
When a planet passes in front of its star, it blocks some of the light of the star. By measuring this periodic momentary dimming of the light, it is possible to identify a planet that is properly aligned. This method does not work if the planet itself does not eclipse the star from our perspective.<br />
<br />
=== Direct imaging ===<br />
In the situation where a star is not extremely bright, it is possible to detect a planet orbiting it. Such was the case with the brown dwarf 2M1207 which had a detectable companion that was named 2M1207b.<br />
<br />
On November 13, 2008 a planet orbiting the star [[Fomalhaut b|Fomalhaut]] at a distance of approximately 115 AU became the first exoplanet observed directly in visible light. The planet, whose existence was theoretically predicted, was photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is believed to be a few times the mass of Jupiter and to posess an extrensive ring system.<br />
<br />
== Current count ==<br />
As of 2008, the number of extrasolar planets detected stands at more than 300. Since the detection methods devised to date favor large, gaseous planets, most detected planets are quite dissimilar to Earth, and they are not thought to be good candidates for finding life. However, the planet [[Gliese_581c|Gliese 581c]] orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light-years from earth) appears to be a terrestrial (that is, rocky) planet that orbits in the "habitable zone" of space surrounding its star. The term "habitable" in this context simply means that the stellar light flux it receives is similar to that of Earth, and it therefore might have an Earthlike temperature. Whether it is in fact habitable depends on many other factors, and is pure speculation at present.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Extraterrestrial life]]<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
[[category:astronomy]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extrasolar_planets&diff=633965Extrasolar planets2009-03-03T18:24:42Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Astrometry */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extrasolar planets''', or '''exoplanets''', are planets that orbit stars other than the sun. <br />
<br />
Planets have no light source of their own, and most extrasolar planets are too far away to be seen by the light they reflect from their own suns; however, some have been detected by the methods described below.<br />
<br />
== Methods of detection ==<br />
<br />
=== Astrometry ===<br />
A star and planet orbit about a spot that is the center of gravity of the system known as the [[orbit|barycenter]]. For the Sun and Jupiter, the barycenter is 1.068 solar radii. With larger planets orbiting closer to the star, it is possible to detect the movement of the star against the distant background. This method was used to detect a planet orbiting Gliese 876.<br />
<br />
=== Radial velocity ===<br />
Instead of mapping the position of the star against the background, it is also possible to detect the minute [[Doppler effect|Doppler shift]] in the star's spectrum as it is tugged by the planet. This method is responsible for the majority of extrasolar planet detection.<br />
<br />
=== Transit method ===<br />
When a planet passes in front of its star, it blocks some of the light of the star. By measuring this periodic momentary dimming of the light, it is possible to identify a planet that is properly aligned. This method does not work if the planet itself does not eclipse the star from our perspective.<br />
<br />
=== Direct imaging ===<br />
In the situation where a star is not extremely bright, it is possible to detect a planet orbiting it. Such was the case with the brown dwarf 2M1207 which had a detectable companion that was named 2M1207b.<br />
<br />
On November 13, 2008 a planet orbiting the star [[Fomalhaut b|Fomalhaut]] at a distance of approximately 115 AU became the first exoplanet observed directly in visible light. The planet, whose existence was theoretically predicted, was photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is believed to be a few times the mass of Jupiter and to posess an extrensive ring system.<br />
<br />
== Current count ==<br />
As of 2008, the number of extrasolar planets detected stands at more than 300. Since the detection methods devised to date favor large, gaseous planets, most detected planets are quite dissimilar to Earth, and they are not thought to be good candidates for finding life. However, the planet [[Gliese_581c|Gliese 581c]] orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light-years from earth) appears to be a terrestrial (that is, rocky) planet that orbits in the "habitable zone" of space surrounding its star. The term "habitable" in this context simply means that the stellar light flux it receives is similar to that of Earth, and it therefore might have an Earthlike temperature. Whether it is in fact habitable depends on many other factors, and is pure speculation at present.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Extraterrestrial life]]<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
<br />
[http://www.explanet.eu Extrasolar planet list]<br />
<br />
[[category:astronomy]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Orbit&diff=633964Orbit2009-03-03T18:23:36Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>An '''orbit''' is an object's rotation around another. Orbits are caused by the [[gravity]] of a large mass attracting a smaller mass. The smaller mass is prevented from falling into the large mass by a large [[velocity]] perpendicular to the object it is orbiting around. The concept of orbiting in the solar system has changed drastically over time. [[Scientists]] assumed that the orbits of [[planet]]s observable in [[Kepler]]'s times were circular. Kepler was the first to propose that the planets' orbits were elliptical, thus improving the accuracy and prediction-value of the heliocentric view of the solar system. [[Comet]]s, on the other hand, have highly [[eccentric]] orbits with only one [[focal point]] inside the [[Sun]].<br />
<br />
The orbit of the [[Moon]] is nearly a perfect circle, but due to its high relative weight the focus of its orbit (its barycenter) is actually closer to the Earth's surface than it is to the exact center of the Earth.<br />
[[category:physics]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extrasolar_planets&diff=633962Extrasolar planets2009-03-03T18:20:59Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Radial velocity */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extrasolar planets''', or '''exoplanets''', are planets that orbit stars other than the sun. <br />
<br />
Planets have no light source of their own, and most extrasolar planets are too far away to be seen by the light they reflect from their own suns; however, some have been detected by the methods described below.<br />
<br />
== Methods of detection ==<br />
<br />
=== Astrometry ===<br />
A star and planet orbit about a spot that is the center of gravity of the system known as the [[barycenter]]. For the Sun and Jupiter, the barycenter is 1.068 solar radii. With larger planets orbiting closer to the star, it is possible to detect the movement of the star against the distant background. This method was used to detect a planet orbiting Gliese 876.<br />
<br />
=== Radial velocity ===<br />
Instead of mapping the position of the star against the background, it is also possible to detect the minute [[Doppler effect|Doppler shift]] in the star's spectrum as it is tugged by the planet. This method is responsible for the majority of extrasolar planet detection.<br />
<br />
=== Transit method ===<br />
When a planet passes in front of its star, it blocks some of the light of the star. By measuring this periodic momentary dimming of the light, it is possible to identify a planet that is properly aligned. This method does not work if the planet itself does not eclipse the star from our perspective.<br />
<br />
=== Direct imaging ===<br />
In the situation where a star is not extremely bright, it is possible to detect a planet orbiting it. Such was the case with the brown dwarf 2M1207 which had a detectable companion that was named 2M1207b.<br />
<br />
On November 13, 2008 a planet orbiting the star [[Fomalhaut b|Fomalhaut]] at a distance of approximately 115 AU became the first exoplanet observed directly in visible light. The planet, whose existence was theoretically predicted, was photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is believed to be a few times the mass of Jupiter and to posess an extrensive ring system.<br />
<br />
== Current count ==<br />
As of 2008, the number of extrasolar planets detected stands at more than 300. Since the detection methods devised to date favor large, gaseous planets, most detected planets are quite dissimilar to Earth, and they are not thought to be good candidates for finding life. However, the planet [[Gliese_581c|Gliese 581c]] orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light-years from earth) appears to be a terrestrial (that is, rocky) planet that orbits in the "habitable zone" of space surrounding its star. The term "habitable" in this context simply means that the stellar light flux it receives is similar to that of Earth, and it therefore might have an Earthlike temperature. Whether it is in fact habitable depends on many other factors, and is pure speculation at present.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Extraterrestrial life]]<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
<br />
[http://www.explanet.eu Extrasolar planet list]<br />
<br />
[[category:astronomy]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extrasolar_planets&diff=632625Extrasolar planets2009-02-28T18:31:42Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extrasolar planets''', or '''exoplanets''', are planets that orbit stars other than the sun. <br />
<br />
Planets have no light source of their own, and most extrasolar planets are too far away to be seen by the light they reflect from their own suns; however, some have been detected by the methods described below.<br />
<br />
== Methods of detection ==<br />
<br />
=== Astrometry ===<br />
A star and planet orbit about a spot that is the center of gravity of the system known as the [[barycenter]]. For the Sun and Jupiter, the barycenter is 1.068 solar radii. With larger planets orbiting closer to the star, it is possible to detect the movement of the star against the distant background. This method was used to detect a planet orbiting Gliese 876.<br />
<br />
=== Radial velocity ===<br />
Instead of mapping the position of the star against the background, it is also possible to detect the minute [[Doppler shift]] in the star's spectrum as it is tugged by the planet. This method is responsible for the majority of extrasolar planet detection.<br />
<br />
=== Transit method ===<br />
When a planet passes in front of its star, it blocks some of the light of the star. By measuring this periodic momentary dimming of the light, it is possible to identify a planet that is properly aligned. This method does not work if the planet itself does not eclipse the star from our perspective.<br />
<br />
=== Direct imaging ===<br />
In the situation where a star is not extremely bright, it is possible to detect a planet orbiting it. Such was the case with the brown dwarf 2M1207 which had a detectable companion that was named 2M1207b.<br />
<br />
On November 13, 2008 a planet orbiting the star [[Fomalhaut b|Fomalhaut]] at a distance of approximately 115 AU became the first exoplanet observed directly in visible light. The planet, whose existence was theoretically predicted, was photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is believed to be a few times the mass of Jupiter and to posess an extrensive ring system.<br />
<br />
== Current count ==<br />
As of 2008, the number of extrasolar planets detected stands at more than 300. Since the detection methods devised to date favor large, gaseous planets, most detected planets are quite dissimilar to Earth, and they are not thought to be good candidates for finding life. However, the planet [[Gliese_581c|Gliese 581c]] orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light-years from earth) appears to be a terrestrial (that is, rocky) planet that orbits in the "habitable zone" of space surrounding its star. The term "habitable" in this context simply means that the stellar light flux it receives is similar to that of Earth, and it therefore might have an Earthlike temperature. Whether it is in fact habitable depends on many other factors, and is pure speculation at present.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Extraterrestrial life]]<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
<br />
[http://www.explanet.eu Extrasolar planet list]<br />
<br />
[[category:astronomy]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Exotheology&diff=562620Exotheology2008-11-19T17:35:36Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Exotheology''' is a term sometimes used for the theological implications that would arise from the discovery of [[extraterrestrial life]]. It is much less than a developed field of study, but it has drawn the interest of some theologians and philosophers, including [[C.S. Lewis]]. The term can also be used to mean the religious beliefs of a [[science fiction|fictional]] alien race, or those of hypothesized intelligent extraterrestrials in general.<br />
<br />
Some see exotheology as a [[Liberal Christianity|liberal Christian]] reaction to the widespread modern belief in extraterrestrial life. A 1978 Time Magazine article claimed "[[Scientists]] today generally assume, and the mathematical probabilities favor, the existence of intelligent life among the myriad [[planet]]s wheeling through the cosmos."<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,916129,00.html Time magazine Apr. 24, 1978]</ref> Some [[Atheism|atheists]] believe that the existence of life on other planets would disprove [[Christianity]]. Some Christians, such as the [[Irish]] writer C. S. Lewis, have therefore tried to consider ways in which the existence of aliens could be harmonized with [[religion]], such as suggesting that [[alien]]s might not have experienced a [[Original Sin|Fall]] in the way humans did.<br />
<br />
Some [[conservative]] [[Christians]] reject the whole debate as pointless and deceptive. They say that, according to the [[Bible]], the [[Earth]] is the centerpiece of [[God]]'s creation, and the only place where He created life. On the other hand, Rev. José Gabriel Funes, a Jesuit priest who is head of the Vatican Observatory and a scientific adviser to Pope Benedict, says "The existence of alien beings would not create a problem for believers. This is not in contrast with our faith because we can't put limits on God's creative freedom." <ref>[http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/technology/science/science/story.html?id=fa0c5620-4d7f-44e6-9436-5cd4cb7153ac Vatican scientist says belief in God and aliens is OK] Reuters, May 14, 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/popes-astronomer-insists-alien-life-would-be-part-of-gods-creation-828303.html Pope's astronomer insists alien life 'would be part of God's creation'], ''The Independent'', 15th May 2008.</ref><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[Category:Theology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Exotheology&diff=560778Exotheology2008-11-17T20:02:04Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Exotheology''' is a term sometimes used for the theological implications that would arise from the discovery of [[extraterrestrial life]]. It is much less than a developed field of study, but it has drawn the interest of some theologians and philosophers, including [[C.S. Lewis]]. The term can also be used to mean the religious beliefs of a [[science fiction|fictional]] alien race, or that of hypothesized intelligent extraterrestrials in general.<br />
<br />
This is a [[Liberal Christianity|liberal Christian]] reaction to the widespread modern belief in extraterrestrial life, which has become predominant since the 1970s: "[[Scientists]] today generally assume, and the mathematical probabilities favor, the existence of intelligent life among the myriad [[planet]]s wheeling through the cosmos."<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,916129,00.html Time magazine Apr. 24, 1978]</ref> Some [[Atheism|atheists]] believe that the existence of life on other planets would disprove [[Christianity]]. Some liberal Christians, such as the [[Irish]] writer [[C. S. Lewis]], have therefore tried to consider ways in which the existence of aliens could be harmonized with [[religion]], such as suggesting that [[alien]]s might not have experienced a [[Original Sin|Fall]] in the way humans did.<br />
<br />
Some [[conservative]] [[Christians]] reject the whole debate as pointless and deceptive. According to the [[Bible]], the [[Earth]] is the centerpiece of [[God]]'s creation, and the only place where He created life. Rev. José Gabriel Funes, a Jesuit priest who is head of the Vatican Observatory and a scientific adviser to Pope Benedict, says "The existence of alien beings would not create a problem for believers. This is not in contrast with our faith because we can't put limits on God's creative freedom." <ref>[http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/technology/science/science/story.html?id=fa0c5620-4d7f-44e6-9436-5cd4cb7153ac Vatican scientist says belief in God and aliens is OK] Reuters, May 14, 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/popes-astronomer-insists-alien-life-would-be-part-of-gods-creation-828303.html Pope's astronomer insists alien life 'would be part of God's creation'], ''The Independent'', 15th May 2008.</ref><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[Category:Theology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extrasolar_planets&diff=559213Extrasolar planets2008-11-16T01:29:24Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Direct imaging */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extrasolar planets''' or '''exoplanets''' are planets that orbit stars other than the sun. <br />
<br />
Planets have no light source of their own, and most extrasolar planets are too far away to be seen by the light they reflect from their own suns, however some have been detected by the methods described below.<br />
<br />
== Methods of detection ==<br />
<br />
=== Astrometry ===<br />
A star and planet orbit about a spot that is the center of gravity of the system known as the [[barycenter]]. For the Sun and Jupiter, the barycenter is 1.068 solar radii. With larger planets orbiting closer to the star, it is possible to detect the movement of the star against the distant background. This method was used to detect a planet orbiting Gliese 876.<br />
<br />
=== Radial velocity ===<br />
Instead of mapping the position of the star against the background, it is also possible to detect the minute [[Doppler shift]] in the star's spectrum as it is tugged by the planet. This method is responsible for the majority of extrasolar planet detection.<br />
<br />
=== Transit method ===<br />
When a planet passes in front of its star, it blocks some of the light of the star. By measuring this periodic momentary dimming of the light, it is possible to identify a planet that is properly aligned. This method does not work if the planet itself does not eclipse the star from our perspective.<br />
<br />
=== Direct imaging ===<br />
In the situation where a star is not extremely bright, it is possible to detect a planet orbiting it. Such was the case with the brown dwarf 2M1207 which had a detectable companion that was named 2M1207b.<br />
<br />
On November 13, 2008 a planet orbiting the star Fomalhaut at a distance of approximately 115 AU became the first exoplanet observed directly in visible light. The planet, whose existence was theoretically predicted, was photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is believed to be a few times the mass of Jupiter and to posess an extrensive ring system.<br />
<br />
== Current count ==<br />
As of 2008, the number of extrasolar planets detected stands at more than 300. Since the detection methods devised to date favor large, gaseous planets, most detected planets are quite dissimilar to Earth, and they are not thought to be good candidates for finding life. However, the planet [[Gliese_581c|Gliese 581c]] orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light-years from earth) appears to be a terrestrial (that is, rocky) planet that orbits in the "habitable zone" of space surrounding its star. The term "habitable" in this context simply means that the stellar light flux it receives is similar to that of Earth, and it therefore might have an Earthlike temperature. Whether it is in fact habitable depends on many other factors, and is pure speculation at present.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Extraterrestrial life]]<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
<br />
[http://www.explanet.eu Extrasolar planet list]<br />
<br />
[[category:astronomy]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Irrational_number&diff=555903Irrational number2008-11-13T00:41:09Z<p>Ga ohoyt: Doesn't add anything</p>
<hr />
<div>An '''irrational number''' is a number that cannot be expressed as the ratio of two [[integers]]. Irrational numbers together with [[rational number]]s make up the set of [[real numbers]].<br />
<br />
Irrational numbers often arise as solutions to problems involoving rational numbers. For example, the square root of 2 is irrational. Other irrationals, such as [[pi]], serve as fundamental constants in many mathematical problems.<br />
<br />
Irrational numbers can never be expressed exactly using decimal notation with a finite number of digits. Instead it is common to write them using only enough significant digits to solve the problem at hand, followed by an ellipsis (…):<br />
<br />
:<math>\pi\ = 3.1415926...</math><br />
<br />
==Formulations==<br />
<br />
An irrational number is formally defined to be the limit of a [[Cauchy sequence]] of rational numbers.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
<br />
[[Transcendental numbers]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:mathematics]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Minimum_wage&diff=495584Talk:Minimum wage2008-08-04T23:42:45Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>If there were no mimimum wage law or unions in the United States, employers would be paying laborers what they are paid in Indonesia.[[User:Panini|Panini]] 18:36, 23 July 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==No point contributing to this article until after the election==<br />
The crazies will own it. See you again when Obama's president.</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Minimum_wage&diff=495418Minimum wage2008-08-04T17:39:07Z<p>Ga ohoyt: Undo revision 495348 by CogitoErgoSum (Talk) unnecessary introduction of loaded terms</p>
<hr />
<div>The '''minimum wage''' is the lowest wage that an employer may legally pay their workers. More than 90% of countries in the world have minimum wage laws. <br />
<br />
Most countries have a minimum wage. The minimum wage in the United states was most recently raised to $5.85/hr, on July 24, 2007, in a bill created by California Representative George Miller and signed into law by [[George W. Bush]]. At this rate, a person working a 40-hour week for 52 weeks a year at minimum wage earns $12,168.00 for the year. The minimum wage is higher in many states, such as [[New Jersey]], due to state minimum wage laws.<br />
<br />
==Political views==<br />
<br />
Liberals tend to present a minimum wage as benefiting the lower class by helping to lift poor people out of poverty. Conservatives generally counter this argument with statistics showing that every increase in the minimum wage has increased unemployment, especially among black inner city youth; see [[entry-level job]]s.<br />
<br />
Economic conservatives tend to oppose increases in the minimum wage because in a [[free market]], the price of labor, like any other commodity, should be set by negotiations between the buyer and seller without undue interference from the state. <br />
<br />
Economic liberals disagree with this view of labor as a commodity because they believe it dehumanizes laborers by permitting companies to pay employees less than necessary to live a decent life, support a family, etc; see [[living wage]]. Even without legislation, the minimum wage as of 2007 is far below the lowest wage paid by most large companies.<ref>Alan Renolds, [[Cato Institute]]. ''[http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=5409 Below the Minimum Wage]''</ref><br />
<br />
See also:<br />
* [[maximum wage]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references /><br />
[[category:economics]][[category:politics]][[category:law]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=492852Extraterrestrial life2008-07-26T02:15:48Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Public speculation on ET's and UFO's */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, but has also lately become the subject of intense speculation, scientific debate, and even theological debate.<br />
<br />
The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
<br />
The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
<br />
# The [[exogenesis]], nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that such microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
<br />
=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
<br />
Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
<br />
# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
<br />
With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
<br />
The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
<br />
# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
<br />
Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
<br />
====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbour life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
<br />
=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as [[Project Blue Book]], by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
SETI ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via [[radiotelescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
<br />
No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the [[Project Blue Book]] investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as anything from outright hoaxes to misinterpretations of common weather features to misinterpretation of the sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of, much less contact with, any carrier-like vessel that would have been capable of launching any of the alleged two-seater or similar small-crewed craft that various "witnesses" report having encountered. Nor has any [[physics|physicist]] yet suggested a method by which such a craft could have visited our [[solar system]], given the fixed speed limit set by the [[Special Theory of Relativity]]. Finally, the SETI project, for all their searching for a signal (even to recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
<br />
====The Drake Equation====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
<br />
In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process.<br />
<br />
If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero. This is a serious problem if one relies only on naturalistic explanations of the genesis of life. One of the most well-accepted scientific laws, the [[law of biogenesis]], says that life only comes from life, which means that it cannot come from non-life. Furthermore, scientific observations are that evolution itself is impossible, as evolution requires ''increasing'' genetic [[information]], whereas observations show that living things ''lose'' genetic information.<ref>Wieland, Carl, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/431/ The evolution train’s a-comin’], ''Creation'' 24(2):16–19, March 2002.</ref><br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial nation-states and, almost as often, extraterrestrial microbes, have been a staple of [[science fiction]] since soon after science-fiction writers first began speculating on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. [[H. G. Wells]] even speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects (''The First Men in the Moon''). Wells also speculated that the Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), an invasion that would fail when the Martian soldiers and pilots fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems would have no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
<br />
The middle twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of popular-culture icons that were either:<br />
# Humans caught up in events on other, inhabited worlds, some of which were making war against the earth, or<br />
# An extraterrestrial "refugee" that became an obvious [[God-substitute]] after, [[Moses]]-like, he crashed to earth in a small space capsule launched from a world that later destroyed itself in a cataclysm far more devastating than the [[Great Flood]] had been.<br />
<br />
In addition to this, the [[motion picture]] industry, especially in the [[United States]] but also in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], produced scores of low-budget films having a theme involving an extraterrestrial nation-state attempting either:<br />
<br />
# To recruit humans, usually by fraudulent means, into assisting them in weapons or defensive-systems development,<br />
# To subvert human society and/or the international community by infiltration or by playing some individual humans or human nation-states against others, or:<br />
# To invade the earth by main force.<br />
<br />
The motion picture industry abandoned that theme as the century progressed, and produced a number of films showing extraterrestrials to be friendly. Toward the very end of the century, the theme of extraterrestrial invasion returned, in the form of a number of high-budget films that linked the basic theme to a number of modern-day legends, including:<br />
<br />
# The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico]], [[United States]].<br />
# The synthetic religion, called [[Scientology]], developed by the late [[L. Ron Hubbard]]. This movement informed many of Hubbard's works, including [[Battlefield Earth]] (which the actor [[John Travolta]], an adherent of Scientology, has lately adapted for the [[motion picture]]s), and [[Mission Earth]], a ten-volume series completed shortly before Hubbard's death and published posthumously.<br />
<br />
The [[Star Trek]] [[television]] franchise that [[Gene Roddenberry]] created, with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires hardly needs introduction. But in addition, producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a space-borne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
<br />
Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
<br />
== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
<br />
===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatability advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
<br />
Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
<br />
===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
<br />
Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
<br />
The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
<br />
=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
<br />
==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
<br />
#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed opinions, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]] has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=492851Extraterrestrial life2008-07-26T02:08:41Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Political speculation on ET's and UFO's */ Section title was no longer the right one</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, but has also lately become the subject of intense speculation, scientific debate, and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The [[exogenesis]], nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that such microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbour life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178° Celsius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as [[Project Blue Book]], by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
SETI ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via [[radiotelescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the [[Project Blue Book]] investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as anything from outright hoaxes to misinterpretations of common weather features to misinterpretation of the sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of, much less contact with, any carrier-like vessel that would have been capable of launching any of the alleged two-seater or similar small-crewed craft that various "witnesses" report having encountered. Nor has any [[physics|physicist]] yet suggested a method by which such a craft could have visited our [[solar system]], given the fixed speed limit set by the [[Special Theory of Relativity]]. Finally, the SETI project, for all their searching for a signal (even to recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====The Drake Equation====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process.<br />
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If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero. This is a serious problem if one relies only on naturalistic explanations of the genesis of life. One of the most well-accepted scientific laws, the [[law of biogenesis]], says that life only comes from life, which means that it cannot come from non-life. Furthermore, scientific observations are that evolution itself is impossible, as evolution requires ''increasing'' genetic [[information]], whereas observations show that living things ''lose'' genetic information.<ref>Wieland, Carl, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/431/ The evolution train’s a-comin’], ''Creation'' 24(2):16–19, March 2002.</ref><br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial nation-states and, almost as often, extraterrestrial microbes, have been a staple of [[science fiction]] since soon after science-fiction writers first began speculating on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. [[H. G. Wells]] even speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects (''The First Men in the Moon''). Wells also speculated that the Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), an invasion that would fail when the Martian soldiers and pilots fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems would have no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of popular-culture icons that were either:<br />
# Humans caught up in events on other, inhabited worlds, some of which were making war against the earth, or<br />
# An extraterrestrial "refugee" that became an obvious [[God-substitute]] after, [[Moses]]-like, he crashed to earth in a small space capsule launched from a world that later destroyed itself in a cataclysm far more devastating than the [[Great Flood]] had been.<br />
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In addition to this, the [[motion picture]] industry, especially in the [[United States]] but also in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], produced scores of low-budget films having a theme involving an extraterrestrial nation-state attempting either:<br />
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# To recruit humans, usually by fraudulent means, into assisting them in weapons or defensive-systems development,<br />
# To subvert human society and/or the international community by infiltration or by playing some individual humans or human nation-states against others, or:<br />
# To invade the earth by main force.<br />
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The motion picture industry abandoned that theme as the century progressed, and produced a number of films showing extraterrestrials to be friendly. Toward the very end of the century, the theme of extraterrestrial invasion returned, in the form of a number of high-budget films that linked the basic theme to a number of modern-day legends, including:<br />
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# The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico]], [[United States]].<br />
# The synthetic religion, called [[Scientology]], developed by the late [[L. Ron Hubbard]]. This movement informed many of Hubbard's works, including [[Battlefield Earth]] (which the actor [[John Travolta]], an adherent of Scientology, has lately adapted for the [[motion picture]]s), and [[Mission Earth]], a ten-volume series completed shortly before Hubbard's death and published posthumously.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] [[television]] franchise that [[Gene Roddenberry]] created, with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires hardly needs introduction. But in addition, producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a space-borne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatability advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
<br />
#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Public speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Public discussion of the subject is mostly confined to the margins, but several scientists and celebrities have expressed an opinion, as have a few politicians.<br />
Former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]]) has openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Even more recently, [[Project Apollo]] [[Astronaut]] Edgar Mitchell, who flew as Lunar Module Pilot for [[Apollo 14]], declared that [[NASA]] has known for sixty years (as of July 24, 2008) that extraterrestrial scouts have contacted various governments of Earth, yet no government has ever dared admit this. NASA does not stand by Astronaut Mitchell's statements.<ref name=Mitchell>Authors unknown. "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1037471/Apollo-14-astronaut-claims-aliens-HAVE-contact--covered-60-years.html Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years]." ''The Daily Mail'' ([[London]], [[England]], [[UK]]), July 24, 2008. Accessed July 24, 2008.</ref><br />
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Discussion of the religious implications of extraterrestrial life has been intermittent. The subject is sometimes are referred to as [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Expelled:_No_Intelligence_Allowed&diff=435769Talk:Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed2008-04-21T01:47:22Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
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<div>There is already a page on [[Expelled]]. Merge the categories over here? [[User:DanH|DanH]] 00:14, 2 January 2008 (EST)<br />
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== Including Criticism ==<br />
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I have to disagree with [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Expelled:_No_Intelligence_Allowed&curid=55627&diff=388348&oldid=388346 this edit.] While I don't think the critics' arguments have merit, I think we should include them. People who believe in creationism or intelligent design have nothing to hide; let's not appear that we do, by removing a criticism section.-[[User:MexMax|MexMax]] 13:47, 15 February 2008 (EST)<br />
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:See [[strawman fallacy]]. I don't know that the film portrays intelligent design as an alternative scientific theory to evolution. According to what I've read so far, it portrays the establishment as '''suppressing''' discussion of whether there can '''be''' any such alternatives. Do you see the difference? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 13:59, 15 February 2008 (EST)<br />
::Oops. You're right; that doesn't bear on the movie, it bears on the theory. Good call on removing it, sorry. Thank you!-[[User:MexMax|MexMax]] 14:01, 15 February 2008 (EST)<br />
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==Counterarguments==<br />
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Has anyone argued that the film's thesis is untrue? Or are we just going to get the usual liberal backlash complaining that interviewees were "tricked" into exposing the truth? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 16:30, 4 March 2008 (EST)<br />
:The main point of the film is that there's a vast, far-reaching conspiracy by the Evolutionists to stifle the teaching of the idea that a magical man created everything exactly as it is now. As for proving it untrue... Well, how can we possibly prove there ISN'T A conspiracy against the teaching of unscientific dogma under the guise of science? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:20, 5 March 2008 (EST)<br />
:: You should take up cricket: You're good at putting a negative spin on things! [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:36, 5 March 2008 (EST)<br />
::: Why thank you, Philip. Somebody here needs to take off the rose coloured glasses, yes? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:40, 5 March 2008 (EST)<br />
:::: Or clean their glasses. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 03:35, 6 March 2008 (EST)<br />
::::: You're not very good with metaphors, are you? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:21, 6 March 2008 (EST)<br />
:::::: Hmmmm. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 07:59, 7 March 2008 (EST)<br />
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==Bribery==<br />
Oh deary me. I cite the website itself with its message of "Force kids to watch our film and get money!" and you still revert my edit stating that the producers have been ACCUSED of attempted bribery. Tell me, Philip, what would be a better source than the website in question? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:40, 5 March 2008 (EST)<br />
:The problem is not (this time) with the choice of web-site, but with what it's claimed to be saying. The site says nothing about bribing. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 03:37, 6 March 2008 (EST)<br />
::Ah, yes. Encouraging mandatory field trips (Question 2.) and saying the schools can return the ticket stubs for donations '''certainly''' isn't bribery. Aside from that, I said that that's the site that was cited. How about I simply add that they've been accused with no source? Hmm? Would that appease you? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 10:10, 6 March 2008 (EST)<br />
::: The main definition of "bribe", according to my dictionary, is "any valuable consideration given or promised for ''corrupt behaviour'' in the performance of any official or public duty" (my emphasis), and this is what use of the word here would suggest. Yet there is no basis for putting that in the article, beyond a non-notable blog. Therefore, it should not go in, full stop. What ''could'' go in is a mention along the lines that the producers of the movie are encouraging schools to take their students to see it, but I don't really think that's of sufficient relevance to warrant a mention. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 20:43, 6 March 2008 (EST)<br />
::::It seems to match the definition given perfectly. What's your problem, then? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:21, 6 March 2008 (EST)<br />
::::: My problem is that it ''doesn't' match the definition, unless you have an odd definition of "corrupt behaviour". [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 08:01, 7 March 2008 (EST)<br />
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Subsidizing the exposure of censorship seems to be what you oppose. Sounds like you're only against "bribery" when it opposes your cause.<br />
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What we need for this article is a discussion (or better yet, a '''description''') of the thesis and the specific points made in the film - one which regrettably I have not seen yet. Along with this, we welcome any reports of noteworthy critiques of the film's thesis.<br />
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Complaints by the group which in engages in censorship, that they were tricked into testifying against themselves, are irrelevant. "No fair! I thought I was bragging, not confessing!" <br />
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Our mission here is to provide trustworthy information. So unless Dawkins, et al., are '''taking back''' what they said, then the lack of candidness on the part of the producer's is hardly germane. Unless you want to make an argument that academic dishonesty is so prevalent, so cavalier, and so devious that exposing it requires extraordinary detective work! --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 10:22, 6 March 2008 (EST)<br />
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:"Subsidizing the exposure of censorship seems to be what you oppose. Sounds like you're only against "bribery" when it opposes your cause." Please, show me where I've encouraged bribery to support my "cause."<br />
:So... In order to expose the academic dishonesty of this secret cabal, you must use academic dishonesty? The ends don't justify the means, my tinfoil hat wearing friend. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 15:03, 6 March 2008 (EST)<br />
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::What standard of [[academic dishonesty]] do you suggest we '''all''' avoid while collaborating here? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 13:49, 14 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::: He was blocked for 3 months, so you'll be waiting a while for an answer. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 19:21, 14 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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::::Not the classiest way to win an argument. --[[User:Gulik5|Gulik5]] 15:38, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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== Stating my reasons ==<br />
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I changed some wording that may make me seem like a liberal...I'm not. I simply did so in order to make the article as unbiased as possible. If you want proof of my views look at all the trouble I've gotten into on the Wikipedia version of this talk page. [[User:Saksjn|Saksjn]] 09:39, 14 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
: I don't think it's serious enough to revert, but in doing so the wording now gives the impression that it doesn't necessarily succeed in this. Not having seen the film, I can't really comment on the accuracy of that, but Conservapedia aims to be accurate rather than neutral, and if being neutral gives a false impression, then it's not for the better.<br />
: You also added a line about criticism, footnoted to a paragraph that said nothing about the criticism, and which had no source. Could you clarify that please?<br />
: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 10:17, 14 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:The Orlando Sentinel's movie reviewer snuck into a private screening and then blasted the film in his reviews. Several other editors have done the same. We were talking about it over at wikipedia and I couldn't find the source cite. So I took a quote we we were discussing at the talk page and used it as the temporary source. [[User:Saksjn|Saksjn]] 14:16, 14 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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I've always found that its better to say that something attempts to do something than to say it does something. If you say it does something than it someone will come along and claim that it doesn't. Its just a way to be safe. [[User:Saksjn|Saksjn]] 14:18, 14 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:Where does your last reference come from? You quote it, but you don't state the source. [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 14:25, 14 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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So we should say that NASA ''attempted'' to send men to the moon rather than saying that they actually did? The point is, we say things as though they are true when we are satisfied that they ''are'' true, and by that I don't mean that ''nobody'' disputes it (some argue, for example, that NASA didn't really send men to the moon). At Conservapedia we reject a lot of ideological objection. A lot of the objection to things like this movie are ideological. That's not to say, of course, that the people objecting are wrong; we still have to be careful to ensure that what we say is correct, but we don't qualify statements that we believe are clearly true just because people with a different ideology object. However, in this case, as I said, I've not seen the movie (and presumably nobody else here has yet), so I can't say whether it does succeed in its objective.<br />
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To clarify some of that, when a court decides if a defendant is guilty of a criminal offence, it does so "beyond reasonable doubt". When a court decides who is at fault in a civil matter, it does so on the basis of probabilities. In neither case are the matters normally settled with absolutely no doubt at all. If they were that clear, the criminal defendant would plead guilty and the civil participants would not even bring the matter to court, but settle it themselves. In both cases, the court decides according to the level of "proof" appropriate to the circumstances. Note also that the court is unable to test the matter scientifically. The court is making its decision on a unique past event, and that event is not repeatable; it's not able to be studied in a scientific way. (This doesn't deny that scientific tests can be made about some of the supporting evidence, such as DNA found at the scene.) Similarly, whether this movie achieves its results, although not a past event, is difficult if not impossible to determine in a scientific way, as it concerns people's motives (i.e. it likely does demonstrate suppression and persecution, but it's further arguing that this is deliberate. How do you scientifically test for deliberateness?) But this lack of ability to scientifically test does not prevent courts from making decisions, and neither should it prevent this encyclopedia from stating what is clearly the case (on those occasions when it ''is'' clearly the case), regardless of the objections of people with opposing ideological views.<br />
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[[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 19:45, 14 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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== opps ==<br />
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My mistake..<br />
[[User:AdenJ|AdenJ]] 15:06, 14 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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==Disagreement and condemnation==<br />
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I'd like to see a division in the article, between actual disagreements and mere condemnation. After all, the whole point of the movie is that ID opponents never take on ID directly but merely condemn it. Where are the specific rebuttals of the movie's main point? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 10:47, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Ed, I'm happy to debate with you about the merits of the article. However, it seems to me that you block anyone who tries to do that. If you're willing to not block me, and listen to me in good faith, I'll try to abide by 90/10 as well. Are you willing to listen, or am I going to be expelled, too?-[[User:Cdesign|Cdesign]] 11:28, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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::Ha, ha, nice try. You condemn without giving evidence - precisely what the movie complains of. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:50, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::Seriously, what would you like me to answer? I can tell you that scientists certainly take on ID directly - for example, in response to the "irreducible flagellum" argument, a great amount of research has been generated which parses the variety of intermediate forms between "nothing" and "flagellum," and scientists have identified each and specified their independent uses. I'm looking for the source right now.-[[User:Cdesign|Cdesign]] 11:55, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::Inter alia, a director of the NCSE assembled this accessible document [http://www.talkdesign.org/faqs/flagellum.html here], which explains how the gradual evolution of the flagellum is possible. Additionally, there are a couple of easy-to-understand arguments against irreducible complexity - namely, if all flagella are irreducibly complex, and therefore "designed," how come there are so many different types or assemblies of flagella? Why are there different "styles" of flagella, functioning in different ways, which still perform the same task today? Evolutionary biology suggests that "convergent evolution" - different processes working on different organisms which, by virtue of the end product's desirability, produce a similar result - would have exactly this type of result. How does intelligent design explain that?-[[User:Cdesign|Cdesign]] 12:00, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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The movie said people are pressured to keep quiet about their scientific disagreements about evolution. How does your response relate to this point? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 12:33, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:I don't appreciate the "yawn" edit comment.<br />
:You said that evolutionists never take on ID, head-on, scientifically. I just did, right? And proved that scientists do, right?<br />
:Also, if the claim is that ID creationists are being "expelled" for their ''bona fide'' scientific position, what I've proved is that their position, if scientific at all, is ''bad'' science, and therefore their alleged termination wasn't "discrimination," but termination for failing to live up to professional standards... just like a history teacher being fired for denying the holocaust. After all, ID is a negative argument: once a valid positive surfaces, to continue to argue the negative and pretend the positive doesn't exist is just ignorance.-[[User:Cdesign|Cdesign]] 12:39, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
::This latest edit of yours isn't borne out by your ability to debate the merits on the talk page :-/-[[User:Cdesign|Cdesign]] 14:44, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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More like a journalist fired for questioning Senator Clinton's tarmac terrorist story. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 14:47, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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==Copyright infringements==<br />
I noticed that someone removed the piece about the movie using plagiarized animation material from Harvard. There is also another issue that the movie used John Lennon's "Imagine" without getting the rights as well as well as some other song "All these Things That I Have Done" by the Killers. Since the original material was removed from the article is it allowed to put these issues back in?--[[User:Able806|Able806]] 11:45, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:You may put in any trustworthy information. I will remove anything which is false, misleading or inadequately sourced. <br />
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:If you know anything about [[metabolism]] that you can explain in terms a high school student can understand, I'd rather you worked on that. See recent changes for a draft. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:49, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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::[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120839097431221369.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Wall street journal]? Would this count?--[[User:Able806|Able806]] 11:58, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::Ed, what was false or inadequately sourced about my original edit? Someone accused the film's producers of copyright infringement,and I sourced the legal notice sent to them. The producers filed a counter-suit claiming they didn't, and I sourced that as well. The fact that this is unresolved is just that, a fact - it's wrong to assume that the producers of ''Expelled'' are innocent (or guilty for that matter) until the issue is settled in the courts. I've restored the edit, and if you can present a fact-based reason why it should be removed, I'm open to revising it accordingly. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 21:15, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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==Slashdot effect==<br />
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I'll probably protect this article tomorrow, when [[lusers]] start pouring in after watching the premiere. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 14:45, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:Probably a good idea, at least until the publicity dies down.--[[User:Frey|Frey]] 20:19, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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==Reviews==<br />
Ed - regarding your pulling of the Time magazine review, the fact that ID is explained on the website isn't a good reason to pull the reviewers comment. The movie should stand or fall on its own merits, as that's all the viewer's going to see. So while I've removed the inflammatory section you objected to, I'd ask that it be put back in - or any other quotes from any of the reviews, in fact. These reporters are mostly the movie critics of their publications, and it's only fair to hear their comments on the movie itself, even if we don't agree with them - remember, this is only a movie, and even if you like its premise, you might not like the movie, as a movie. [[User:MakeTime|MakeTime]] 21:07, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Ed, I found a document at the movie's website - it's promotional material for the film, the [http://www.getexpelled.com/_downloads/expelled_leadersguide.pdf Leader's Guide]. Although we haven't seen the movie yet, obviously the Leader's Guide and movie are a coordinated effort. [[User:MakeTime|MakeTime]] 21:30, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:: I don't see your point. Many evolutionists have claimed that life was magically generated on its own from a primordial soup. Experiments have even attempted to duplicate it.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 21:33, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::The ''Time'' reviewer knocked down a straw man of his own creation, by putting words into Ben Stein's mouth: characterizing him as "asking, for example, how something as complex as a living cell could have possibly arisen whole from the earth's primordial soup".<br />
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:::The leader's guide - quoted at Rat. Wiki - says: "Darwinian evolution argues that life arose from a primordial sea on a lifeless planet through a chance collision of chemicals, and that over billions of years, this biological accident gave rise to all of life, including humans."<br />
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:::The contrast is between '''cell ... arisen whole''' and '''life arose'''.<br />
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:::It's not "fair to hear their comments" on what the movie '''didn't say''' - but if they have comments on the movie itself I don't mind those. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 21:38, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::I wasn't trying to debate ID, not at all - let's not forget those words are someone else's words, not mine. Disagree with him if you wish, but don't shoot me - the messenger. I was simply asking that a quote of a journalist's review of the film not be removed simply because one is offended by their negative review of the film? I think the studios wanted to rip up all the review pages when the reviews of<i>Ishtar</i> or <i>Gigli</i> came out? Sure! My own point is one and only one- just because you want to like a movie, doesn't mean it's going to be a <i>good</i> <b>movie</b>. That's all - I'm staying out of the ID debate. <i>MakeTime</i>, as [[User:TakeTwo|TakeTwo]] 21:42, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::: We don't post falsehoods. If a review makes a false claim, then it would generally not be posted.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 21:45, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::::Fair enough, I have no problem with that. But then neither you, nor Ed, nor I have seen the movie, and the reviewer has. Perhaps Stein does indeed ask "for example, how something as complex as a living cell could have possibly arisen whole from the earth's primordial soup". I don't know that he doesn't, and no-one else does yet either. And since other reviewers refer to the same fact, and they have all seen the movie, perhaps he does? [[User:TakeTwo|TakeTwo]] 21:50, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::::: But evolutionists do believe and teach that life arose from a primordial soup. They do not teach that there was divine intervention.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 21:52, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::::The actual words used by the reviewer are "[Stein] makes all the usual mistakes nonscientists make whenever they try to take down evolution, asking, for example, how something as complex as a living cell could have possibly arisen whole from the earth's primordial soup." But Ed suggested that this was clearly not so - despite not having seen the film, unlike the reviewer. [[User:TakeTwo|TakeTwo]] 21:56, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::::::Actually, I will probably need to retract, as it seems Ed has seen the movie. He states quite clearly [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Expelled:_No_Intelligence_Allowed&diff=434051&oldid=434027 here] that the movie does not say that. Although, it does appear he uses the leader's Guide as reference, rather than the movie itself. Which, again, the reviewer has seen. [[User:TakeTwo|TakeTwo]] 22:00, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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No, I haven't seen the movie. If I've made an error here, by assuming that it conforms to the Leader's Guide, I stand corrected. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 22:04, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:Ah, OK Ed, thanks for clarifying that. It'd be great if in future you didn't try and post [[deceit|deceitful]] information you're not party to in the Trustworthy Encyclopedia - or ban users on the basis of your own ignorance. I hope you enjoy the movie. [[User:TakeTwo|TakeTwo]] 22:13, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::::::::: TakeTwo, you're not addressing the falsehood. Evolutionists do claim that life arose from a primordial soup, and they teach that. There is nothing "mistaken" by criticizing that view.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 22:08, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::::ASchlafly, I wasn't, and am not, going to get into the ID debate. Others are more qualified than me to do so. My problem is that Ed Poor claimed to have seen the movie when he hadn't, pulled a quote because he essentially claimed that a journalist at a major national new source was lying, and then banned me when I pointed out that it was the journalist's words, not mine, he was disagreeing with. [[User:TakeTwo|TakeTwo]] 22:13, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::::: TakeTwo, the quote ''is'' nonsensical and should be deleted, and I'm not encouraged by your refusal to address why. Instead, you launch into an attack against Ed. Decisions can be right for the wrong reason, and your harping on a claim that the reason was wrong does not address the bigger point that the decision to remove the falsehood was right.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 22:25, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<br />
But what is the reviewer saying here? <br />
#That Stein is right, except for the passage of time?<br />
#That Stein is wrong?<br />
<br />
Evolution says that life came out of the "primordial soup" '''gradually'''. The Leader's Guide points out that ID questions how this could ever have happened.<br />
<br />
Some evolutionists say that "[[biological evolution]]" only addresses the issue of how the first living cell gave rise to other forms of life - but others insist that "evolution" includes the origin of life as well. Anyway, ID addresses both issues scientifically, and that's what "the academy" refuses to address - expelling ID advocates rather than discussing their theory that life is too complex to have evolved - either (1) out of the soup originally or (2) from the first cell to humans. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 22:27, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
My reply to "TakeTwo" and his socks:<br />
<br />
: Your account should be blocked. I've repeatedly addressed your point and you repeatedly decline to address mine. The review makes a false statement, regardless of what Stein said. We don't post false or misleading statements, regardless of the accuracy of the quote. This separates us from Wikipedia, which does post falsehoods if they can be found in printed publications. We do not.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 23:11, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::''We don't post false or misleading statements, regardless of the accuracy of the quote.''<br />
:::This is a good quote. I have a feeling you and I will be seeing a LOT of it in the future. --[[User:Gulik5|Gulik5]] 00:02, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Leader's Guide==<br />
<br />
I noticed that the article references a "Leader's Guide" accompanying the movie "Expelled". May I add an external link to this document? [[User:Feebasfactor|Feebasfactor]] 00:51, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:What is the external link? [[User:HenryS|HenryS]] 01:07, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
::[http://www.getexpelled.com/_downloads/expelled_leadersguide.pdf Here,] I believe. Appropriate? It raises a lot of interesting general points. [[User:Feebasfactor|Feebasfactor]] 01:38, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Variety... Liberal??? ==<br />
<br />
The article calls Variety Magazine liberal. Are they talking about the entertainment industry magazine with the famous slang headlines? <br />
<br />
It' an industry business magazine, more like "Steel Makers Today" than "Entertainment Weekly." While its movie or TV reviews probably show biases one way or the other, the magazine itself, the majority of its content, shows no actual bias other than being PRO-business. It simply logs the activities and business dealings of the entertainment business, including those of the very conservative Rupert Murdoch. Chances are, the magazine is as likely to give a positive spin on stories about media consolidation or tax breaks for American media production, not real liberal positions.<br />
<br />
I know this site has point of view but not every other media source has to be sifted into "conservative" or "liberal."<br />
<br />
: Yes, Variety is a liberal magazine, to appeal to its very liberal audience/industry. You won't find a pro-life piece in there or any other conservative information, because thousands would cancel their subscriptions and advertisers would pull their ads if that ever happened, and the publisher knows it.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 14:53, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::While you won't find a pro-life piece in there you wouldn't find a pro-choice (or anti-life if you will) it is a industry publication ''not'' a newspaper. The only news and opinon it would deal with is movie industry related news and opinon. The bad review this movie recieved will not be read by people outside the industry, although this will impact theature managers decision and they may not show it. Although it looks like the movie is being panned everywhere so this probably won't hurt it much. [[User:DaBoss3|DaBoss3]] 20:14, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: "DaBoss3", either you're clueless or you're in [[liberal denial]]. The readership of and advertisers for the rag "Variety" are overwhelmingly [[liberal]], and you can bet the publisher caters to its customers.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 21:50, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::The advertising on their [http://www.variety.com/ website] is all "we'll help you break into the industry for money" stuff. It is mostly articles and blogs on the industry. It has a small readership because it has a small target, people intimately connected with the movie industry. It probably does meet your "hollywood values" stuff, but it is not a left wing paper on the level of the New York Times which wants to influence opinon. [[User:DaBoss3|DaBoss3]] 00:04, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Also as a later sidenote I would care if you did not make fun of my name. I used to get teased at school for having the first name Da. I asked my parents why they called me this and said because your father and grandfather's name. I thought someone call Aschlafly would understand. [[User:DaBoss3|DaBoss3]] 00:38, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::: Is your last name "Boss" also? [[Deliberate ignorance]] or persistent clinging to a falsehood, such as your claim that Variety magazine is not liberal, unfortunately invites poking fun of your claim to be "Da Boss". Why is it that liberals pick such names?--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 09:32, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::: Yes my surname is Boss. What is yours Aschlafly? Also I find you claim that my parents were (your American version) liberals offensive. That are staunch [[Liberal Party of Australia]] voters.<br />
<br />
:::: Also you called me deliberatly ignorant. Did you look at the website link I gave you? The paper is nothing but fluff and industry news, its kind of hard to call that liberal (although I suppose you would). I and anyone who hasn't divided the world in to red and blue would call it [[apolitical]]. (I notice you don't even have an article on it so I will help you). [[User:DaBoss3|DaBoss3]] 19:27, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Film Reviews==<br />
I felt that the movie reviews section was clearer when was divided into positive and negative sections--[[User:GabharGneasach|GabharGneasach]] 15:12, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I want to take my kids to this tonight, and it would be really useful for us, and probably for the movie itself, if you could include one of those movie sites here - if you could put back the RottenTomatoes link, people can go there and find their local theaters, buy tickets, see showtimes,etc. I know the reviews for the film from those stupid liberal sites and papers may not be good, but that doesn't bother any of us as we know what we want to see. (And, in fairness to them, they work technically very well indeed!) I always use rottentomatoes.com to get an quick overview of opinions on a movie before I bring my kids to it, and I think we all knew Expelled was going to be attacked by liberal movie reviewers, so I'm not bothered by it. So I think it would be a good idea to have that link there. [[User:SpiritualLife|SpiritualLife]] 15:55, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::If you can't figure out how to google stuff like that, I'm not even going to accuse you of being a liberal plant. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 15:57, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I think we should all be doing everything we can to help promote this movie, and I simply thought it would help towards that end. You say I wouldn't know how to Google it, but I do - and you end up at Rottentomatoes.com! It's the #1 listed movie review site. I've used it for a few years now. Wouldn't you want to have that on the article? I think it would help. [[User:SpiritualLife|SpiritualLife]] 16:11, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::SL, there is a link on our main page to movie theater sites, which I will repeat here just for your benefit. [http://expelledthemovie.com/theaterap.php]. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 16:30, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::Oh, OK, yes, I suppose that will work fine, thank you Brian. Shouldn't it be in the article rather than only on the Main page? I wasn't aware of it. [[User:SpiritualLife|SpiritualLife]] 16:37, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::As this is essentially an encyclopedia, it should not be expected to reflect fast changing items like football league standings. The fast changing stuff is posted on our front page and links to movie showings are more appropriately placed there. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 17:27, 18 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I was going to see the movie yesterday, but work intervened. And today I gotta do something for church. I might not even see the film till Monday evening. <br />
<br />
I plan to see it in the most liberal section of New York City, the [[Upper West Side]]. I wonder if Stein will get booed by the audience. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 10:18, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==If you watched the movie...==<br />
If you '''watched''' the movie, add your comments to this section. <u>If you didn't watch the movie or try to turn this section into a debate session, your comments will be removed.</u><br />
<br />
I watched the premier last night and I enjoyed this movie. [[Ben Stein]] did a great job exposing the scientific community's [[censorship]] of [[Intelligent Design]]. Ben also explained the difference between [[creationism]] and Intelligent Design. Ben also was successful in demonstrating the link between [[atheism]] and the [[theory of evolution]]. <br />
<br />
I personally believe in creationism and I feel that not allowing the teaching of Intelligent Design is liberal censorship. I applaud Ben for exposing this liberal censorship. I applaud [[Conservapedia]] from promoting this great [[documentary]]. --[[User:Crocoite|Crocoite]] 10:39, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: Thanks for the positive review, Crocoite. I hope to see the movie this weekend.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 10:42, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
I watched it last night. I theater hopped so I didn't have to pay Stein for the ticket; I advise you all to do the same, as it's not worth your real money. The movie is a travesty. It's basically clips of Stein talking interspersed, in an amateurish way, with clips of the Holocaust. He doesn't try to make an argument as much as shock you with unaffiliated images. -[[User:Seb|Seb]] 10:51, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: Typical ... [[liberal]] advice. I'm not convinced you even saw the movie, and your advice to rip Stein off is not going to remain on this site. Give us a good reason why your account should not be blocked, if you can.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 10:57, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I took my family to see Expelled last night, and I was surprised at how liberal and obscene it was. They don't mention anything about how Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and they include secular music from "The Killers" (how could you allow a band with that name to be included in a Christian movie?) and John Lennon. I thought I would not have to cover my kids eyes and ears for once in a movie theater, but I was proved wrong with this one. I guess the next time a documentary comes out exposing the evil of evolution, I will stay home with my family and watch Passion of the Christ instead. At least that movie has a strong Christian message. -Nathan<br />
<br />
: Odd reaction, Nathan. I haven't heard that reaction from any Christians I know. Do you shield your kids' eyes and ears when they are in public school also, or when they watch television??? Consider me skeptical about your comment.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 12:29, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Aschlafly, my kids attend a private Christian school, and I only allow them to watch Christian shows and movies on television (and only Godtube and Conservapedia online). Consider me skeptical of your true faith in Christianity for thinking that a movie full of secular music and absent of the Lord's message is good. Actually, you stated that you haven't even seen the movie yet, but you're still on here causing controversy; it clearly states at the top that this forum is for people who have seen the movie. It is not for people who want to debate something that they haven't even seen. -Nathan --[[User:john1989|john1989]] 19:00, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Unfortunately, there is no news of a theatre release in the UK. I may have to buy it on DVD in order to see it. A disappointment, because watching a significant event in the company of others is more uplifting than watching it on ones own. :( [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 12:22, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Could any of you who have seen the movie comment on whether or not the ''Time'' review misrepresented Stein? The article here specifically claims it does (saying ''Time'' put words into Stein's mouth, misquoting him, and indulging in character assassination), and it was the cause of much debate here on the Talk pages a few days ago. The ''Time'' review certainly says that "[Stein...asks], for example, how something as complex as a living cell could have possibly arisen whole from the earth's primordial soup". Is that a true representation of what Stein says? Does he actually pose that question, or have ''Time'' deliberately misquoted him? It would be a rather serious offense if they had, and worth contacting them about. [[User:Billabong|Billabong]] 14:20, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I thought the movie was interesting and thought-provoking. My wife came to the profound realization that domesticated species (in which man controls the genetics of the creatures) are in many ways inferior to wild species. Compare the wild turkey or wild cow to the domesticated turkey and domesticated cow and you have an example of what happens when Man controls the gene pool. <br />
<br />
::At any rate, I think Stein did a masterful job of presenting the case but he revealed to me the fundamental question of ID as a science (rather than as a belief). Five hundred years ago science banished spells, fairies, ghosts or anything unseen from science. This line of thinking has brought us to our present day point of understanding. We're now ready for a paradigm shift that is just as profound as when spiritualism was separated from science. Science is ready for the skeptical inclusion of spiritualism as part of science. We've matured enough to consider the possibility that God may be in the machine. Even the most ardent skeptic has to agree that it only makes sense to examine the possibility, because we can not prove either side with any certainty. <br />
<br />
::I highly recommend this movie and would contribute to a fund to pay for high school students to attend this film. [[User:Everwill|Everwill]] 07:05, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
:::: I saw the film last night for an article I am writing on the distinctions between British and American Conservatism -- much of it focusing on the two G's: Guns and God -- and I found the piece reasonably well made but utterly fallacious and unconvincingly hysterical. None of the scientific arguments hold up and the suggestions of a witch hunt are feeble beyond belief. Oh and the comments from "Nathan" above are clearly part of a hoax by somebody taking the mickey out of Conservapedia's core readership. It's quite funny, but there's no way it's genuine. [[User:KeithJoseph|KeithJoseph]] 14:25, 20 April 2008 (GMT) <br />
<br />
::: Everwill, thanks much for your comment and your suggestion of a fund for teenagers to see the movie is a great idea. I'd like to take my class of 40 to see it. KeithJoseph, the second half of your posting makes sense but your first half gives no reasons and does not make sense. "Unconvincingly hysterical"??? That's a new expression that I find incoherent.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 09:29, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I simply mean that, despite the force of its hysteria, it fails to convince. I don't pretend that the phrase os worthy of Wittgenstein, but it does, I think, make sense (even if you disagree). [[User:KeithJoseph|KeithJoseph]] 14:40, 20 April 2008 (GMT)<br />
<br />
: [[Evolutionists]] are calling the movie "hysterical", but it's obvious that they are not amused by it. Now you seem to be giving a less obvious meaning to "hysterical", but your new meaning is inconsistent with your adjective "unconvincingly". Perhaps you also found the movie to be "irrationally rational"??? Godspeed.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 10:12, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Erm? I don't really want to get too caught up in semantics, but you seem to be assuming that I was using "hysterical" in the informal sense, meaning amusing, whereas I meant that Stein exhibits -- to quote the Oxford English Dictionary's definition of hysteria -- "exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement". I really, really wish I had used a different phrase now. Can we pretend I said "unconvincing in its scaremongering" and leave it at that? Good grief! To quote Monty Python, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition. Mind you NOBODY expects ... [[User:KeithJoseph|KeithJoseph]] 15:26, 20 April 2008 (GMT)<br />
<br />
: Your phrase "unconvincingly hysterical" is so absurd that I'm skeptical you even saw the movie. If you did, I doubt you saw it with an open mind if that is your analysis. Your phrase is too ridiculous to be genuine, in my opinion.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:40, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<br />
:: I am utterly dumbfounded. I offer a brief review -- admittedly negative -- and, for my troubles, I receive a stream of abuse concerning some supposed grammatical infelicity and I am then called a liar. How, exactly, did your puzzling objections to that phrase lead you to suppose I hadn't seen the film? (Not a rhetorical question.) I saw the film in New York City, which I am visiting for a press junket, and will happily answer any questions on it to prove my honesty. I am happy to say that, to this point, most American conservatives I've encountered have been very civil. You are, happily, not representative in that respect. [[User:KeithJoseph|KeithJoseph]] 19:55, 20 April 2008 (GMT)<br />
<br />
::: There is nothing uncivil about my remarks. Your phrase about the movie is so absurd that it suggested to me a lack of being a genuine review. If you did see the movie, then I'm convinced you didn't see it with an open mind, and nothing in your "review" suggests otherwise to me.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 20:27, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==ID and science==<br />
<br />
Physical science has self-imposed limits. ID says that limiting the search for explanations is a silly way to account for the appearance of [[design]]. Are criminology and archaeology sciences? Is [[Stonehenge]] properly considered to be ancient ruins, or must we look to physical causes like erosion. Okay, then how about [[crop circles]]? Caused by strange wind patterns, or more likely to be a hoax?<br />
<br />
If there is the appearance of design, there must be a designer. Why should this eliminate design as a consideration? Is science judged on its implications? Its adherents don't do that, when it comes to [[Social Darwinism]] and the Nazi [[Holocaust]]. "You can't blame us theoreticians for the conclusions that others draw," they say? Then why should ID be any different?<br />
<br />
Anyone who has a [[double standard]] has something to hide or an axe to grind, but scientific theories should stand up to scrutiny. Dismissing or expelling critics are illegitimate means of avoiding a debate over whether materialistic theories are sufficient to explain "apparent evolution". That's all the producers are saying, and every review which changes the subject '''proves their point'''. Putting words in Stein's mouth, telling us how "we already addressed this", etc., are all great debating tactics when you're on stage trying to fool the general public. But science should be above shoddy political tricks. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 10:05, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: Science limits itself to things that are [[falsifiable]]. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even science teachers and the scientific press get this wrong sometimes, but science's answer to "might there be an intelligent designer?" is ''not'' "no", it's "science doesn't have the tools to evaluate the answer to that question". It's not specific to ID either... if you asked science "is there an [[Falsifiable#Carl Sagan|invisible incorporeal dragon in my garage]]?", the answer would be "on a purely scientific basis, our tools aren't able to evaluate that question".<br />
<br />
: The thing is, other fields in education ''are'' able to evaluate questions like that, so they're worth bringing up in the classroom. (science classrooms too, as long as there's an implicit understanding that the discussion is an interdisciplinary one, or that it's about the limits of science) --[[User:Interiot|Interiot]] 13:50, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Finally, a voice of reason ... welcome back, Interiot! :-) --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 21:35, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Biblical position==<br />
I added a comment that, from a Christian point of view, ID is as a false as evolution. Mr Rayment has just told me - in answer to a question about why the Gap theory is not given "equal time" here Quote:<br />
<br />
but really, the YEC view is the only one that actually fits what the Bible says, so this encyclopedia is not going to treat other views as though they have equal validity. <br />
<br />
Why, then, was my comment about ID being as false as evolution removed? It is obvious that ID has no validity, why not say so?[[User:Tolerance|Tolerance]] 11:22, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:What part of ID is false (from a Christian point of view)? Surely not the part which says life is to complex to have come into being by natural forces and physical laws alone? If there's a Christian (or any other kind of Creationist) who disagreed, you would have named him. So your comment is not constructive - and is in fact unrelated to discussion about how to improve this article. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 21:07, 19 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
::The excellent "Answers in Genesis" website criticizes ID [http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2002/0830_IDM.asp here] and [http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n1/intelligent-design-movement here]. Some quotes are<br />
<br />
::"Acceptance of ID thinking en masse could just as easily lead to New-Age or Hindu-like notions of creation, as well as weird alien sci-fi notions.3 In such instances, a Christian might well see that the metaphorical exorcism of one socio-philosophical demon would have achieved merely its replacement by others, possibly worse."<br />
<br />
::and <br />
<br />
::Proponents of ID fail to understand that a belief in long ages for the earth formed the foundation of Darwinism.5 If God’s Word is not true concerning the age of the earth, then maybe it’s not true concerning other events of the Creation Week; and maybe God was not a necessary part of the equation for life after all."[[User:Tolerance|Tolerance]] 11:04, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Answers in Genesis is a resource, not the standard we measure against in our articles. ID, in its pure form, says nothing about specific theology. It simply states that when we take all of the evidence from our world and the universe around us, that it appears we were designed as the 'finished product' of life on our planet would not be what we see today in a solely naturalistic system without outside influence. This would agree with Young Earth Creationism, Old Earth Creationism, or theistic evolution. [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 15:07, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::Yes, but Behe, the most well known proponent of ID, is certainly a supporter of, for example, Common Descent. He is one of the people mentioned (I believe) in the film. Presumably you would agree with me that he is wrong? And as wrong as the evolutionists?[[User:Tolerance|Tolerance]] 15:11, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::Behe is probably the most famous ID proponent in modern times and the man most responsible for seeing Intelligent Design brought to the forefront. That being said, his personal views beyond the idea that there is a design have no importance in Intelligent Design itself. [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 15:19, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::OK Your Mr Poor challenged me to find a Christian and or creationist source which criticized ID. Answers in Genesis is probably the most respected creationist source on the web. I have provided a couple of illustrative quotes which show their point of view. (There are many others that could be found, click the links and read the articles.) If ID only said that there is evidence of design then I would have no problem with it. But it says a lot more than that. It says long timescales and it says common descent. At least that is what the scientific version says. And, as far as I can tell, that is the version this film is about. The "scientific" one.[[User:Tolerance|Tolerance]] 15:41, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::::Again, ID, in its pure form, does not make those claims. You can have different versions within ID, but it's not fair to attribute any particular version as Intelligent Design while disregarding the views of others who also believe in Intelligent Design, but not as you have specified it. Within the secular/atheistic community, the complaint against ID is that it is Young Earth Creationism, just not specifically claiming 6000 years - which is very different from how you define it above. [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 15:49, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
I can do not better than quote from that magnificent resource Answers in Genesis:<br />
<br />
"the major problem with the ID movement is a divorce of the Creator from creation. The Creator and His creation cannot be separated; they reflect on each other."<br />
<br />
and<br />
<br />
"Ironically, despite already drawing the fire aimed at Genesis, the Bible and Christianity, many other prominent figures in the IDM reject or are hostile to Biblical creation, especially the notion of the recent creation of a good world, ruined by man’s Fall into sin. For tactical reasons, they have been urged (especially by their coolest and wisest head, Phil Johnson, who does not himself share that hostility) not to publicly condemn their Genesis-believing fellow travelers, although this simmering opposition has burst forth from time to time."<br />
<br />
Surely it is obvious that there is a problem with ID?[[User:Tolerance|Tolerance]] 16:14, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I'm not sure you're listening. Intelligent Design is the idea that the evidence in the world and cosmos shows shows that we are designed. Of course different people under that umbrella aren't going to agree with each other. So? [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 17:28, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::If you'd like to mention in the [[Intelligent Design]] article the fact that it has been criticized by some elements within Christianity, I look forward to seeing that. Be sure, however, not to '''misrepresent''' this POV as a "standard view". <br />
<br />
::Conservatives have varied opinions. Christians have varied opinions. We agree to disagree, rather than to claim that one view is held by all. (Aside from the basics, such as "God exists", of course! :-) --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 21:33, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Eugenics ==<br />
<br />
We discuss the impact in Nazi Germany, but it didn't stop there. The United States had its own program to sterilize inferiors prior to World War II with some at the time even complaining that the Nazis were pulling ahead of us. The impact of evolutionary thought was taking hold across all Western culture. Thankfully that ended when the horrors of the Holocaust were seen, but it was certainly a striking time in our own history as well - and one that is usually ignored so as not to show the path we went down with "survival of the fittest" even in our own country. [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 11:18, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: Right. Fortunately, America had people who stood up to the movement and objected, like [[William Jennings Bryan]].--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:41, 20 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Wikipedia chimes in==<br />
The movie's article on Wikipedia is highly biased (no surprise) and "semi-protected", which in practice means that ordinary people can't edit it. Sort of proves the film's point, I'd say.</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=424819Extraterrestrial life2008-04-07T04:13:34Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, but has also lately become the subject of intense speculation, scientific debate, and even theological debate.<br />
<br />
The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
<br />
The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
<br />
# The [[exogenesis]], nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that such microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
<br />
=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
<br />
Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
<br />
# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
<br />
With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
<br />
The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
<br />
# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
<br />
Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
<br />
====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbour life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178 Celcius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
<br />
=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as [[Project Blue Book]], by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
SETI ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via [[radiotelescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
<br />
No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the [[Project Blue Book]] investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as anything from outright hoaxes to misinterpretations of common weather features to misinterpretation of the sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of, much less contact with, any carrier-like vessel that would have been capable of launching any of the alleged two-seater or similar small-crewed craft that various "witnesses" report having encountered. Nor has any [[physics|physicist]] yet suggested a method by which such a craft could have visited our [[solar system]], given the fixed speed limit set by the [[Special Theory of Relativity]]. Finally, the SETI project, for all their searching for a signal (even to recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
<br />
====The Drake Equation====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
<br />
In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process.<br />
<br />
If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero. This is a serious problem if one relies only on naturalistic explanations of the genesis of life. One of the most well-accepted scientific laws, the [[law of biogenesis]], says that life only comes from life, which means that it cannot come from non-life. Furthermore, scientific observations are that evolution itself is impossible, as evolution requires ''increasing'' genetic [[information]], whereas observations show that living things ''lose'' genetic information.<ref>Wieland, Carl, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/431/ The evolution train’s a-comin’], ''Creation'' 24(2):16–19, March 2002.</ref><br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial nation-states and, almost as often, extraterrestrial microbes, have been a staple of [[science fiction]] since soon after science-fiction writers first began speculating on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. [[H. G. Wells]] even speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects (''The First Men in the Moon''). Wells also speculated that the Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), an invasion that would fail when the Martian soldiers and pilots fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems would have no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
<br />
The middle twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of popular-culture icons that were either:<br />
# Humans caught up in events on other, inhabited worlds, some of which were making war against the earth, or<br />
# An extraterrestrial "refugee" that became an obvious [[God-substitute]] after, [[Moses]]-like, he crashed to earth in a small space capsule launched from a world that later destroyed itself in a cataclysm far more devastating than the [[Great Flood]] had been.<br />
<br />
In addition to this, the [[motion picture]] industry, especially in the [[United States]] but also in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], produced scores of low-budget films having a theme involving an extraterrestrial nation-state attempting either:<br />
<br />
# To recruit humans, usually by fraudulent means, into assisting them in weapons or defensive-systems development,<br />
# To subvert human society and/or the international community by infiltration or by playing some individual humans or human nation-states against others, or:<br />
# To invade the earth by main force.<br />
<br />
The motion picture industry abandoned that theme as the century progressed, and produced a number of films showing extraterrestrials to be friendly. Toward the very end of the century, the theme of extraterrestrial invasion returned, in the form of a number of high-budget films that linked the basic theme to a number of modern-day legends, including:<br />
<br />
# The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico]], [[United States]].<br />
# The synthetic religion, called [[Scientology]], developed by the late [[L. Ron Hubbard]]. This movement informed many of Hubbard's works, including [[Battlefield Earth]] (which the actor [[John Travolta]], an adherent of Scientology, has lately adapted for the [[motion picture]]s), and [[Mission Earth]], a ten-volume series completed shortly before Hubbard's death and published posthumously.<br />
<br />
The [[Star Trek]] [[television]] franchise that [[Gene Roddenberry]] created, with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires hardly needs introduction. But in addition, producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a space-borne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
<br />
Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
<br />
== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
<br />
===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatability advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
<br />
===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
<br />
Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
<br />
The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
<br />
=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
<br />
==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
<br />
#'''Church of [[Scientology]]''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
<br />
== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
<br />
Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
<br />
[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
<br />
The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
<br />
{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
<br />
Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
<br />
[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
== Political speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Politicians (among them, former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]]) have openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><br />
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For further details, see the article on [[Exotheology]].<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Pi&diff=405689Talk:Pi2008-03-15T00:49:43Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* I do not like the "Pi in the Bible" section... */</p>
<hr />
<div>Answering the question posed in the article, "As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out: can you figure out why not?"<br />
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An ordinary printed page can hold about 5,000 digits. <br />
<br />
To print 1,241,100,000,000 digits would require 248,220,000 pages, or 496,440 reams of paper. A ream of paper is the size of a large book. It would take a building the size of a city library to hold the printed output. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 23:08, 13 January 2007 (EST)<br />
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Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I wish I had a drink—alcoholic, of course" '''Does not help because it gives a wrong answer.''' it gives 3(.)141315926, it should be 3.1415926...<br />
--[[User:TimSvendsen|TimSvendsen]] 23:54, 15 January 2007 (EST)<br />
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*Yikes! I'm going to have to turn in my geek badge. It should be "How I want a drink--alcoholic of course." I was mixing it with "How I wish I could recollect pi easily today." Sorry. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 13:16, 16 January 2007 (EST)<br />
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So I'm assuming by the change back to the old version, my revision was no good. An explanation why would be nice, though. [[User:ColinR|ColinR]] 21:09, 12 March 2007 (EDT)<br />
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==Groan==<br />
<br />
What was I thinking here? [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&curid=4960&diff=71562&oldid=71280&rcid=74105]<br />
<br />
113 '''divided into''' 355 like this:<br />
<br />
3.14156.....<br />
---------<br />
113|355.00000<br />
<br />
I had 1/pi by mistake - not even an approximation, more like an abomination. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 23:44, 28 March 2007 (EDT)<br />
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== I like Pi ==<br />
<br />
Pi R Squared? No they're not, Pie are round. Brownies are square. [[User:Human|Human]] 22:07, 20 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
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:LOL. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:08, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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==22/7== <br />
Besides the fact that "Pi is exactly 3!", 22/7 is also a repeating decimal.<br />
Pi is also known as Archimedes' constant, Ludolphine, and Ludolph's Number.<br />
Ludolph van Ceulen (Germany) spent a great deal of time calculating digits of pi. The number is engraved on his tombstone. If I were to get buried, I would have all the digits I memorized engraved on it, but I want to get cremated instead. [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 10:16, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:It is not true that Pi is exactly 3. What is your suggestion to improve the article? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 10:31, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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::I haven't said anything about my beliefs, let's just leave my life out of this, eh? And, with you saying that pi=3, are you suggesting CP completely rewrites this article? [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 10:39, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::If you are not claiming that pi = 3, then that makes two of us. :-)<br />
:::I've made a few updates to the article, primarily about scriptural references and historical estimates. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 12:41, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Is the Bible wrong about pi?==<br />
<br />
In the ancient world, measurements were not given as exact as they are today, and that was generally considered acceptable. <br />
http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html [[User:DanH|DanH]] 01:22, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Who said it was wrong? Sloppy ancients aren't nessecarily wrong ancients. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 01:25, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::So, can I reinsert the Bibical perspective? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 17:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::It's not relevant simply to note that the Bible happens to approximate it in passing. However, many use it as an argument to show that the Bible is errant, and that's what I surmise may have been the purpose for its inclusion [[User:DanH|DanH]] 17:35, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::Wait. The Bible's interpretation of Pi is not relevant to Pi? What? Look, friend, the Bible is always relevant. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:14, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::You admit you're an atheist on your user page. Why are you so interested in inserting this in there? [[User:DanH|DanH]] 18:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::I admit I'm an atheist-- You say it like it's a bad thing. I'm not trying to stat a fight, Dan, I just figure that, as a wiki with a majority of users that are Christian, it would be good to include the Biblical perspective on matters where it has spoken, as is done in [[shrimp]]. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:18, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:I didn't realize that was still in [[shrimp]]. Anyways, as the article posted above explains, the numbers were not meant to be exact, and the circumference and diameter may have been given as approximate estimates, but pi wasn't a concept that most people knew about or cared about. The Bible wasn't meaning to comment on pi at that point, only at the relevant calculations. [[User:DanH|DanH]] 18:24, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::That's great, Dan. You seem pretty hostile to the Bible. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:16, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
I don't see how Dan seems to be "pretty hostile to the Bible". Your insertion was simply wrong, as the Bible is not trying to give a value for pi at all. Besides, the Bible reference which is frequently quoted by bibliosceptics as supposedly representing pi is already in the article, and even that warrants being removed (in that form) in my opinion. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 20:47, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Oh... So anything a skeptic quotes must be purged, then? What is the purpose of the verse if not to show the value of pi? Furthermore, how do you know what the Bible is and is not trying to say, Philip? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:48, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Also, bibliosceptics is A: Spelled wrong and B: a word which would translate as "Skeptical of books." [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:49, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::Oh, bugger. It seems I didn't notice that the verse was already quoted in the History section. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:51, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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::: I didn't say that anything a sceptic quotes should be purged.<br />
::: What's the purpose if not to show the value of pi? To ''describe the object's size'', genius!<!-- you'll know why I used that word! --><br />
::: What is incorrect about the spelling of "bibliosceptics"? Yes, the word ''could'' mean "sceptical of books", but as "Bible" means "book", it's appropriate to use it to mean "sceptical of the Bible".<br />
::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:03, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::"Besides, the Bible reference which is frequently quoted by bibliosceptics as supposedly representing pi is already in the article, and even that warrants being removed (in that form) in my opinion." That's exactly what you said, Philip!<br />
::::Then why not describe it ''correctly''?<br />
::::Skeptics. With a K. Also: Yes. I know it means book. Your use of faux Latin does not make you smarter. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:13, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::: That quote of mine does not indicate that ''anything'' a sceptic quotes should be purged, and neither does it say that that bit should be removed ''because it's something a sceptic quotes''.<br />
::::: Aussies traditionally spell "sceptic" with a "c", hence my use of "bibliosceptic" rather than "biblioskeptic".<br />
::::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:12, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
A fourth consecutive edit, because a thought occurs. How can we be sure that man's measurements are correct in this case but the Bible is not? Furthermore, if the Bible is wrong here, how can we logically accept that everything else is exact-- IE, the age of the Earth? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:56, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
: What reason is there to think that the Bible's measurements are incorrect? The logic of your question is valid, but the premise (that the Bible is incorrect) is not. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:05, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::Well, if it's ten cubits from one side to the other, it should be 31 all around, if we're rounding. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:13, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::: What if it was actually 9.7 cubits (rounded to 10) from one side to the other? [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:12, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::: Then the measurement given is, quite simply, wrong. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 23:44, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::: Huh? Okay, I'll have to spell it out for you. If (and this is not the only possible explanation) the ''actual'' diameter was 9.7 cubits, then the ''actual'' radius would be 30.47 cubits. If ''both'' of those figures are rounded to the nearest cubit, then the diameter would be listed as 10 cubits and the circumference would be listed as 30 cubits. And guess what! That's what the Bible lists them as! So if this is correct (and it doesn't have to be exactly that: it could be 9.6 cubits for example), then the Bible is perfectly accurate! ("Accurate" is a different thing to "precise", as Ed mentions below.) If you still aren't convinced, have a look at the links in the External Links section of the article, particularly the Math Forum one. In fact, don't reply here unless you first read the three links. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 02:03, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::Yes. Rounding. I get it. It's impercise. If I say Ed is six feet tall, I'm wrong because he's not. If I say he's ''about'' six feet tall, I'm right, because he's just over six feet tall. Is that so hard to understand, Philip? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 10:06, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Alright. Scanned through the links. I get it-- God couldn't be arsed to tell the lowly Earthers a more prescise number. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 17:51, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::::: You've earned yourself another block for that arrogant response.<br />
::::::::: If Ed is 6 feet, 3.02 inches tall, would you refer to him as "about 6'3" tall"? The articles said nothing about God not telling us a more precise number. The first link points out that their measurements would not be that precise to start with. In this case, they are not rounding, but simply measuring with a course measuring device. The second reference pointed out that it was common to round numbers in those times. Insisting on using the word "about" is really a case of you expecting people from 3000 years ago to follow your conventions. It doesn't mean that they got anything wrong. The third reference pointed out the following:<br />
:::::::::* "''...in the absence of an explicit indication of precision, the absence of a tenths digit implies that the figure is accurate to the nearest 1 cubit...''". So the measurements were accurate to within the implied level of precision!<br />
:::::::::* "''Every measurement we ever make is an approximation.''". So do you preface ''every'' measurement with "about"? (That's the point of my question above about Ed being 6'3.02" tall.) Absence of the word "about" does ''not'' mean that the measurement is "wrong".<br />
::::::::: You acknowledged none of those points in your response, instead making a silly comment about God. It's clear that you simply want to argue a point that has been thoroughly refuted, and you've stopped doing so civilly. Hence your block. Learn from it.<br />
::::::::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:55, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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::::::::You're not wrong to call me six feet tall; I don't mind losing 3 inches in the interest of smooth prose. Just don't call me [[Metric to English conversions|two meters]] tall! --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 18:50, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::::::::That's what the "about" is for-- it indicates impercision. Most useful article ever, by the way. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:59, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::I took a few science courses in high school and college. You might be interested to learn about the difference between "[[accuracy]]" and "[[precision]]". (I probably should compare and contrast the two ideas in a proposed new article: [[accuracy and precision]].) <br />
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:::Here's how it's relevant to [[Pi]]. When the Bible says ten cubits, that is an approximation. Scientists would say the measurement is being given to "[[one significant figure]]". It really could be anything between 9 and 11 cubits, and it still wouldn't be wrong, because it's only an approximation, like saying that Ed Poor is six feet tall (I'm 6'3" in bare feet). <br />
<br />
:::The ratio between the diameter of a wheel and its circumference is, roughly, three. And if you drew a circle on the ground, with a diameter of 10 cubits, you would pace off 30 cubits when you walked around the circle. [[Pacing]] is not a very precise measurement, but it's good enough for some cases. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:01, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::: "''It really could be anything between 9 and 11 cubits...''": 9.5 and 10.5 actually. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:06, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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:::Anyway, you're being too patient with a time-waster. Liberals l-o-v-e to change the subject, with distractions like the supposedly preferable spelling of sceptic. I'm sceptical of this fella's motives, and I've left a note at his talk page. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:13, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::: I would actually like him to answer my last question above, though. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:43, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::Ed: You'll get a response in the appropriate place momentarily, don't worry.<br />
:::::Philip J. Rayment: So you have wished it, so it shall be. Response is above. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 23:44, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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The Bible does not provide a value for pi, so the following statement is misleading at best:<br />
<br />
:The [[Qur'an]] also defines Pi as 3.(al-Sûra ''aleph bei'').<br />
<br />
Use of the word "also" implies that the Bible has provided a definition. The story about the ten cubits does not define pi. It merely gives a diameter and a radius of something presumed to be circular. (A circumference of thirty is consistent with a diameter of ten, with a precision of one [[significant digit]].)<br />
<br />
In any case, I'd like to see the exact words of an English translation of any Koran passage related to circle math before approving any claim as damaging as "defines Pi as 3." --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:53, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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==I do not like the "Pi in the Bible" section...==<br />
...for many reasons. First, the title is misleading, as the text points out. There is no pi in the Bible (only unleaven bread--just kidding!), nor does the Bible make any attempt to define pi or ''e'' or or any other mathematical or physical constant. Second, I think the subject is out of place in an article about mathematics. Perhaps it should be a minor section in an apologetics-related article. Or be omitted entirely, as it is not really a serious criticism, but more a "baby apologetics" thing that appeals to unsophisticated Bible skeptics.<br />
<br />
Thirdly, while I appreciate that someone has done the work of gathering the arguments in one place, the wording could be better. It says "Critics claim this, but they are making the following assumptions". Better to say "Critics say this but they are wrong for these reasons." You do not know what someone else's assumptions are.<br />
<br />
Fourthly, a minor point. If you opt to keep this section, you might point out that when critics complain that the Bible rounds the circumference to a multiple of ten instead of something more precise (say, 31.4 cubits), they are being inconsistent, because that number is also imprecise. Because pi is irrational, there is no number that could be contained (in a finite Bible) that could give the measurement exactly. What the baby skeptics are doing here is setting an impossible condition for precision, then saying that if the Bible is imprecise it is not inerrant (another big leap in logic), and hoping that no one will notice the flaws in their reasoning.<br />
<br />
{{unsigned|Ga ohoyt}}<br />
<br />
:I wasn't happy with the title either (and I wrote it!), but I wasn't sure what else to have. The next best think I could think of was to put pi in quote marks: "Pi" in the Bible.<br />
: I don't think the article is particularly out of place. The article is about pi specifically (not just "mathematics"), and this section is about pi, or at least about a claim made about pi. It is not a serious criticism in the sense of having even a shred of validity, but it is something that is ''often'' claimed by bible critics. The Skeptics Annotated Bible mentions it, for example.<br />
: As for the mention of assumptions, no, you don't need to know what assumptions they are consciously making; there are certain assumptions ''inherent'' in the argument, which is all that the comment is saying. That is, they ''must be'' making these assumptions, even if subconsciously. That's not to say that the wording can't be altered to something better, but I do think it's acceptable as it is.<br />
: There were a couple of other problems with the claim that I thought of mentioning, but the section was large enough already and the others were in a sense variations on the ones already mentioned, so I thought that was enough. Yes, they often claim that the value is "incorrect", but then are unable to give the "correct" value themselves (because it has an infinite number of digits). And that would be a good thing to point out if the Bible was actually claiming to give a value for pi, but as it's not, it seemed a little bit unnecessary.<br />
: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:48, 13 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
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Better now? [[User:Ga ohoyt|Ga ohoyt]] 20:49, 14 March 2008 (EDT)</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&diff=405688Pi2008-03-15T00:48:14Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Pi in the Bible */ Maybe this is better</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Pi''' is the sixteenth letter of the [[Greece|Greek]] [[alphabet]] and is used in its lower case form (<big><math>\pi</math></big>) to represent the mathematical constant of the same name which is defined as ''the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter''. It is an important number and appears in many [[mathematics|mathematical]] and [[physics|physical]] formulae. <br />
<br />
The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; which means that it cannot be fully expressed as a fraction or a decimal (regardless of the number of digits used). <br />
<br />
The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is approximately 3.14159 in decimal. This value is precise enough for almost all ordinary purposes; it can, for example, be used to calculate the circumference of the Earth with an error of only about 110 feet. <br />
<br />
For rough purposes, the fraction 22/7 (= 3.14285...) is sometimes used.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
<br />
To some extent, the progress of mathematics&mdash;or at least of computation&mdash;can be gauged by the progress in the number of digits to which <big><math>\pi</math></big> has been calculated. <br />
<br />
Some ancients expressed pi by using fractional approximations. Papyrus of Ahmes, dated c. 1650 B.C., shows that ancient Egyptians had value 3 1/6 = 3.167). The Babylonian value from the same era was 3 1/8 = 3.125<ref>Boyer, A History of Mathematics, 2nd Edition</ref>. Both these values are accurate to within 1 percent. Note that the value 22/7 (3 1/7) is still used today.<br />
<br />
[[Archimedes|Archimedes of Syracuse]] (287-212 BC) carried out "the first theoretical calculation" of pi.<ref> [http://veling.nl/anne/templars/Pi_through_the_ages.html Pi through the ages] </ref><br />
He said it was between 223/71 and 22/7. This is ten times better than the Egyptian and Babylonian values: within 0.04% of pi.<br />
<br />
In 1873, Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out.<br />
<br />
==Recreational use==<br />
<br />
Memorizing <big><math>\pi</math></big> is a challenge that appeals to some people. Mnemonics have been devised. Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I want a drink&mdash;alcoholic, of course" gives <big><math>\pi</math></big> to seven places (which is more than enough for all ordinary purposes). Numerous other mnemonics of this kind have been devised; in 1995, Michael Keith wrote one entitled [http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm Near a Raven] which simultaneously parodies [[Edgar Allen Poe]]'s poem ''The Raven,'' while encoding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 740 places.<br />
<br />
March 14 marks [[Pi Day]], a holiday on which the mathematical constant is celebrated. The date comes from the first three digits of pi; some people begin their celebration at 1:59 pm, derived from the following three digits.<br />
<br />
Pi Approximation day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7). <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/mathscience/2007-03-14-pi-day_N.htm USA Today (3/14/2007) - Pi-day]</ref><br />
<br />
== Greek Language Usage ==<br />
This letter's name is pronounced the same as its equivalent in English (P) and has the same sound value.<br />
<br />
==Does the Bible attempt to define pi?==<br />
<br />
Virtually all serious students of the [[Bible]] say no. Still, critics frequently claim that the Bible contains an incorrect value for pi<ref>http://www.cygnus-study.com/writings/allowableerror.shtml</ref>, and the question is raised frequently enough to earn mention in The Skeptics Annotated Bible.<br />
The claim is based on a verse in the [[I Kings|first book of Kings]]:<br />
{{bible quote|He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten [[cubit]]s from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it.|book=1_Kings|chap=7|verses=23|version=NIV}}<br />
The critics say that this amounts to the Bible claiming that the value of pi is 3.<br />
<br />
There are a number of assumptions involved in making this claim, and if any one of the assumptions is wrong, the claim is false.<br />
The assumptions are:<br />
* The Bible is trying to provide a value for pi. This is clearly not the case; it is merely describing the size of the object.<ref name="math">Peterson and Rick, 1999.</ref><br />
* The value in the Bible is ''wrong'', rather than just imprecise. However, to the nearest [[whole number]], the value is correct,<ref name="math" /> and it was quite common at the time to round numbers.<ref name="jph">Holding, J.P.</ref><br />
* That both the [[diameter]] and the [[circumference]] are measuring the same edges. It's possible, even if unlikely, that the diameter is an outside measurement and the circumference is an inside measurement. A straight calculation doesn't allow for the thickness of the sides.<ref name="jph" /><br />
* That both the diameter and the circumference are measuring the same part of the object. The object is also described as having an outward-turned rim. The easiest places to measure the diameter would be across the wider rim, and the easiest place to measure the circumference would be around the body below the rim.<ref>Grigg, 1995.</ref><br />
<br />
However, even if the claim is correct, rounding pi to 3 is not "incorrect," an "error" or "wrong" and is perfectly acceptable in some circumstances.<ref>http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html</ref> The creation of a "sea of cast metal" by human beings (not God) in ancient times without modern construction tools and measuring equipment is easily understood as one of those circumstances.<br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
* Grigg, Russell, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1731/ Does the Bible say pi equals 3.0?] ''Creation'' 17(2):24–25, March 1995.<br />
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Pi Gets In Your Eye] (Tektonics).<br />
* Peterson & Rick, [http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html Rouding Pi] 1st June(?), 1999 (The Math Forum).<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
*[[Pi day]]<br />
*[http://yacas.sourceforge.net/Algochapter5.html#c5s5 Calculation of pi with computers]<br />
<br />
==Notes and references==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Mathematics]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Pi&diff=404851Talk:Pi2008-03-13T18:17:33Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* I do not like the "Pi in the Bible" section... */</p>
<hr />
<div>Answering the question posed in the article, "As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out: can you figure out why not?"<br />
<br />
An ordinary printed page can hold about 5,000 digits. <br />
<br />
To print 1,241,100,000,000 digits would require 248,220,000 pages, or 496,440 reams of paper. A ream of paper is the size of a large book. It would take a building the size of a city library to hold the printed output. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 23:08, 13 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I wish I had a drink—alcoholic, of course" '''Does not help because it gives a wrong answer.''' it gives 3(.)141315926, it should be 3.1415926...<br />
--[[User:TimSvendsen|TimSvendsen]] 23:54, 15 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
*Yikes! I'm going to have to turn in my geek badge. It should be "How I want a drink--alcoholic of course." I was mixing it with "How I wish I could recollect pi easily today." Sorry. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 13:16, 16 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
So I'm assuming by the change back to the old version, my revision was no good. An explanation why would be nice, though. [[User:ColinR|ColinR]] 21:09, 12 March 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Groan==<br />
<br />
What was I thinking here? [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&curid=4960&diff=71562&oldid=71280&rcid=74105]<br />
<br />
113 '''divided into''' 355 like this:<br />
<br />
3.14156.....<br />
---------<br />
113|355.00000<br />
<br />
I had 1/pi by mistake - not even an approximation, more like an abomination. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 23:44, 28 March 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I like Pi ==<br />
<br />
Pi R Squared? No they're not, Pie are round. Brownies are square. [[User:Human|Human]] 22:07, 20 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:LOL. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:08, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==22/7== <br />
Besides the fact that "Pi is exactly 3!", 22/7 is also a repeating decimal.<br />
Pi is also known as Archimedes' constant, Ludolphine, and Ludolph's Number.<br />
Ludolph van Ceulen (Germany) spent a great deal of time calculating digits of pi. The number is engraved on his tombstone. If I were to get buried, I would have all the digits I memorized engraved on it, but I want to get cremated instead. [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 10:16, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:It is not true that Pi is exactly 3. What is your suggestion to improve the article? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 10:31, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I haven't said anything about my beliefs, let's just leave my life out of this, eh? And, with you saying that pi=3, are you suggesting CP completely rewrites this article? [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 10:39, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::If you are not claiming that pi = 3, then that makes two of us. :-)<br />
:::I've made a few updates to the article, primarily about scriptural references and historical estimates. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 12:41, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Is the Bible wrong about pi?==<br />
<br />
In the ancient world, measurements were not given as exact as they are today, and that was generally considered acceptable. <br />
http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html [[User:DanH|DanH]] 01:22, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Who said it was wrong? Sloppy ancients aren't nessecarily wrong ancients. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 01:25, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::So, can I reinsert the Bibical perspective? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 17:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::It's not relevant simply to note that the Bible happens to approximate it in passing. However, many use it as an argument to show that the Bible is errant, and that's what I surmise may have been the purpose for its inclusion [[User:DanH|DanH]] 17:35, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::Wait. The Bible's interpretation of Pi is not relevant to Pi? What? Look, friend, the Bible is always relevant. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:14, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::You admit you're an atheist on your user page. Why are you so interested in inserting this in there? [[User:DanH|DanH]] 18:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::I admit I'm an atheist-- You say it like it's a bad thing. I'm not trying to stat a fight, Dan, I just figure that, as a wiki with a majority of users that are Christian, it would be good to include the Biblical perspective on matters where it has spoken, as is done in [[shrimp]]. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:18, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:I didn't realize that was still in [[shrimp]]. Anyways, as the article posted above explains, the numbers were not meant to be exact, and the circumference and diameter may have been given as approximate estimates, but pi wasn't a concept that most people knew about or cared about. The Bible wasn't meaning to comment on pi at that point, only at the relevant calculations. [[User:DanH|DanH]] 18:24, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::That's great, Dan. You seem pretty hostile to the Bible. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:16, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
I don't see how Dan seems to be "pretty hostile to the Bible". Your insertion was simply wrong, as the Bible is not trying to give a value for pi at all. Besides, the Bible reference which is frequently quoted by bibliosceptics as supposedly representing pi is already in the article, and even that warrants being removed (in that form) in my opinion. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 20:47, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Oh... So anything a skeptic quotes must be purged, then? What is the purpose of the verse if not to show the value of pi? Furthermore, how do you know what the Bible is and is not trying to say, Philip? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:48, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Also, bibliosceptics is A: Spelled wrong and B: a word which would translate as "Skeptical of books." [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:49, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::Oh, bugger. It seems I didn't notice that the verse was already quoted in the History section. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:51, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::: I didn't say that anything a sceptic quotes should be purged.<br />
::: What's the purpose if not to show the value of pi? To ''describe the object's size'', genius!<!-- you'll know why I used that word! --><br />
::: What is incorrect about the spelling of "bibliosceptics"? Yes, the word ''could'' mean "sceptical of books", but as "Bible" means "book", it's appropriate to use it to mean "sceptical of the Bible".<br />
::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:03, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::"Besides, the Bible reference which is frequently quoted by bibliosceptics as supposedly representing pi is already in the article, and even that warrants being removed (in that form) in my opinion." That's exactly what you said, Philip!<br />
::::Then why not describe it ''correctly''?<br />
::::Skeptics. With a K. Also: Yes. I know it means book. Your use of faux Latin does not make you smarter. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:13, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::: That quote of mine does not indicate that ''anything'' a sceptic quotes should be purged, and neither does it say that that bit should be removed ''because it's something a sceptic quotes''.<br />
::::: Aussies traditionally spell "sceptic" with a "c", hence my use of "bibliosceptic" rather than "biblioskeptic".<br />
::::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:12, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
A fourth consecutive edit, because a thought occurs. How can we be sure that man's measurements are correct in this case but the Bible is not? Furthermore, if the Bible is wrong here, how can we logically accept that everything else is exact-- IE, the age of the Earth? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:56, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
: What reason is there to think that the Bible's measurements are incorrect? The logic of your question is valid, but the premise (that the Bible is incorrect) is not. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:05, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::Well, if it's ten cubits from one side to the other, it should be 31 all around, if we're rounding. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:13, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::: What if it was actually 9.7 cubits (rounded to 10) from one side to the other? [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:12, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::: Then the measurement given is, quite simply, wrong. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 23:44, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::: Huh? Okay, I'll have to spell it out for you. If (and this is not the only possible explanation) the ''actual'' diameter was 9.7 cubits, then the ''actual'' radius would be 30.47 cubits. If ''both'' of those figures are rounded to the nearest cubit, then the diameter would be listed as 10 cubits and the circumference would be listed as 30 cubits. And guess what! That's what the Bible lists them as! So if this is correct (and it doesn't have to be exactly that: it could be 9.6 cubits for example), then the Bible is perfectly accurate! ("Accurate" is a different thing to "precise", as Ed mentions below.) If you still aren't convinced, have a look at the links in the External Links section of the article, particularly the Math Forum one. In fact, don't reply here unless you first read the three links. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 02:03, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::Yes. Rounding. I get it. It's impercise. If I say Ed is six feet tall, I'm wrong because he's not. If I say he's ''about'' six feet tall, I'm right, because he's just over six feet tall. Is that so hard to understand, Philip? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 10:06, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Alright. Scanned through the links. I get it-- God couldn't be arsed to tell the lowly Earthers a more prescise number. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 17:51, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::::: You've earned yourself another block for that arrogant response.<br />
::::::::: If Ed is 6 feet, 3.02 inches tall, would you refer to him as "about 6'3" tall"? The articles said nothing about God not telling us a more precise number. The first link points out that their measurements would not be that precise to start with. In this case, they are not rounding, but simply measuring with a course measuring device. The second reference pointed out that it was common to round numbers in those times. Insisting on using the word "about" is really a case of you expecting people from 3000 years ago to follow your conventions. It doesn't mean that they got anything wrong. The third reference pointed out the following:<br />
:::::::::* "''...in the absence of an explicit indication of precision, the absence of a tenths digit implies that the figure is accurate to the nearest 1 cubit...''". So the measurements were accurate to within the implied level of precision!<br />
:::::::::* "''Every measurement we ever make is an approximation.''". So do you preface ''every'' measurement with "about"? (That's the point of my question above about Ed being 6'3.02" tall.) Absence of the word "about" does ''not'' mean that the measurement is "wrong".<br />
::::::::: You acknowledged none of those points in your response, instead making a silly comment about God. It's clear that you simply want to argue a point that has been thoroughly refuted, and you've stopped doing so civilly. Hence your block. Learn from it.<br />
::::::::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:55, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::You're not wrong to call me six feet tall; I don't mind losing 3 inches in the interest of smooth prose. Just don't call me [[Metric to English conversions|two meters]] tall! --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 18:50, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::::::That's what the "about" is for-- it indicates impercision. Most useful article ever, by the way. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:59, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::I took a few science courses in high school and college. You might be interested to learn about the difference between "[[accuracy]]" and "[[precision]]". (I probably should compare and contrast the two ideas in a proposed new article: [[accuracy and precision]].) <br />
<br />
:::Here's how it's relevant to [[Pi]]. When the Bible says ten cubits, that is an approximation. Scientists would say the measurement is being given to "[[one significant figure]]". It really could be anything between 9 and 11 cubits, and it still wouldn't be wrong, because it's only an approximation, like saying that Ed Poor is six feet tall (I'm 6'3" in bare feet). <br />
<br />
:::The ratio between the diameter of a wheel and its circumference is, roughly, three. And if you drew a circle on the ground, with a diameter of 10 cubits, you would pace off 30 cubits when you walked around the circle. [[Pacing]] is not a very precise measurement, but it's good enough for some cases. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:01, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::: "''It really could be anything between 9 and 11 cubits...''": 9.5 and 10.5 actually. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:06, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Anyway, you're being too patient with a time-waster. Liberals l-o-v-e to change the subject, with distractions like the supposedly preferable spelling of sceptic. I'm sceptical of this fella's motives, and I've left a note at his talk page. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:13, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::: I would actually like him to answer my last question above, though. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:43, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::Ed: You'll get a response in the appropriate place momentarily, don't worry.<br />
:::::Philip J. Rayment: So you have wished it, so it shall be. Response is above. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 23:44, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The Bible does not provide a value for pi, so the following statement is misleading at best:<br />
<br />
:The [[Qur'an]] also defines Pi as 3.(al-Sûra ''aleph bei'').<br />
<br />
Use of the word "also" implies that the Bible has provided a definition. The story about the ten cubits does not define pi. It merely gives a diameter and a radius of something presumed to be circular. (A circumference of thirty is consistent with a diameter of ten, with a precision of one [[significant digit]].)<br />
<br />
In any case, I'd like to see the exact words of an English translation of any Koran passage related to circle math before approving any claim as damaging as "defines Pi as 3." --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:53, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I do not like the "Pi in the Bible" section...==<br />
...for many reasons. First, the title is misleading, as the text points out. There is no pi in the Bible (only unleaven bread--just kidding!), nor does the Bible make any attempt to define pi or ''e'' or or any other mathematical or physical constant. Second, I think the subject is out of place in an article about mathematics. Perhaps it should be a minor section in an apologetics-related article. Or be omitted entirely, as it is not really a serious criticism, but more a "baby apologetics" thing that appeals to unsophisticated Bible skeptics.<br />
<br />
Thirdly, while I appreciate that someone has done the work of gathering the arguments in one place, the wording could be better. It says "Critics claim this, but they are making the following assumptions". Better to say "Critics say this but they are wrong for these reasons." You do not know what someone else's assumptions are.<br />
<br />
Fourthly, a minor point. If you opt to keep this section, you might point out that when critics complain that the Bible rounds the circumference to a multiple of ten instead of something more precise (say, 31.4 cubits), they are being inconsistent, because that number is also imprecise. Because pi is irrational, there is no number that could be contained (in a finite Bible) that could give the measurement exactly. What the baby skeptics are doing here is setting an impossible condition for precision, then saying that if the Bible is imprecise it is not inerrant (another big leap in logic), and hoping that no one will notice the flaws in their reasoning.</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Pi&diff=404842Talk:Pi2008-03-13T18:13:09Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* I do not like the "Pi in the Bible" section... */</p>
<hr />
<div>Answering the question posed in the article, "As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out: can you figure out why not?"<br />
<br />
An ordinary printed page can hold about 5,000 digits. <br />
<br />
To print 1,241,100,000,000 digits would require 248,220,000 pages, or 496,440 reams of paper. A ream of paper is the size of a large book. It would take a building the size of a city library to hold the printed output. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 23:08, 13 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I wish I had a drink—alcoholic, of course" '''Does not help because it gives a wrong answer.''' it gives 3(.)141315926, it should be 3.1415926...<br />
--[[User:TimSvendsen|TimSvendsen]] 23:54, 15 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
*Yikes! I'm going to have to turn in my geek badge. It should be "How I want a drink--alcoholic of course." I was mixing it with "How I wish I could recollect pi easily today." Sorry. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 13:16, 16 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
So I'm assuming by the change back to the old version, my revision was no good. An explanation why would be nice, though. [[User:ColinR|ColinR]] 21:09, 12 March 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Groan==<br />
<br />
What was I thinking here? [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&curid=4960&diff=71562&oldid=71280&rcid=74105]<br />
<br />
113 '''divided into''' 355 like this:<br />
<br />
3.14156.....<br />
---------<br />
113|355.00000<br />
<br />
I had 1/pi by mistake - not even an approximation, more like an abomination. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 23:44, 28 March 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I like Pi ==<br />
<br />
Pi R Squared? No they're not, Pie are round. Brownies are square. [[User:Human|Human]] 22:07, 20 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:LOL. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:08, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==22/7== <br />
Besides the fact that "Pi is exactly 3!", 22/7 is also a repeating decimal.<br />
Pi is also known as Archimedes' constant, Ludolphine, and Ludolph's Number.<br />
Ludolph van Ceulen (Germany) spent a great deal of time calculating digits of pi. The number is engraved on his tombstone. If I were to get buried, I would have all the digits I memorized engraved on it, but I want to get cremated instead. [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 10:16, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:It is not true that Pi is exactly 3. What is your suggestion to improve the article? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 10:31, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I haven't said anything about my beliefs, let's just leave my life out of this, eh? And, with you saying that pi=3, are you suggesting CP completely rewrites this article? [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 10:39, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::If you are not claiming that pi = 3, then that makes two of us. :-)<br />
:::I've made a few updates to the article, primarily about scriptural references and historical estimates. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 12:41, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Is the Bible wrong about pi?==<br />
<br />
In the ancient world, measurements were not given as exact as they are today, and that was generally considered acceptable. <br />
http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html [[User:DanH|DanH]] 01:22, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Who said it was wrong? Sloppy ancients aren't nessecarily wrong ancients. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 01:25, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::So, can I reinsert the Bibical perspective? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 17:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::It's not relevant simply to note that the Bible happens to approximate it in passing. However, many use it as an argument to show that the Bible is errant, and that's what I surmise may have been the purpose for its inclusion [[User:DanH|DanH]] 17:35, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::Wait. The Bible's interpretation of Pi is not relevant to Pi? What? Look, friend, the Bible is always relevant. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:14, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::You admit you're an atheist on your user page. Why are you so interested in inserting this in there? [[User:DanH|DanH]] 18:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::I admit I'm an atheist-- You say it like it's a bad thing. I'm not trying to stat a fight, Dan, I just figure that, as a wiki with a majority of users that are Christian, it would be good to include the Biblical perspective on matters where it has spoken, as is done in [[shrimp]]. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:18, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:I didn't realize that was still in [[shrimp]]. Anyways, as the article posted above explains, the numbers were not meant to be exact, and the circumference and diameter may have been given as approximate estimates, but pi wasn't a concept that most people knew about or cared about. The Bible wasn't meaning to comment on pi at that point, only at the relevant calculations. [[User:DanH|DanH]] 18:24, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::That's great, Dan. You seem pretty hostile to the Bible. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:16, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
I don't see how Dan seems to be "pretty hostile to the Bible". Your insertion was simply wrong, as the Bible is not trying to give a value for pi at all. Besides, the Bible reference which is frequently quoted by bibliosceptics as supposedly representing pi is already in the article, and even that warrants being removed (in that form) in my opinion. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 20:47, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Oh... So anything a skeptic quotes must be purged, then? What is the purpose of the verse if not to show the value of pi? Furthermore, how do you know what the Bible is and is not trying to say, Philip? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:48, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Also, bibliosceptics is A: Spelled wrong and B: a word which would translate as "Skeptical of books." [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:49, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::Oh, bugger. It seems I didn't notice that the verse was already quoted in the History section. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:51, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::: I didn't say that anything a sceptic quotes should be purged.<br />
::: What's the purpose if not to show the value of pi? To ''describe the object's size'', genius!<!-- you'll know why I used that word! --><br />
::: What is incorrect about the spelling of "bibliosceptics"? Yes, the word ''could'' mean "sceptical of books", but as "Bible" means "book", it's appropriate to use it to mean "sceptical of the Bible".<br />
::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:03, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::"Besides, the Bible reference which is frequently quoted by bibliosceptics as supposedly representing pi is already in the article, and even that warrants being removed (in that form) in my opinion." That's exactly what you said, Philip!<br />
::::Then why not describe it ''correctly''?<br />
::::Skeptics. With a K. Also: Yes. I know it means book. Your use of faux Latin does not make you smarter. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:13, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::: That quote of mine does not indicate that ''anything'' a sceptic quotes should be purged, and neither does it say that that bit should be removed ''because it's something a sceptic quotes''.<br />
::::: Aussies traditionally spell "sceptic" with a "c", hence my use of "bibliosceptic" rather than "biblioskeptic".<br />
::::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:12, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
A fourth consecutive edit, because a thought occurs. How can we be sure that man's measurements are correct in this case but the Bible is not? Furthermore, if the Bible is wrong here, how can we logically accept that everything else is exact-- IE, the age of the Earth? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:56, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
: What reason is there to think that the Bible's measurements are incorrect? The logic of your question is valid, but the premise (that the Bible is incorrect) is not. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:05, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::Well, if it's ten cubits from one side to the other, it should be 31 all around, if we're rounding. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:13, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::: What if it was actually 9.7 cubits (rounded to 10) from one side to the other? [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:12, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::: Then the measurement given is, quite simply, wrong. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 23:44, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::: Huh? Okay, I'll have to spell it out for you. If (and this is not the only possible explanation) the ''actual'' diameter was 9.7 cubits, then the ''actual'' radius would be 30.47 cubits. If ''both'' of those figures are rounded to the nearest cubit, then the diameter would be listed as 10 cubits and the circumference would be listed as 30 cubits. And guess what! That's what the Bible lists them as! So if this is correct (and it doesn't have to be exactly that: it could be 9.6 cubits for example), then the Bible is perfectly accurate! ("Accurate" is a different thing to "precise", as Ed mentions below.) If you still aren't convinced, have a look at the links in the External Links section of the article, particularly the Math Forum one. In fact, don't reply here unless you first read the three links. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 02:03, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::Yes. Rounding. I get it. It's impercise. If I say Ed is six feet tall, I'm wrong because he's not. If I say he's ''about'' six feet tall, I'm right, because he's just over six feet tall. Is that so hard to understand, Philip? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 10:06, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Alright. Scanned through the links. I get it-- God couldn't be arsed to tell the lowly Earthers a more prescise number. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 17:51, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::::: You've earned yourself another block for that arrogant response.<br />
::::::::: If Ed is 6 feet, 3.02 inches tall, would you refer to him as "about 6'3" tall"? The articles said nothing about God not telling us a more precise number. The first link points out that their measurements would not be that precise to start with. In this case, they are not rounding, but simply measuring with a course measuring device. The second reference pointed out that it was common to round numbers in those times. Insisting on using the word "about" is really a case of you expecting people from 3000 years ago to follow your conventions. It doesn't mean that they got anything wrong. The third reference pointed out the following:<br />
:::::::::* "''...in the absence of an explicit indication of precision, the absence of a tenths digit implies that the figure is accurate to the nearest 1 cubit...''". So the measurements were accurate to within the implied level of precision!<br />
:::::::::* "''Every measurement we ever make is an approximation.''". So do you preface ''every'' measurement with "about"? (That's the point of my question above about Ed being 6'3.02" tall.) Absence of the word "about" does ''not'' mean that the measurement is "wrong".<br />
::::::::: You acknowledged none of those points in your response, instead making a silly comment about God. It's clear that you simply want to argue a point that has been thoroughly refuted, and you've stopped doing so civilly. Hence your block. Learn from it.<br />
::::::::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:55, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::You're not wrong to call me six feet tall; I don't mind losing 3 inches in the interest of smooth prose. Just don't call me [[Metric to English conversions|two meters]] tall! --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 18:50, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::::::That's what the "about" is for-- it indicates impercision. Most useful article ever, by the way. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:59, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::I took a few science courses in high school and college. You might be interested to learn about the difference between "[[accuracy]]" and "[[precision]]". (I probably should compare and contrast the two ideas in a proposed new article: [[accuracy and precision]].) <br />
<br />
:::Here's how it's relevant to [[Pi]]. When the Bible says ten cubits, that is an approximation. Scientists would say the measurement is being given to "[[one significant figure]]". It really could be anything between 9 and 11 cubits, and it still wouldn't be wrong, because it's only an approximation, like saying that Ed Poor is six feet tall (I'm 6'3" in bare feet). <br />
<br />
:::The ratio between the diameter of a wheel and its circumference is, roughly, three. And if you drew a circle on the ground, with a diameter of 10 cubits, you would pace off 30 cubits when you walked around the circle. [[Pacing]] is not a very precise measurement, but it's good enough for some cases. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:01, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::: "''It really could be anything between 9 and 11 cubits...''": 9.5 and 10.5 actually. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:06, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Anyway, you're being too patient with a time-waster. Liberals l-o-v-e to change the subject, with distractions like the supposedly preferable spelling of sceptic. I'm sceptical of this fella's motives, and I've left a note at his talk page. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:13, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::: I would actually like him to answer my last question above, though. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:43, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::Ed: You'll get a response in the appropriate place momentarily, don't worry.<br />
:::::Philip J. Rayment: So you have wished it, so it shall be. Response is above. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 23:44, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The Bible does not provide a value for pi, so the following statement is misleading at best:<br />
<br />
:The [[Qur'an]] also defines Pi as 3.(al-Sûra ''aleph bei'').<br />
<br />
Use of the word "also" implies that the Bible has provided a definition. The story about the ten cubits does not define pi. It merely gives a diameter and a radius of something presumed to be circular. (A circumference of thirty is consistent with a diameter of ten, with a precision of one [[significant digit]].)<br />
<br />
In any case, I'd like to see the exact words of an English translation of any Koran passage related to circle math before approving any claim as damaging as "defines Pi as 3." --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:53, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I do not like the "Pi in the Bible" section...==<br />
...for many reasons. First, the title is misleading, as the text points out. There is no pi in the Bible (only unleaven bread--just kidding!), nor does the Bible make any attempt to define pi or ''e'' or or any other mathematical or physical constant. Second, I think the subject is out of place in an article about mathematics. Perhaps it should be a minor section in an apologetics-related article. Or be omitted entirely, as it is not really a serious criticism, but more a "baby apologetics" thing that appeals to unsophisticated Bible skeptics.<br />
<br />
Thirdly, while I appreciate that someone has done the work of gathering the atguments in one place, the wording could be better. It says "Critics claim this, but they are making the following assumptions". Better to say "Critics say this but they are wrong for these reasons." You do not know what someone else's assumptions are.<br />
<br />
Fourthly, a minor point. If you opt to keep this section, you might point out that when critics complain that the Bible rounds the circumference to a multiple of ten instead of something more precise (say, 31.4 cubits), they are being inconsistent, because that number is also imprecise. Because pi is irrational, there is no number that could be contained (in a finite Bible) that could give the measurement exactly. What the baby skeptics are doing here is setting an impossible condition for precision, then saying that if the Bible is imprecise it is not inerrant (another big leap in logic), and hoping that no one will notice the flaws in their reasoning.</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Pi&diff=404840Talk:Pi2008-03-13T18:08:53Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>Answering the question posed in the article, "As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out: can you figure out why not?"<br />
<br />
An ordinary printed page can hold about 5,000 digits. <br />
<br />
To print 1,241,100,000,000 digits would require 248,220,000 pages, or 496,440 reams of paper. A ream of paper is the size of a large book. It would take a building the size of a city library to hold the printed output. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 23:08, 13 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I wish I had a drink—alcoholic, of course" '''Does not help because it gives a wrong answer.''' it gives 3(.)141315926, it should be 3.1415926...<br />
--[[User:TimSvendsen|TimSvendsen]] 23:54, 15 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
*Yikes! I'm going to have to turn in my geek badge. It should be "How I want a drink--alcoholic of course." I was mixing it with "How I wish I could recollect pi easily today." Sorry. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 13:16, 16 January 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
So I'm assuming by the change back to the old version, my revision was no good. An explanation why would be nice, though. [[User:ColinR|ColinR]] 21:09, 12 March 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Groan==<br />
<br />
What was I thinking here? [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&curid=4960&diff=71562&oldid=71280&rcid=74105]<br />
<br />
113 '''divided into''' 355 like this:<br />
<br />
3.14156.....<br />
---------<br />
113|355.00000<br />
<br />
I had 1/pi by mistake - not even an approximation, more like an abomination. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 23:44, 28 March 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I like Pi ==<br />
<br />
Pi R Squared? No they're not, Pie are round. Brownies are square. [[User:Human|Human]] 22:07, 20 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:LOL. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:08, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==22/7== <br />
Besides the fact that "Pi is exactly 3!", 22/7 is also a repeating decimal.<br />
Pi is also known as Archimedes' constant, Ludolphine, and Ludolph's Number.<br />
Ludolph van Ceulen (Germany) spent a great deal of time calculating digits of pi. The number is engraved on his tombstone. If I were to get buried, I would have all the digits I memorized engraved on it, but I want to get cremated instead. [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 10:16, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:It is not true that Pi is exactly 3. What is your suggestion to improve the article? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 10:31, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I haven't said anything about my beliefs, let's just leave my life out of this, eh? And, with you saying that pi=3, are you suggesting CP completely rewrites this article? [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 10:39, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::If you are not claiming that pi = 3, then that makes two of us. :-)<br />
:::I've made a few updates to the article, primarily about scriptural references and historical estimates. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 12:41, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Is the Bible wrong about pi?==<br />
<br />
In the ancient world, measurements were not given as exact as they are today, and that was generally considered acceptable. <br />
http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html [[User:DanH|DanH]] 01:22, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Who said it was wrong? Sloppy ancients aren't nessecarily wrong ancients. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 01:25, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::So, can I reinsert the Bibical perspective? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 17:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::It's not relevant simply to note that the Bible happens to approximate it in passing. However, many use it as an argument to show that the Bible is errant, and that's what I surmise may have been the purpose for its inclusion [[User:DanH|DanH]] 17:35, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::Wait. The Bible's interpretation of Pi is not relevant to Pi? What? Look, friend, the Bible is always relevant. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:14, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::You admit you're an atheist on your user page. Why are you so interested in inserting this in there? [[User:DanH|DanH]] 18:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::I admit I'm an atheist-- You say it like it's a bad thing. I'm not trying to stat a fight, Dan, I just figure that, as a wiki with a majority of users that are Christian, it would be good to include the Biblical perspective on matters where it has spoken, as is done in [[shrimp]]. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:18, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:I didn't realize that was still in [[shrimp]]. Anyways, as the article posted above explains, the numbers were not meant to be exact, and the circumference and diameter may have been given as approximate estimates, but pi wasn't a concept that most people knew about or cared about. The Bible wasn't meaning to comment on pi at that point, only at the relevant calculations. [[User:DanH|DanH]] 18:24, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::That's great, Dan. You seem pretty hostile to the Bible. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:16, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
I don't see how Dan seems to be "pretty hostile to the Bible". Your insertion was simply wrong, as the Bible is not trying to give a value for pi at all. Besides, the Bible reference which is frequently quoted by bibliosceptics as supposedly representing pi is already in the article, and even that warrants being removed (in that form) in my opinion. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 20:47, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Oh... So anything a skeptic quotes must be purged, then? What is the purpose of the verse if not to show the value of pi? Furthermore, how do you know what the Bible is and is not trying to say, Philip? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:48, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:Also, bibliosceptics is A: Spelled wrong and B: a word which would translate as "Skeptical of books." [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:49, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::Oh, bugger. It seems I didn't notice that the verse was already quoted in the History section. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:51, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::: I didn't say that anything a sceptic quotes should be purged.<br />
::: What's the purpose if not to show the value of pi? To ''describe the object's size'', genius!<!-- you'll know why I used that word! --><br />
::: What is incorrect about the spelling of "bibliosceptics"? Yes, the word ''could'' mean "sceptical of books", but as "Bible" means "book", it's appropriate to use it to mean "sceptical of the Bible".<br />
::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:03, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::"Besides, the Bible reference which is frequently quoted by bibliosceptics as supposedly representing pi is already in the article, and even that warrants being removed (in that form) in my opinion." That's exactly what you said, Philip!<br />
::::Then why not describe it ''correctly''?<br />
::::Skeptics. With a K. Also: Yes. I know it means book. Your use of faux Latin does not make you smarter. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:13, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::: That quote of mine does not indicate that ''anything'' a sceptic quotes should be purged, and neither does it say that that bit should be removed ''because it's something a sceptic quotes''.<br />
::::: Aussies traditionally spell "sceptic" with a "c", hence my use of "bibliosceptic" rather than "biblioskeptic".<br />
::::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:12, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
A fourth consecutive edit, because a thought occurs. How can we be sure that man's measurements are correct in this case but the Bible is not? Furthermore, if the Bible is wrong here, how can we logically accept that everything else is exact-- IE, the age of the Earth? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 20:56, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
: What reason is there to think that the Bible's measurements are incorrect? The logic of your question is valid, but the premise (that the Bible is incorrect) is not. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:05, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::Well, if it's ten cubits from one side to the other, it should be 31 all around, if we're rounding. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 21:13, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::: What if it was actually 9.7 cubits (rounded to 10) from one side to the other? [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:12, 10 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::: Then the measurement given is, quite simply, wrong. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 23:44, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::: Huh? Okay, I'll have to spell it out for you. If (and this is not the only possible explanation) the ''actual'' diameter was 9.7 cubits, then the ''actual'' radius would be 30.47 cubits. If ''both'' of those figures are rounded to the nearest cubit, then the diameter would be listed as 10 cubits and the circumference would be listed as 30 cubits. And guess what! That's what the Bible lists them as! So if this is correct (and it doesn't have to be exactly that: it could be 9.6 cubits for example), then the Bible is perfectly accurate! ("Accurate" is a different thing to "precise", as Ed mentions below.) If you still aren't convinced, have a look at the links in the External Links section of the article, particularly the Math Forum one. In fact, don't reply here unless you first read the three links. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 02:03, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::Yes. Rounding. I get it. It's impercise. If I say Ed is six feet tall, I'm wrong because he's not. If I say he's ''about'' six feet tall, I'm right, because he's just over six feet tall. Is that so hard to understand, Philip? [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 10:06, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Alright. Scanned through the links. I get it-- God couldn't be arsed to tell the lowly Earthers a more prescise number. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 17:51, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
::::::::: You've earned yourself another block for that arrogant response.<br />
::::::::: If Ed is 6 feet, 3.02 inches tall, would you refer to him as "about 6'3" tall"? The articles said nothing about God not telling us a more precise number. The first link points out that their measurements would not be that precise to start with. In this case, they are not rounding, but simply measuring with a course measuring device. The second reference pointed out that it was common to round numbers in those times. Insisting on using the word "about" is really a case of you expecting people from 3000 years ago to follow your conventions. It doesn't mean that they got anything wrong. The third reference pointed out the following:<br />
:::::::::* "''...in the absence of an explicit indication of precision, the absence of a tenths digit implies that the figure is accurate to the nearest 1 cubit...''". So the measurements were accurate to within the implied level of precision!<br />
:::::::::* "''Every measurement we ever make is an approximation.''". So do you preface ''every'' measurement with "about"? (That's the point of my question above about Ed being 6'3.02" tall.) Absence of the word "about" does ''not'' mean that the measurement is "wrong".<br />
::::::::: You acknowledged none of those points in your response, instead making a silly comment about God. It's clear that you simply want to argue a point that has been thoroughly refuted, and you've stopped doing so civilly. Hence your block. Learn from it.<br />
::::::::: [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:55, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::You're not wrong to call me six feet tall; I don't mind losing 3 inches in the interest of smooth prose. Just don't call me [[Metric to English conversions|two meters]] tall! --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 18:50, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::::::That's what the "about" is for-- it indicates impercision. Most useful article ever, by the way. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 18:59, 12 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::I took a few science courses in high school and college. You might be interested to learn about the difference between "[[accuracy]]" and "[[precision]]". (I probably should compare and contrast the two ideas in a proposed new article: [[accuracy and precision]].) <br />
<br />
:::Here's how it's relevant to [[Pi]]. When the Bible says ten cubits, that is an approximation. Scientists would say the measurement is being given to "[[one significant figure]]". It really could be anything between 9 and 11 cubits, and it still wouldn't be wrong, because it's only an approximation, like saying that Ed Poor is six feet tall (I'm 6'3" in bare feet). <br />
<br />
:::The ratio between the diameter of a wheel and its circumference is, roughly, three. And if you drew a circle on the ground, with a diameter of 10 cubits, you would pace off 30 cubits when you walked around the circle. [[Pacing]] is not a very precise measurement, but it's good enough for some cases. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:01, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::: "''It really could be anything between 9 and 11 cubits...''": 9.5 and 10.5 actually. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:06, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Anyway, you're being too patient with a time-waster. Liberals l-o-v-e to change the subject, with distractions like the supposedly preferable spelling of sceptic. I'm sceptical of this fella's motives, and I've left a note at his talk page. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 09:13, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::: I would actually like him to answer my last question above, though. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:43, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::::Ed: You'll get a response in the appropriate place momentarily, don't worry.<br />
:::::Philip J. Rayment: So you have wished it, so it shall be. Response is above. [[User:Barikada|Barikada]] 23:44, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The Bible does not provide a value for pi, so the following statement is misleading at best:<br />
<br />
:The [[Qur'an]] also defines Pi as 3.(al-Sûra ''aleph bei'').<br />
<br />
Use of the word "also" implies that the Bible has provided a definition. The story about the ten cubits does not define pi. It merely gives a diameter and a radius of something presumed to be circular. (A circumference of thirty is consistent with a diameter of ten, with a precision of one [[significant digit]].)<br />
<br />
In any case, I'd like to see the exact words of an English translation of any Koran passage related to circle math before approving any claim as damaging as "defines Pi as 3." --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:53, 11 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I do not like the "Pi in the Bible" section...==<br />
...for many reasons. First, the title is misleading, as the text points out. There is no pi in the Bible (only unleaven bread--just kidding!), nor does the Bible make any attempt to define pi or ''e'' or or any other mathematical or physical constant. Second, I think the subject is out of place in an article about mathematics. Perhaps it should be a minor section in an apologetics-related article. Or be omitted entirely, as it is not really a serios criticism, but more a "baby apologetics" thing that appeals to unsophisticated Bible skeptics.<br />
<br />
Thirdly, while I appreciate that someone has done the work of gathering the atguments in one place, the wording could be better. It says "Critics calim this, but thry are making the following assumptions". Better to say "Critics say this but they are wrong for thses reasons." You do not know what someone else's assumptions are.<br />
<br />
Fourthly, a minor point. If you opt to keep this section, you might point out that when critics complain that the Bible rounds the circumference to a multiple of ten instead of something more precise (say, 31.4 cubits), they are being inconsistent, because that number is also imprecise. Because pi is irrational, there is no number that could be contained (in a finite Bible) that could give the measurement exactly. What the baby skeptics are doing here is setting an impossible condition for precision, then saying that if the Bible is imprecise it is not inerrant (another big leap in logic), and hoping that no one will notice the flaws in their reasoning.</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&diff=403477Pi2008-03-12T01:27:48Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* History */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Pi''' is the sixteenth letter of the [[Greece|Greek]] [[alphabet]] and is used in its lower case form (<big><math>\pi</math></big>) to represent the mathematical constant of the same name which is defined as ''the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter''. It is an important number and appears in many [[mathematics|mathematical]] and [[physics|physical]] formulae. <br />
<br />
The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; which means that it cannot be fully expressed as a fraction or a decimal (regardless of the number of digits used). <br />
<br />
The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is approximately 3.14159 in decimal. This value is precise enough for almost all ordinary purposes; it can, for example, be used to calculate the circumference of the Earth with an error of only about 110 feet. <br />
<br />
For rough purposes, the fraction 22/7 (= 3.14285...) is sometimes used.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
<br />
To some extent, the progress of mathematics&mdash;or at least of computation&mdash;can be gauged by the progress in the number of digits to which <big><math>\pi</math></big> has been calculated. <br />
<br />
In the ancient world it was common, and often sufficient, to express the relationship between the circumference of a circle and its diameter as an integer ratio, 3:1. For example, 1 Kings 7:23 contains the passage "And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about." One of the less seiorus arguments made against Biblical inerrancy is that the 3:1 ratio does not permit a precise calculation of the value of pi. Many counterarguments exist<ref>Assuming that: the "sea" is perfectly circular; the measurements are to be understood as exact; the measurement of the "compass" and across the "brim" are measurements of the same circle, rather, than say, exterior and interior measurements of a wide lip; etc.</ref><ref>Rounding was standard procedure in the ancient world. [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Is the Bible Wrong About Pi?]</ref>, including the fact that pi is irrational (and hence impossible to represent exactly in decimal or fractional form), as well as the observation that nowhere does the Bible set out to provide its readers with the values of mathematical constants.<br />
<br />
Some ancients expressed pi more precisely by using fractional approximations. Papyrus of Ahmes, dated c. 1650 B.C., shows that ancient Egyptians had value 3 1/6 = 3.167). The Babylonian value from the same era was 3 1/8 = 3.125<ref>Boyer, A History of Mathematics, 2nd Edition</ref>. Both these values are accurate to within 1 percent. Note that the vaue 22/7 (3 1/7) is still used today.<br />
<br />
[[Archimedes of Syracuse]] (287-212 BC) carried out "the first theoretical calculation" of pi.<ref> [http://veling.nl/anne/templars/Pi_through_the_ages.html Pi through the ages] </ref><br />
He said it was between 223/71 and 22/7. This is ten times better than the Egyptian and Babylonian values: within 0.04% of pi.<br />
<br />
In 1873, Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out.<br />
<br />
==Recreational use==<br />
<br />
Memorizing <big><math>\pi</math></big> is a challenge that appeals to some people. Mnemonics have been devised. Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I want a drink&mdash;alcoholic, of course" gives <big><math>\pi</math></big> to seven places (which is more than enough for all ordinary purposes). Numerous other mnemonics of this kind have been devised; in 1995, Michael Keith wrote one entitled [http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm Near a Raven] which simultaneously parodies [[Edgar Allen Poe]]'s poem ''The Raven,'' while encoding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 740 places.<br />
<br />
March 14 marks [[Pi Day]], a holiday on which the mathematical constant is celebrated. The date comes from the first three digits of pi; some people begin their celebration at 1:59 pm, derived from the following three digits.<br />
<br />
Pi Approximation day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7). <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/mathscience/2007-03-14-pi-day_N.htm USA Today (3/14/2007) - Pi-day]</ref><br />
<br />
== Greek Language Usage ==<br />
This letter's name is pronounced the same as its equivalent in English (P) and has the same sound value.<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
*[[Pi day]]<br />
*[http://yacas.sourceforge.net/Algochapter5.html#c5s5 Calculation of pi with computers]<br />
<br />
==Notes and references==<br />
<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Pi Gets In Your Eye] (Tektonics).<br />
* Grigg, Russell, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1731/ Does the Bible say pi equals 3.0?] ''Creation'' 17(2):24–25, March 1995.<br />
* Peterson & Rick, [http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html Rouding Pi] 1st June(?), 1999 (The Math Forum).<br />
<br />
[[Category:Mathematics]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Pi&diff=403471Pi2008-03-12T01:21:30Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* History */ This was getting a little silly</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Pi''' is the sixteenth letter of the [[Greece|Greek]] [[alphabet]] and is used in its lower case form (<big><math>\pi</math></big>) to represent the mathematical constant of the same name which is defined as ''the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter''. It is an important number and appears in many [[mathematics|mathematical]] and [[physics|physical]] formulae. <br />
<br />
The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; which means that it cannot be fully expressed as a fraction or a decimal (regardless of the number of digits used). <br />
<br />
The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is approximately 3.14159 in decimal. This value is precise enough for almost all ordinary purposes; it can, for example, be used to calculate the circumference of the Earth with an error of only about 110 feet. <br />
<br />
For rough purposes, the fraction 22/7 (= 3.14285...) is sometimes used.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
<br />
To some extent, the progress of mathematics&mdash;or at least of computation&mdash;can be gauged by the progress in the number of digits to which <big><math>\pi</math></big> has been calculated. <br />
<br />
In the ancient world it was common, and often sufficient, to express the relationship between the circumference of a circle and its diameter as an integer ratio, 3:1. For example, 1 Kings 7:23 contains the passage "And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about." One of the less seiorus arguments made against Biblical inerrancy is that the 3:1 ratio does not permit a precise calculation of the value of pi. Many counterarguments exist<ref>Assuming that: the "sea" is perfectly circular; the measurements are to be understood as exact; the measurement of the "compass" and across the "brim" are measurements of the same circle, rather, than say, exterior and interior measurements of a wide lip; etc.</ref><ref>Rounding was standard procedure in the ancient world. [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Is the Bible Wrong About Pi?]</ref>, including the fact that pi is irrational (and hence impossible to represent exactly in decimal or fractional form), as well as the observation that nowhere does the Bible set out to provide its readers with the values of mathematical constants.<br />
<br />
Some ancients expressed pi more precisely by using fractional approximatios. Papyrus of Ahmes, dated c. 1650 B.C., shows that ancient Egyptians had value 3 1/6 = 3.167 (or 22/7, an approximation still used today). The Babylonian value from the same era was 3 1/8 = 3.125<ref>Boyer, A History of Mathematics, 2nd Edition</ref>. Both these values are accurate to within 1 percent.<br />
<br />
[[Archimedes of Syracuse]] (287-212 BC) carried out "the first theoretical calculation" of pi.<ref> [http://veling.nl/anne/templars/Pi_through_the_ages.html Pi through the ages] </ref><br />
He said it was between 223/71 and 22/7. This is ten times better than the Egyptian and Babylonian values: within 0.04% of pi.<br />
<br />
In 1873, Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out.<br />
<br />
==Recreational use==<br />
<br />
Memorizing <big><math>\pi</math></big> is a challenge that appeals to some people. Mnemonics have been devised. Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I want a drink&mdash;alcoholic, of course" gives <big><math>\pi</math></big> to seven places (which is more than enough for all ordinary purposes). Numerous other mnemonics of this kind have been devised; in 1995, Michael Keith wrote one entitled [http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm Near a Raven] which simultaneously parodies [[Edgar Allen Poe]]'s poem ''The Raven,'' while encoding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 740 places.<br />
<br />
March 14 marks [[Pi Day]], a holiday on which the mathematical constant is celebrated. The date comes from the first three digits of pi; some people begin their celebration at 1:59 pm, derived from the following three digits.<br />
<br />
Pi Approximation day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7). <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/mathscience/2007-03-14-pi-day_N.htm USA Today (3/14/2007) - Pi-day]</ref><br />
<br />
== Greek Language Usage ==<br />
This letter's name is pronounced the same as its equivalent in English (P) and has the same sound value.<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
*[[Pi day]]<br />
*[http://yacas.sourceforge.net/Algochapter5.html#c5s5 Calculation of pi with computers]<br />
<br />
==Notes and references==<br />
<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Pi Gets In Your Eye] (Tektonics).<br />
* Grigg, Russell, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1731/ Does the Bible say pi equals 3.0?] ''Creation'' 17(2):24–25, March 1995.<br />
* Peterson & Rick, [http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html Rouding Pi] 1st June(?), 1999 (The Math Forum).<br />
<br />
[[Category:Mathematics]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=401130Extraterrestrial life2008-03-08T18:53:06Z<p>Ga ohoyt: deleted silly category</p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, but has also lately become the subject of intense speculation, scientific debate, and even theological debate.<br />
<br />
The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
<br />
The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
<br />
# The [[exogenesis]], nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that such microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
<br />
=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
<br />
Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
<br />
# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
<br />
With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
<br />
# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
<br />
[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
<br />
====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbour life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178 Celcius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
<br />
=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as [[Project Blue Book]], by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
<br />
SETI ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via [[radiotelescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the [[Project Blue Book]] investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as anything from outright hoaxes to misinterpretations of common weather features to misinterpretation of the sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of, much less contact with, any carrier-like vessel that would have been capable of launching any of the alleged two-seater or similar small-crewed craft that various "witnesses" report having encountered. Nor has any [[physics|physicist]] yet suggested a method by which such a craft could have visited our [[solar system]], given the fixed speed limit set by the [[Special Theory of Relativity]]. Finally, the SETI project, for all their searching for a signal (even to recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
<br />
====The Drake Equation====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process.<br />
<br />
If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero. This is a serious problem if one relies only on naturalistic explanations of the genesis of life. One of the most well-accepted scientific laws, the [[law of biogenesis]], says that life only comes from life, which means that it cannot come from non-life. Furthermore, scientific observations are that evolution itself is impossible, as evolution requires ''increasing'' genetic [[information]], whereas observations show that living things ''lose'' genetic information.<ref>Wieland, Carl, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/431/ The evolution train’s a-comin’], ''Creation'' 24(2):16–19, March 2002.</ref><br />
<br />
== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial nation-states and, almost as often, extraterrestrial microbes, have been a staple of [[science fiction]] since soon after science-fiction writers first began speculating on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. [[H. G. Wells]] even speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects (''The First Men in the Moon''). Wells also speculated that the Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), an invasion that would fail when the Martian soldiers and pilots fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems would have no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
<br />
The middle twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of popular-culture icons that were either:<br />
# Humans caught up in events on other, inhabited worlds, some of which were making war against the earth, or<br />
# An extraterrestrial "refugee" that became an obvious [[God-substitute]] after, [[Moses]]-like, he crashed to earth in a small space capsule launched from a world that later destroyed itself in a cataclysm far more devastating than the [[Great Flood]] had been.<br />
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In addition to this, the [[motion picture]] industry, especially in the [[United States]] but also in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], produced scores of low-budget films having a theme involving an extraterrestrial nation-state attempting either:<br />
<br />
# To recruit humans, usually by fraudulent means, into assisting them in weapons or defensive-systems development,<br />
# To subvert human society and/or the international community by infiltration or by playing some individual humans or human nation-states against others, or:<br />
# To invade the earth by main force.<br />
<br />
The motion picture industry abandoned that theme as the century progressed, and produced a number of films showing extraterrestrials to be friendly. Toward the very end of the century, the theme of extraterrestrial invasion returned, in the form of a number of high-budget films that linked the basic theme to a number of modern-day legends, including:<br />
<br />
# The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico]], [[United States]].<br />
# The synthetic religion, called [[Scientology]], developed by the late [[L. Ron Hubbard]]. This movement informed many of Hubbard's works, including [[Battlefield Earth]] (which the actor [[John Travolta]], an adherent of Scientology, has lately adapted for the [[motion picture]]s), and [[Mission Earth]], a ten-volume series completed shortly before Hubbard's death and published posthumously.<br />
<br />
The [[Star Trek]] [[television]] franchise that [[Gene Roddenberry]] created, with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires hardly needs introduction. But in addition, producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a space-borne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
<br />
Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
<br />
== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
<br />
===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatability advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
<br />
Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
<br />
#'''Church of Scientology''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
<br />
The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
<br />
{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
<br />
Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
== Political speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Politicians (among them, former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]]) have openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><br />
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For further details, see the article on [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Punk&diff=399488Punk2008-03-06T01:49:08Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Dancing */</p>
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<div>'''Punk music''', or '''punk rock''', originated in the [[United Kingdom]] in the mid-1970s, with bands such as the [[Sex Pistols]], [[The Clash]] and [[The Buzzcocks]]. It was seen as a response to the cultural sterility of [[progressive rock]] and other highly commercialized forms of rock. It quickly spread to the [[USA]] where bands such as [[The Ramones]] helped punk to continue to rise in popularity.<br />
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==Musicality==<br />
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Punk is charactarised by up-tempo arrangements, and seldom employs instruments other than [[guitar]], bass, and drums. By design, the songs are usually structured to be very simplistic, with the 1-4-5 chord progression being typical. The lyrics, which are almost always written with a 1-2, 1-2 rhyme scheme, can be concerned with any topic, but usually deal with some aspect of youth culture or express some theme of "punk attitude" such as opposition to authority. <br />
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==Dancing==<br />
<br />
Various methods of dancing to punk rock have emerged, such as skanking, pogo-ing, and slam dancing. Most punk-style dancing is synasthetically expressive of an emotion, rather than a particular representational style, such as a jitterbug. Dancing tends to be individual or communal, seldom couples-oriented.<br />
<br />
==Punk Culture==<br />
<br />
Punks typically distinguish themselves from others with their unmistakable appearances. This has included things such as Mohawk hairstyles, tight pants, studded leather jackets, bullet belts, combat boots, etc. Clothing and hairstyles vary widely throughout the punk scene, and often particular outfits denote particular strains of punk or core-beliefs. Most true punks however will claim that the punk subculture is more based on the idea of non-conformity.<br />
<br />
==Subgenres of punk==<br />
<br />
As punk rock grew in popularity, several subgenres became apparent, some of which represent very fine distinctions (such as anarcho-punk), or small (Muslim punk) or localized (Nardcore) groupings. Some subgeneric names are probably useful, however, or at least well-known. Hardcore punk, usually characterized by fast tempos and a garage-band sound, was a staple of West Coast punk ''circa'' 1980, especially in the important Southern California market, and has since spread throughout the world. New Wave, despite sharing similar roots with punk, developed its own distinctive sounds and is today not usually considered punk. Forms such as grunge rock and emo grew to the point where they are arguably rock genres in their own right. Among the many punk subgenres, real or imagined, are:<br />
<br />
* [[hardcore]]<br />
* [[psychobilly]]<br />
* [[pop-punk]]<br />
* [[crust]]<br />
* [[emo]]<br />
<br />
== Notable Punk bands ==<br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom===<br />
* [[Adicts]]<br />
* The [[Anti-Nowhere League]]<br />
* [[The Buzzcocks]]<br />
* [[The Clash]]<br />
* [[Conflict]]<br />
* [[Crass]]<br />
* [[The Damned]]<br />
* [[The Exploited]]<br />
* [[The Fall]]<br />
* [[Flux of Pink Indians]]<br />
* [[Poison Girls]]<br />
* [[Sex Pistols]]<br />
* [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]]<br />
* [[The Stranglers]]<br />
* [[Subhumans]]<br />
* [[U.K. Subs]]<br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
* [[Anti-Flag]]<br />
* [[Bad Religion]]<br />
* [[Black Flag]]<br />
* [[Dead Kennedys]]<br />
* [[Dropkick Murphys]]<br />
* [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]]<br />
* [[Misfits]]<br />
* [[New York Dolls]]<br />
* [[Pixies]]<br />
* [[The Ramones]]<br />
* [[Television(band)|Television]]<br />
* [[X (band)|X]]<br />
<br />
==Christianity in Punk Music==<br />
<br />
There are a few bands that are considered to be Christian punk bands. Some examples are:<br />
<br />
*[[MxPx]]<br />
*[[Relient K]]<br />
*[[Slick Shoes]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
[http://www.punkvoter.com Punkvoter.com]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Punk| ]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Punk&diff=398870Punk2008-03-05T02:53:56Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Dancing */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Punk music''', or '''punk rock''', originated in the [[United Kingdom]] in the mid-1970s, with bands such as the [[Sex Pistols]], [[The Clash]] and [[The Buzzcocks]]. It was seen as a response to the cultural sterility of [[progressive rock]] and other highly commercialized forms of rock. It quickly spread to the [[USA]] where bands such as [[The Ramones]] helped punk to continue to rise in popularity.<br />
<br />
==Musicality==<br />
<br />
Punk is charactarised by up-tempo arrangements, and seldom employs instruments other than [[guitar]], bass, and drums. By design, the songs are usually structured to be very simplistic, with the 1-4-5 chord progression being typical. The lyrics, which are almost always written with a 1-2, 1-2 rhyme scheme, can be concerned with any topic, but usually deal with some aspect of youth culture or express some theme of "punk attitude" such as opposition to authority. <br />
<br />
==Dancing==<br />
<br />
Various methods of dancing to punk rock have emerged, such as skanking, pogo-ing, and slam dancing. Most punk-style dancing is synasthestically expressive of an emotion, rather than a particular representational style, such as a jitterbug. Dancing tends to be individual or communal, seldom couples-oriented.<br />
<br />
==Punk Culture==<br />
<br />
Punks typically distinguish themselves from others with their unmistakable appearances. This has included things such as Mohawk hairstyles, tight pants, studded leather jackets, bullet belts, combat boots, etc. Clothing and hairstyles vary widely throughout the punk scene, and often particular outfits denote particular strains of punk or core-beliefs. Most true punks however will claim that the punk subculture is more based on the idea of non-conformity.<br />
<br />
==Subgenres of punk==<br />
<br />
As punk rock grew in popularity, several subgenres became apparent, some of which represent very fine distinctions (such as anarcho-punk), or small (Muslim punk) or localized (Nardcore) groupings. Some subgeneric names are probably useful, however, or at least well-known. Hardcore punk, usually characterized by fast tempos and a garage-band sound, was a staple of West Coast punk ''circa'' 1980, especially in the important Southern California market, and has since spread throughout the world. New Wave, despite sharing similar roots with punk, developed its own distinctive sounds and is today not usually considered punk. Forms such as grunge rock and emo grew to the point where they are arguably rock genres in their own right. Among the many punk subgenres, real or imagined, are:<br />
<br />
* [[hardcore]]<br />
* [[psychobilly]]<br />
* [[pop-punk]]<br />
* [[crust]]<br />
* [[emo]]<br />
<br />
== Notable Punk bands ==<br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom===<br />
* [[Adicts]]<br />
* The [[Anti-Nowhere League]]<br />
* [[The Buzzcocks]]<br />
* [[The Clash]]<br />
* [[Conflict]]<br />
* [[Crass]]<br />
* [[The Damned]]<br />
* [[The Exploited]]<br />
* [[The Fall]]<br />
* [[Flux of Pink Indians]]<br />
* [[Poison Girls]]<br />
* [[Sex Pistols]]<br />
* [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]]<br />
* [[The Stranglers]]<br />
* [[Subhumans]]<br />
* [[U.K. Subs]]<br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
* [[Anti-Flag]]<br />
* [[Bad Religion]]<br />
* [[Black Flag]]<br />
* [[Dead Kennedys]]<br />
* [[Dropkick Murphys]]<br />
* [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]]<br />
* [[Misfits]]<br />
* [[New York Dolls]]<br />
* [[Pixies]]<br />
* [[The Ramones]]<br />
* [[Television(band)|Television]]<br />
* [[X (band)|X]]<br />
<br />
==Christianity in Punk Music==<br />
<br />
There are a few bands that are considered to be Christian punk bands. Some examples are:<br />
<br />
*[[MxPx]]<br />
*[[Relient K]]<br />
*[[Slick Shoes]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
[http://www.punkvoter.com Punkvoter.com]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Punk| ]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Punk&diff=398848Talk:Punk2008-03-05T02:07:37Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Originated in the UK? */</p>
<hr />
<div>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_(band) A little more about the band. [[User:Flippin|Flippin]] 11:17, 11 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Pixies aren't Punk Rock, they're alternative rock [[User:O*B Soul|O*B Soul]] 12:12, 4 July 2007<br />
<br />
== Originated in the UK? ==<br />
<br />
Punk originated in New York City with a band called The Ramones. The Ramones' 1976 tour of England sparked the punk movement there. [[User:Dadsnagem2|Dadsnagem2]] 11:00, 31 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:No. [[User:Ga ohoyt|Ga ohoyt]] 21:07, 4 March 2008 (EST)</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Punk&diff=398842Punk2008-03-05T02:04:22Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* United States */ alphabetizing--- HEY, are the Dropkick Murphys really a US band?</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Punk music''', or '''punk rock''', originated in the [[United Kingdom]] in the mid-1970s, with bands such as the [[Sex Pistols]], [[The Clash]] and [[The Buzzcocks]]. It was seen as a response to the cultural sterility of [[progressive rock]] and other highly commercialized forms of rock. It quickly spread to the [[USA]] where bands such as [[The Ramones]] helped punk to continue to rise in popularity.<br />
<br />
==Musicality==<br />
<br />
Punk is charactarised by up-tempo arrangements, and seldom employs instruments other than [[guitar]], bass, and drums. By design, the songs are usually structured to be very simplistic, with the 1-4-5 chord progression being typical. The lyrics, which are almost always written with a 1-2, 1-2 rhyme scheme, can be concerned with any topic, but usually deal with some aspect of youth culture or express some theme of "punk attitude" such as opposition to authority. <br />
<br />
==Dancing==<br />
<br />
Various methods of dancing to it have emerged, such as skanking and pogo-ing. Punk-style dance is typically designed to be synasthesically expressive of an emotion, not of a particular representational style, such as a jitterbug.<br />
<br />
==Punk Culture==<br />
<br />
Punks typically distinguish themselves from others with their unmistakable appearances. This has included things such as Mohawk hairstyles, tight pants, studded leather jackets, bullet belts, combat boots, etc. Clothing and hairstyles vary widely throughout the punk scene, and often particular outfits denote particular strains of punk or core-beliefs. Most true punks however will claim that the punk subculture is more based on the idea of non-conformity.<br />
<br />
==Subgenres of punk==<br />
<br />
As punk rock grew in popularity, several subgenres became apparent, some of which represent very fine distinctions (such as anarcho-punk), or small (Muslim punk) or localized (Nardcore) groupings. Some subgeneric names are probably useful, however, or at least well-known. Hardcore punk, usually characterized by fast tempos and a garage-band sound, was a staple of West Coast punk ''circa'' 1980, especially in the important Southern California market, and has since spread throughout the world. New Wave, despite sharing similar roots with punk, developed its own distinctive sounds and is today not usually considered punk. Forms such as grunge rock and emo grew to the point where they are arguably rock genres in their own right. Among the many punk subgenres, real or imagined, are:<br />
<br />
* [[hardcore]]<br />
* [[psychobilly]]<br />
* [[pop-punk]]<br />
* [[crust]]<br />
* [[emo]]<br />
<br />
== Notable Punk bands ==<br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom===<br />
* [[Adicts]]<br />
* The [[Anti-Nowhere League]]<br />
* [[The Buzzcocks]]<br />
* [[The Clash]]<br />
* [[Conflict]]<br />
* [[Crass]]<br />
* [[The Damned]]<br />
* [[The Exploited]]<br />
* [[The Fall]]<br />
* [[Flux of Pink Indians]]<br />
* [[Poison Girls]]<br />
* [[Sex Pistols]]<br />
* [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]]<br />
* [[The Stranglers]]<br />
* [[Subhumans]]<br />
* [[U.K. Subs]]<br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
* [[Anti-Flag]]<br />
* [[Bad Religion]]<br />
* [[Black Flag]]<br />
* [[Dead Kennedys]]<br />
* [[Dropkick Murphys]]<br />
* [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]]<br />
* [[Misfits]]<br />
* [[New York Dolls]]<br />
* [[Pixies]]<br />
* [[The Ramones]]<br />
* [[Television(band)|Television]]<br />
* [[X (band)|X]]<br />
<br />
==Christianity in Punk Music==<br />
<br />
There are a few bands that are considered to be Christian punk bands. Some examples are:<br />
<br />
*[[MxPx]]<br />
*[[Relient K]]<br />
*[[Slick Shoes]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
[http://www.punkvoter.com Punkvoter.com]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Punk| ]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Punk&diff=398841Punk2008-03-05T01:59:44Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* United Kingdom */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Punk music''', or '''punk rock''', originated in the [[United Kingdom]] in the mid-1970s, with bands such as the [[Sex Pistols]], [[The Clash]] and [[The Buzzcocks]]. It was seen as a response to the cultural sterility of [[progressive rock]] and other highly commercialized forms of rock. It quickly spread to the [[USA]] where bands such as [[The Ramones]] helped punk to continue to rise in popularity.<br />
<br />
==Musicality==<br />
<br />
Punk is charactarised by up-tempo arrangements, and seldom employs instruments other than [[guitar]], bass, and drums. By design, the songs are usually structured to be very simplistic, with the 1-4-5 chord progression being typical. The lyrics, which are almost always written with a 1-2, 1-2 rhyme scheme, can be concerned with any topic, but usually deal with some aspect of youth culture or express some theme of "punk attitude" such as opposition to authority. <br />
<br />
==Dancing==<br />
<br />
Various methods of dancing to it have emerged, such as skanking and pogo-ing. Punk-style dance is typically designed to be synasthesically expressive of an emotion, not of a particular representational style, such as a jitterbug.<br />
<br />
==Punk Culture==<br />
<br />
Punks typically distinguish themselves from others with their unmistakable appearances. This has included things such as Mohawk hairstyles, tight pants, studded leather jackets, bullet belts, combat boots, etc. Clothing and hairstyles vary widely throughout the punk scene, and often particular outfits denote particular strains of punk or core-beliefs. Most true punks however will claim that the punk subculture is more based on the idea of non-conformity.<br />
<br />
==Subgenres of punk==<br />
<br />
As punk rock grew in popularity, several subgenres became apparent, some of which represent very fine distinctions (such as anarcho-punk), or small (Muslim punk) or localized (Nardcore) groupings. Some subgeneric names are probably useful, however, or at least well-known. Hardcore punk, usually characterized by fast tempos and a garage-band sound, was a staple of West Coast punk ''circa'' 1980, especially in the important Southern California market, and has since spread throughout the world. New Wave, despite sharing similar roots with punk, developed its own distinctive sounds and is today not usually considered punk. Forms such as grunge rock and emo grew to the point where they are arguably rock genres in their own right. Among the many punk subgenres, real or imagined, are:<br />
<br />
* [[hardcore]]<br />
* [[psychobilly]]<br />
* [[pop-punk]]<br />
* [[crust]]<br />
* [[emo]]<br />
<br />
== Notable Punk bands ==<br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom===<br />
* [[Adicts]]<br />
* The [[Anti-Nowhere League]]<br />
* [[The Buzzcocks]]<br />
* [[The Clash]]<br />
* [[Conflict]]<br />
* [[Crass]]<br />
* [[The Damned]]<br />
* [[The Exploited]]<br />
* [[The Fall]]<br />
* [[Flux of Pink Indians]]<br />
* [[Poison Girls]]<br />
* [[Sex Pistols]]<br />
* [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]]<br />
* [[The Stranglers]]<br />
* [[Subhumans]]<br />
* [[U.K. Subs]]<br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
* [[Pixies]]<br />
* [[The Ramones]]<br />
* [[Television(band)|Television]]<br />
* [[Dead Kennedys]]<br />
* [[Anti-Flag]]<br />
* [[Misfits]]<br />
* [[New York Dolls]]<br />
* [[Bad Religion]]<br />
* [[Dropkick Murphys]]<br />
* [[Black Flag]]<br />
<br />
==Christianity in Punk Music==<br />
<br />
There are a few bands that are considered to be Christian punk bands. Some examples are:<br />
<br />
*[[MxPx]]<br />
*[[Relient K]]<br />
*[[Slick Shoes]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
[http://www.punkvoter.com Punkvoter.com]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Punk| ]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Punk&diff=398834Punk2008-03-05T01:47:16Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Punk music''', or '''punk rock''', originated in the [[United Kingdom]] in the mid-1970s, with bands such as the [[Sex Pistols]], [[The Clash]] and [[The Buzzcocks]]. It was seen as a response to the cultural sterility of [[progressive rock]] and other highly commercialized forms of rock. It quickly spread to the [[USA]] where bands such as [[The Ramones]] helped punk to continue to rise in popularity.<br />
<br />
==Musicality==<br />
<br />
Punk is charactarised by up-tempo arrangements, and seldom employs instruments other than [[guitar]], bass, and drums. By design, the songs are usually structured to be very simplistic, with the 1-4-5 chord progression being typical. The lyrics, which are almost always written with a 1-2, 1-2 rhyme scheme, can be concerned with any topic, but usually deal with some aspect of youth culture or express some theme of "punk attitude" such as opposition to authority. <br />
<br />
==Dancing==<br />
<br />
Various methods of dancing to it have emerged, such as skanking and pogo-ing. Punk-style dance is typically designed to be synasthesically expressive of an emotion, not of a particular representational style, such as a jitterbug.<br />
<br />
==Punk Culture==<br />
<br />
Punks typically distinguish themselves from others with their unmistakable appearances. This has included things such as Mohawk hairstyles, tight pants, studded leather jackets, bullet belts, combat boots, etc. Clothing and hairstyles vary widely throughout the punk scene, and often particular outfits denote particular strains of punk or core-beliefs. Most true punks however will claim that the punk subculture is more based on the idea of non-conformity.<br />
<br />
==Subgenres of punk==<br />
<br />
As punk rock grew in popularity, several subgenres became apparent, some of which represent very fine distinctions (such as anarcho-punk), or small (Muslim punk) or localized (Nardcore) groupings. Some subgeneric names are probably useful, however, or at least well-known. Hardcore punk, usually characterized by fast tempos and a garage-band sound, was a staple of West Coast punk ''circa'' 1980, especially in the important Southern California market, and has since spread throughout the world. New Wave, despite sharing similar roots with punk, developed its own distinctive sounds and is today not usually considered punk. Forms such as grunge rock and emo grew to the point where they are arguably rock genres in their own right. Among the many punk subgenres, real or imagined, are:<br />
<br />
* [[hardcore]]<br />
* [[psychobilly]]<br />
* [[pop-punk]]<br />
* [[crust]]<br />
* [[emo]]<br />
<br />
== Notable Punk bands ==<br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom===<br />
* [[Poison Girls]]<br />
* [[Subhumans]]<br />
* [[Crass]]<br />
* [[Sex Pistols]]<br />
* [[The Buzzcocks]]<br />
* [[The Damned]]<br />
* [[Adicts]]<br />
* [[U.K. Subs]]<br />
* [[The Exploited]]<br />
* [[The Clash]]<br />
* The [[Anti-Nowhere League]]<br />
* [[Flux of Pink Indians]]<br />
* [[Conflict]]<br />
* [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]]<br />
* [[The Stranglers]]<br />
* [[The Fall]]<br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
* [[Pixies]]<br />
* [[The Ramones]]<br />
* [[Television(band)|Television]]<br />
* [[Dead Kennedys]]<br />
* [[Anti-Flag]]<br />
* [[Misfits]]<br />
* [[New York Dolls]]<br />
* [[Bad Religion]]<br />
* [[Dropkick Murphys]]<br />
* [[Black Flag]]<br />
<br />
==Christianity in Punk Music==<br />
<br />
There are a few bands that are considered to be Christian punk bands. Some examples are:<br />
<br />
*[[MxPx]]<br />
*[[Relient K]]<br />
*[[Slick Shoes]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
[http://www.punkvoter.com Punkvoter.com]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Punk| ]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Punk&diff=398828Punk2008-03-05T01:37:55Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Punk music''', or '''punk rock''', originated in the [[United Kingdom]] in the mid-1970s, with bands such as the [[Sex Pistols]], [[The Clash]] and [[The Buzzcocks]]. It was seen as a response to the cultural sterility of [[progressive rock]] and other highly commercialized form of rock. It quickly spread to the [[USA]] where bands such as [[The Ramones]] helped punk to continue to rise in popularity.<br />
<br />
==Musicality==<br />
<br />
Punk is charactarised by up-tempo arrangements, and seldom employs instruments other than [[guitar]], bass, and drums. By design, the songs are usually structured to be very simplistic, with the 1-4-5 chord progression being typical. The lyrics, which are almost always written with a 1-2, 1-2 rhyme scheme, can be concerned with any topic, but usually deal with some aspect of youth culture or express some theme of "punk attitude" such as opposition to authority. <br />
<br />
==Dancing==<br />
<br />
Various methods of dancing to it have emerged, such as skanking and pogo-ing. Punk-style dance is typically designed to be synasthesically expressive of an emotion, not of a particular representational style, such as a jitterbug.<br />
<br />
==Punk Culture==<br />
<br />
Punks typically distinguish themselves from others with their unmistakable appearances. This has included things such as Mohawk hairstyles, tight pants, studded leather jackets, bullet belts, combat boots, etc. Clothing and hairstyles vary widely throughout the punk scene, and often particular outfits denote particular strains of punk or core-beliefs. Most true punks however will claim that the punk subculture is more based on the idea of non-conformity.<br />
<br />
==Subgenres of punk==<br />
<br />
As punk rock grew in popularity, several subgenres became apparent, some of which represent very fine distinctions (such as anarcho-punk), or small (Muslim punk) or localized (Nardcore) groupings. Some subgeneric names are probably useful, however, or at least well-known. Hardcore punk, usually characterized by fast tempos and a garage-band sound, was a staple of West Coast punk ''circa'' 1980, especially in the important Southern California market, and has since spread throughout the world. New Wave, despite sharing similar roots with punk, developed its own distinctive sounds and is today not usually considered punk. Forms such as grunge rock and emo grew to the point where they are arguably rock genres in their own right. Among the many punk subgenres, real or imagined, are:<br />
<br />
* [[hardcore]]<br />
* [[psychobilly]]<br />
* [[pop-punk]]<br />
* [[crust]]<br />
* [[emo]]<br />
<br />
== Notable Punk bands ==<br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom===<br />
* [[Poison Girls]]<br />
* [[Subhumans]]<br />
* [[Crass]]<br />
* [[Sex Pistols]]<br />
* [[The Buzzcocks]]<br />
* [[The Damned]]<br />
* [[Adicts]]<br />
* [[U.K. Subs]]<br />
* [[The Exploited]]<br />
* [[The Clash]]<br />
* The [[Anti-Nowhere League]]<br />
* [[Flux of Pink Indians]]<br />
* [[Conflict]]<br />
* [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]]<br />
* [[The Stranglers]]<br />
* [[The Fall]]<br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
* [[Pixies]]<br />
* [[The Ramones]]<br />
* [[Television(band)|Television]]<br />
* [[Dead Kennedys]]<br />
* [[Anti-Flag]]<br />
* [[Misfits]]<br />
* [[New York Dolls]]<br />
* [[Bad Religion]]<br />
* [[Dropkick Murphys]]<br />
* [[Black Flag]]<br />
<br />
==Christianity in Punk Music==<br />
<br />
There are a few bands that are considered to be Christian punk bands. Some examples are:<br />
<br />
*[[MxPx]]<br />
*[[Relient K]]<br />
*[[Slick Shoes]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
[http://www.punkvoter.com Punkvoter.com]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Punk| ]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Shellfish&diff=398808Shellfish2008-03-05T00:37:44Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* Biblical Views on Shellfish */ Silly statement, and redundant with what follows.</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Shellfish''' is a culinary term for aquatic [[invertebrates]] used as food: [[mollusc]]s, [[crustacean]]s, and [[echinoderm]]s. Both saltwater and freshwater invertebrates are considered shellfish. Many gentile societies have eaten shellfish as a staple diet for thousands of years.<br />
<br />
== Biblical Views on Shellfish ==<br />
<br />
Shellfish is referred to only twice in the [[Bible]], both in the [[Old Testament]]. Jews, and some Christians, do not eat shellfish because of the Old Testament prohibition against it<ref>http://www.kyrieology.com/drupal/wwje/christiansgokosher</ref><ref>http://www.abcog.org/food.htm</ref>.<br />
<br />
<small>All references in Amplified Version</small><br />
<br />
=== Old Testament ===<br />
<br />
* [[Leviticus]] 11:9-12 - <sup>9</sup> These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, these you may eat; <sup>10</sup> But all that have not fins and scales in the seas and in the rivers, of all the creeping things in the waters, and of all the living creatures which are in the waters, they are [to be considered] an abomination and abhorrence to you. <sup>11</sup> They shall continue to be an abomination to you; you shall not eat of their flesh, but you shall detest their carcasses. <sup>12</sup> Everything in the waters that has not fins or scales shall be abhorrent and detestable to you.<br />
<br />
* [[Deuteronomy]] 14:9-10 - <sup>9</sup> These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales you may eat, <sup>10</sup> And whatever has not fins and scales you may not eat; it is unclean for you.<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[Category:non-Kosher foods]]</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Extraterrestrial_life&diff=395191Extraterrestrial life2008-02-27T00:32:27Z<p>Ga ohoyt: </p>
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<div>'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[Life science|life]], whether demonstrated, hypothesized, or merely imagined, that did not obviously originate on the [[earth]]. It has been a staple of [[science fiction]] since the [[Edward VII|Edwardian]] era, but has also lately become the subject of intense speculation, scientific debate, and even theological debate.<br />
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The term ''life'' is here used in its usual manner to connote living things, regardless of complexity or condition of sentience. However, in [[science fiction]] especially, extraterrestrial life may take unconventional form, such as non-carbon-based life forms or even disembodied intelligence.<br />
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The term ''race'' here means a species of sentient individuals (not an ethnographic subdivision of a single species); for example, humans all belong to only one race, the human race.<br />
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== Extraterrestrial life as a scientific hypothesis ==<br />
Vigorous scientific research on the subject is fairly limited, and has focused on both the "micro" and "macro" aspects of the problem:<br />
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# The [[exogenesis]], nature, survival, and movement of primitive life forms, including the hazard that such microbes might pose to [[astronaut]]s or to the earth itself.<br />
# The possibility of prior or future detection, contact, trade, or war with an extraterrestrial [[civilization]].<br />
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=== Microbes and other primitive forms ===<br />
[[Image:PIA09027 a anno br.jpg|400px|right]]<br />
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Extraterrestrial microbes have been and remain the subject of much serious scientific speculation. Such speculation has centered on three questions:<br />
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# Could a microbe of extraterrestrial origin somehow come to earth and cause a killer [[pandemic]]?<ref>This question of ''back-contamination'' was a serious worry in the middle years of [[Project Apollo]]--that is, the time of the first four missions of that project. [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], the launch authority for Apollo, required the crews of the first three missions actually to reach the [[moon]] to spend weeks in [[quarantine]] while under the constant care and watch of a [[physician]]. Only after three crews landed on the moon and returned to earth with no ill effect and no evidence of having contracted any communicable disease on the moon or in space did NASA drop that requirement. (The crew of [[Apollo 13]] did not face this requirement because their in-flight emergency precluded their planned landing.)</ref><br />
# Did life on earth begin with the "seeding" of the earth from outside? This theory, called [[panspermia]], alleges that either (a) the earth acquired the seeds of life by passing through the tail of a [[comet]], or (b) an extraterrestrial ''civilization'' sent the seeds of life ''deliberately'' for one reason or another. Extraterrestrial microbes would be involved in either case.<br />
# Might a human crew or human-directed robotic explorer find extraterrestrial microbes on another [[planet]]?<br />
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With the continued development and perfection of telescopes, [[Astronomy|astronomers]] and [[rocket]] [[science|scientists]] have openly and often feverishly speculated about whether the other planets in our [[solar system]] might harbor forms of life that originated on those planets. This speculation has also extended to [[Titan]], the largest satellite of the planet [[Saturn]].<br />
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The major considerations driving such speculation are the requirements of life, and the difficulty with the theory of [[abiogenesis]] as a workable origin of [[life]] on [[earth]]. Most scientists engaged in such speculation seem to agree that life requires at least two things in order to self-generate in any environment:<br />
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# [[Water]]<br />
# An [[atmosphere]]<br />
[[Image:Mars_meteorite.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Meteor]]ite believed to have once been a part of [[Mars]] and to contain [[fossil]] evidence that primitive [[life]] may have existed on Mars.[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/mars/meteorites/html/s94_032549.html Image source] ]]<br />
Currently the most exciting subject for speculation concerning extraterrestrial life is the planet [[Mars]]. Its atmosphere is quite thin, and this would militate against the presence of life or, more to the point, the presence of standing or flowing water. But photographs taken from orbit and from the surface of Mars reveal erosion channels that strongly suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Indeed, the first graphic above shows changes in a gully in two views of it, taken four years apart--as if liquid water had opened another erosion channel in the meantime. (The operators of the Mars Global Surveyor insist that such pictures might still contain artifacts that make them unsuitable for scientific research, and hence disclaim any definite conclusion that anyone might be tempted to draw from them.) The second graphic shows a [[meteor]]ite, found in [[Antarctica]] in 1984, containing microscopic cavities that once might have held [[microbes]] and that, until recently, was believed to have fallen to earth from Mars.<ref>Donald L. Savage, James Hartsfield, and David Salisbury, "[http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/nasa1.html Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars]," ''Mars Meteorite Project'', press release 96-160, August 7, 1996. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Web servers.</ref><br />
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If one could show that abiogenesis occurred on Mars, then that process was far more likely to have occurred on earth than it would be absent such a showing or finding. Yet apart from the reliability of such evidence is this one inherent weakness for this argument: it assumes that life ''found'' on Mars ''originated'' on Mars. The [[Hydroplate theory]] of the [[Great Flood]] suggests that large quantities of water, including muddy slurries, were ejected into space during the initial fissure of the original earth's crust, and that these ejecta persist today as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids. If such ejected water and mud fell to Mars from above, then they might have held [[microbes]]--and therefore any microbes found on Mars are far more likely to have come from earth during the Noachic Flood than to have originated on Mars.<ref>If such life forms survived, that need not be a great shock to any observer. [[Extremophiles]], or microbes known to thrive under conditions that would kill or render dormant any other form of life, are well-known on earth and have even been the subject of engineering studies attempting to find practical uses for them.</ref><br />
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Space scientists have searched for extraterrestrial microbes for years. To date, no definitive proof of such microbes has been found. The Antarctic meteorite mentioned above, and the alleged bacterial fossils on it, fueled speculation for months, until other scientists finally determined that the microbes involved probably were earthly contaminants.<ref>Rick Lockridge, "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/contaminated.rock/ Scientists dispute NASA's claims about Mars meteorite]", ''The Cable News Network'', January 15, 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from CNN's web servers.</ref><br />
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Nevertheless, the finding of extraterrestrial microbes on [[Mars]] is one of the fondest expressed hopes of NASA planetary scientists<ref>Authors unknown, "[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/life/ Do Martians Exist?], ''NASA Mars Exploration'', 05 Oct 2005 04:51:40 UTC. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [[NASA]].</ref> and of other scientists and advocacy groups<ref>Everett Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta, "[http://www.marssociety.org/portal/TMS_Library/MAR_98_046/view Life on Mars: Evidence from Martian Meteorites]," ''Proceedings of the Founding Convention of the Mars Society'', R. M. Zubrin and M. Zubrin, eds. 1998. Retrieved April 17, 2007, from [http://www.marssociety.org The Mars Society].</ref> hoping to persuade the [[United States]] government, or perhaps the [[United Nations]], to fund crewed expeditions to Mars. Furthermore, no sane space mission planner could in good conscience ignore the potential hazard of the transport of a microbe to earth and the release of that microbe into earth's [[biosphere]]. Happily, measures for containing such a microbe, perhaps derived from those measures taken during [[Project Apollo]], would contribute a relatively insignificant amount to the total budget of a program of crewed missions to Mars or to any other celestial body.<br />
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[[Francis Crick]] and [[Leslie Orgel]], in 1973,<ref>Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. E. "Directed Panspermia," ''Icarus'', 19, 341 (1973).</ref> openly speculated on a form of exogenesis called [[Panspermia#Directed panspermia|directed panspermia]], in which such an extraterrestrial nation-state fired a brace of missiles, each laden with [[bacteria]] and/or [[blue-green algae]], in all directions. One such missile crashed on earth, and we are its by-product, as it were, their theory states.<ref>For a detailed discussion on the logical weaknesses and omissions of such a position, see the main article on [[Panspermia]].</ref><br />
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====Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System====<br />
Besides [[Earth]] there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life.<br />
#[[Mars]], as mentioned above, is the most popular candidate. Ice is known to exist at the poles. Some liquid water might exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing.<br />
#The [[Jupiter|Jovian]] moon [[Europa]] is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbour life.<br />
#[[Titan]], a moon of [[Saturn]], has approximately the same percentage of [[nitrogen]] in its atmosphere as in Earth's. Titan also has [[ocean]]s and thick clouds. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid [[methane]], not water, and that the low temperatures of -178 Celcius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.<br />
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=== Extraterrestrial Civilizations ===<br />
Do one or more extraterrestrial civilizations exist? Until recently, speculation about extraterrestrial races was confined either to [[science fiction]] or to innumerable anecdotal reports of "[[UFO|unidentified flying objects]]." These latter reports were once the subject of an investigation, known as [[Project Blue Book]], by the [[United States Air Force]].<ref>Anonymous, "[http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/ProjectBlueBook.htm Project Blue Book]", ''[http://www.ufoevidence.org/ UFO Evidence.org]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Anonymous, ''[http://www.bluebookarchive.org/ The Project Blue Book Archive]'', retrieved April 16, 2007</ref><ref>Fund for Unidentified Flying Object Research (FUFOR), ''[http://www.nicap.org/index.htm Official Site of the National Investigative Committee for Aerial Phenomena]'', Francis L. Ridge, editor and Webmaster, December 15, 1997 to present. Retrieved April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Presumably the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] Army Air Forces had their own version of Blue Book as well.</ref> But years after Blue Book wound down, a large cadre of scientists began to entertain seriously the notion that extraterrestrial civilizations might exist.<br />
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SETI ('''S'''earch for '''E'''xtra'''t'''errestrial '''I'''ntelligence)<ref>[http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178025 Home of the SETI Institute]</ref> is the name given to several government and privately-funded projects that over the years have searched for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. This is done by listening via [[radiotelescope]] on a defined frequency band for any transmission having any semblance of order. The frequency band is one that, they believe, is the likeliest region in the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] for anyone to be sending a signal intended to cross interstellar, or even intergalactic, space.<br />
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No definitive evidence exists for any form of extraterrestrial civilization. While the [[Project Blue Book]] investigators found a number of cases that they had to classify as "unknown," they were able to classify the bulk of the anecdotes as anything from outright hoaxes to misinterpretations of common weather features to misinterpretation of the sightings of ordinary aircraft.<ref>The Air Force might also have acted in a deceptive manner in certain isolated cases in which what the witnesses took for [[UFO]]s were actually secret experimental prototypes. Perhaps some of these prototypes exist today as the [[B-2]], [[F-117]], and other [[Stealth aircraft]].</ref> Neither has any [[Astronomy|astronomer]] or [[astronaut]] reported a definite sighting of, much less contact with, any carrier-like vessel that would have been capable of launching any of the alleged two-seater or similar small-crewed craft that various "witnesses" report having encountered. Nor has any [[physics|physicist]] yet suggested a method by which such a craft could have visited our [[solar system]], given the fixed speed limit set by the [[Special Theory of Relativity]]. Finally, the SETI project, for all their searching for a signal (even to recruiting civilians to participate in a "distributed computing" project to process the noise they have received from their radiotelescopes), have never isolated anything like a definite signal.<br />
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====The Drake Equation====<br />
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a method for estimating of the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. The Drake Equation simply begins with the number of stars, then multiplies that number by a series of probabilities (probability that a star has planets, that a planet can support life, etc.) to obtain the quantity desired (number of populated planets, number of civilizations whose existence is detectable, etc.).<br />
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In principle, the Drake Equation can provide an upper and lower bound for the number of extraterrestrial civilizations by setting upper and lower bounds for each probability factor, which can then be improved upon as better information becomes available. Because the number of stars in so huge, even the lower bound is often calculated to be a respectable number. However, a serious problem is that some of the probabilities are completely unknown, or even unknowable. For example, the probability of life emerging on a planet is a meaningless concept if life is created directly by God and not by some naturalistic process.<br />
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If any of the probabilities appearing in the equation is zero, then the number of extraterrestrial civilizations of course goes to zero. This is a serious problem if one relies only on naturalistic explanations of the genesis of life. One of the most well-accepted scientific laws, the [[law of biogenesis]], says that life only comes from life, which means that it cannot come from non-life. Furthermore, scientific observations are that evolution itself is impossible, as evolution requires ''increasing'' genetic [[information]], whereas observations show that living things ''lose'' genetic information.<ref>Wieland, Carl, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/431/ The evolution train’s a-comin’], ''Creation'' 24(2):16–19, March 2002.</ref><br />
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== Extraterrestrial Life in Science Fiction ==<br />
Extraterrestrial nation-states and, almost as often, extraterrestrial microbes, have been a staple of [[science fiction]] since soon after science-fiction writers first began speculating on what sort of inventions might carry men into outer space, and what they might discover there. [[H. G. Wells]] even speculated on an extraterrestrial civilization on the [[moon]], populated by man-sized insects (''The First Men in the Moon''). Wells also speculated that the Martian nation-state would launch an invasion of earth (''The War of the Worlds''), an invasion that would fail when the Martian soldiers and pilots fell terminally ill with earthly microbes against which their immune systems would have no defense. [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] indulged in far richer speculation on an entire civilization on Mars, and on semi-regular commerce between his Martians and a select few visitors from earth.<br />
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The middle twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of popular-culture icons that were either:<br />
# Humans caught up in events on other, inhabited worlds, some of which were making war against the earth, or<br />
# An extraterrestrial "refugee" that became an obvious [[God-substitute]] after, [[Moses]]-like, he crashed to earth in a small space capsule launched from a world that later destroyed itself in a cataclysm far more devastating than the [[Great Flood]] had been.<br />
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In addition to this, the [[motion picture]] industry, especially in the [[United States]] but also in [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], produced scores of low-budget films having a theme involving an extraterrestrial nation-state attempting either:<br />
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# To recruit humans, usually by fraudulent means, into assisting them in weapons or defensive-systems development,<br />
# To subvert human society and/or the international community by infiltration or by playing some individual humans or human nation-states against others, or:<br />
# To invade the earth by main force.<br />
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The motion picture industry abandoned that theme as the century progressed, and produced a number of films showing extraterrestrials to be friendly. Toward the very end of the century, the theme of extraterrestrial invasion returned, in the form of a number of high-budget films that linked the basic theme to a number of modern-day legends, including:<br />
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# The alleged crash of an extraterrestrial scout craft near [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico]], [[United States]].<br />
# The synthetic religion, called [[Scientology]], developed by the late [[L. Ron Hubbard]]. This movement informed many of Hubbard's works, including [[Battlefield Earth]] (which the actor [[John Travolta]], an adherent of Scientology, has lately adapted for the [[motion picture]]s), and [[Mission Earth]], a ten-volume series completed shortly before Hubbard's death and published posthumously.<br />
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The [[Star Trek]] [[television]] franchise that [[Gene Roddenberry]] created, with its myriad of extraterrestrial and often trans-galactic nation-states and empires hardly needs introduction. But in addition, producer [[Quinn Martin]] created a series that centered on one man's attempt to warn his government that certain people were not what they appeared, but were instead extraterrestrial spies. More recently, [[Kenneth Johnston]] created a concept (''V'') of a space-borne force whose commanding admiral and officers at first puts on a friendly appearance similar to that of [[Matthew Perry]] (the American [[commodore]] who first visited [[Japan]]) but, soon afterward, subvert human governmental and media institutions in order to further their true purpose, which is to steal earth's water and carry away earth's population for food.<br />
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Nor have science fiction writers ignored speculation on the finding of extraterrestrial microbes. Usually they have portrayed such microbes as capable of producing deadly extinction-level pandemics. (See, for example, ''The Andromeda Strain'' by Michael Crichton.) John B. Olson and Randall S. Ingermanson, however, speculated that the first crew to fly to Mars might discover incontrovertible evidence of microbial life--including a culturable microbe. This would engender excitement in the hearts of their launch authorites, but would also inspire such fear in the mind of a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] engineer that she would actually attempt to strand or murder the crew to stop them from [[back-contamination|back-contaminating]] the earth with their culture.<br />
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== Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life ==<br />
The question of whether the existence of an extraterrestrial race is compatible with the [[Bible]] is in sharp dispute. The dispute is probably of modern origin--the Catholic Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life, and most Protestant confessions are silent on the matter. Those insisting that the Bible is entirely compatible with extraterrestrial races hold that the Bible contains no verse that says directly that man is the only sentient race in the universe. <br />
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===John 10:16 ===<br />
Compatability advocates quote this verse:{{Bible quote|I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.|book=John|chap=10|verses=16|version=NASB}}<br />
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Critics of this position point out that that verse probably referred to the distinction between [[Judaism|Jew]] and Gentile, and reject the proposition that "other sheep" might include extraterrestrial races. <br />
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===Uniqueness of the Atonement===<br />
Opponents hold that the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. They contend that since Jesus is referred to singly (as he was an individual person), this rules out the possibility of an alien counterpart to Jesus, and that an alien counterpart to Jesus is a necessary precondition for an alien nation to exist.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".<br />
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Defenders of the compatibility position might insist that neither of the two verses named above speaks directly to the uniqueness claim. But the original [[Hebrew]] and [[Greek]] texts use definite article adjectives and references to a specific person named [[Adam]] (and another, named [[Jesus]]), with no hint that either Adam or Jesus had any counterpart elsewhere in the cosmos. These things militate in favor of uniqueness almost as well as any direct negation of plurality might. Again, compatibility defenders might cite a lack of evidence that any hypothetical alien race would ''require'' counterparts to Jesus or Adam. But [[Christian]] critics reply that if the Bible is real at all, then life does not arise out of non-life. Therefore ''every'' race would have its Adam--and if any given Adam did ''not'' fall into sin, then his race would be under strict Divine orders to avoid contact with humans until the "hour of temptation" (see above) came to pass.<ref>For a further exposition of the uniqueness position, see [[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]].</ref><br />
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The speculation concerning Jesus dying multiple deaths on other worlds has occasionally found poetic expression. See, for example, [[The Innumerable Christ]] by [[Hugh McDiarmid]].<br />
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=== Extent of the Creation ===<br />
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.<br />
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==Non-Christian Views on Extraterrestrial Life==<br />
Outside of the Christian faith, other religions, as well as movements exhibiting characteristics common to [[pagan]] religions, have adopted or expressed tenets dealing with extraterrestrial life:<br />
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#'''Church of Scientology''' founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] has lectured on and written accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events.<br />
#The '''[[Raelians]]''' believe that their minds are the once-disembodied souls of extraterrestrial persons (and therefore believe that their minds are extraterrestrial in origin though their bodies are not).<br />
#The '''[[Hale-Bopp movement]]''', whose members committed mass suicide in the season of the close passage near the earth of [[Comet Hale-Bopp]], believed they would be taken away by an alien craft concealed in the comet's tail.<br />
#The '''[[UFO]] movement''', which exists as a loose alliance of organizations often having the initials "UFO" (for Unidentified Flying Object) in their names, ''viz.'', "Mutual UFO Network", "Center for UFO Studies," "Fund for UFO Research", express various beliefs concerning the extrterrestrial nature of unidentified flying objects.<br />
#The '''[[Nation of Islam]]''', especially when it came under the leadership of [[Louis Farrakhan]], expressed a belief that the original founder of the Nation of Islam lives today in an extraterrestrial spacecraft called the "Mother Wheel," and that Farrakhan himself has been taken on board that vessel for consultations with this person.<ref>Farrakhan seems recently to have abandoned this theory and attempted to steer the movement he now leads toward the orthodox [[Islam]] taught by [[Muhammad]].</ref><br />
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== Explanations given for UFO sightings and belief ==<br />
Lynn Cato, senior bibliographer for the library of Congress, created a 1600 entry on [[UFO]] bibliography for the [[United States Air Force]] Office of Scientific Research. After a two year investigation, in which she reviewed thousands of documents, Catoe stated:<ref name=Reason>Authors unknown. "[http://www.letusreason.org/NAM25.htm A UFO 2nd Coming]." Let Us Reason Ministries, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=Gleghorn>Gleghorn, Michael. "[http://www.probe.org/cults-and-world-religions/cults-and-world-religions/ufos-and-alien-beings.html UFO's and Alien Beings]." Probe Ministries. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> {{Cquote|A large part of the available UFO literature...deals with subjects like mental telepathy, automatic writing and invisible entities...poltergeist manifestations and 'possession'....Many of the UFO reports now being published in the popular press recount alleged incidents that are strikingly similar to [[demonic possession]] and [[psychic phenomenon]] which have long been known to [[Theology|theologians]] and [[Paraphschology|parapsychologists]].}}<br />
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Prominent UFO researcher [[John Keel]] concurred. After surveying the literature on [[demonology]] Keel stated,<ref name=Gleghorn/>{{Cquote|The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar if not entirely identical to the UFO phenomenon itself.}}<br />
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[[Astronomy|Astronomer]] Dr. [[Hugh Ross]] states that ninety-nine percent of what people have told him were UFOs, experienced astronomers can identify as a [[star]], cluster, or other object in the night sky. The 1 percent of sightings, which he calls residual UFOs, have attracted his attention. <ref name=Blade>Tarjanyi, Judy. "[http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73122266402007&Avis=TO&Dato=20030104&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=101040052&Ref=AR Astronomer links UFOs to Occultism]." ''The Toledo Blade'', January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref> According to Dr. Ross very few astronomers have seen residual UFOs.<ref name=Blade/> <br />
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The following newspaper excerpt<ref name=Blade/> summarizes Dr. Ross's findings:<br />
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{{cquote|In 1969, however, Dr. Ross met two astronomers who were having regular UFO encounters. Both also happened to be involved in occult activity.<br />
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Upon investigation, Dr. Ross consistently found a connection between occult involvement and residual UFO encounters. For example, he said, countries with a high degree of occult activity such as Russia during the Soviet era, France, and certain parts of Brazil also had high percentages of UFO encounters. During Russia?s Soviet period when every expression of religion except occult activity had been outlawed, he said, “Russians were seeing UFOs at five to eight times the rate Americans were.}}<br />
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[[Christian]]s who reject naturalistic explanations of life such as the [[theory of evolution]] have presented arguments in the field of [[Christian apologetics]] regarding UFO's being spiritual in nature and not amenable to naturalistic explanation.<ref name=Gleghorn/><ref name=Reason/><ref name=Bohlin>Bohlin, Ray. "[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/lifemars.html Are We Alone in the Universe?]" Leadership University, July 14, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=CMI>Authors unknown. "[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2995/ Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Creation Ministries International. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><ref name=AiG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/alien.asp Alien Life/UFO Questions and Answers]." Answers in Genesis. Retrieved November 3, 2007.</ref><br />
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== Political speculation on ET's and UFO's ==<br />
Politicians (among them, former [[President of the United States]] [[Jimmy Carter]]) have openly speculated on the existence of extraterrestrial nation-states.<ref>Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization.[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm] See [[Jimmy Carter]].</ref> More recently, [[United States House of Representatives|US Representative]] and Presidential candidate [[Dennis Kucinich]] [[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Ohio|OH]]) was asked in a primary debate whether he had, as earlier alleged, seen a UFO--and answered in the affirmative.<ref name=Kucinich>User "nikbaron". [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc Representative Dennis Kucinich UFO]." ''<http://youtube.com>,'' posted October 31, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><ref name=Feagler>Feagler, Dick. "[http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1193474407233790.xml&coll=2&thispage=1 So Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO; what's the big deal]?" ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland), October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref><br />
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For further details, see the article on [[Exotheology]].<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
*[[Essay: Extraterrestrial Life and the Bible]]<br />
*[[Exotheology]]<br />
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[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]<br />
p</div>Ga ohoythttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Prime_number&diff=392678Prime number2008-02-22T02:32:30Z<p>Ga ohoyt: /* The Prime Numbers */ Is this clearer?</p>
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<div>A '''prime number''' is a [[natural number]] that is divisible by only 1 and itself. The only even prime number is 2. There is no upper limit to the quantity of primes, but there is no known formula for deriving the nth prime. [[Leonhard Euler]] once commented: <blockquote><br />
''Mathematicians have tried in vain to this day to discover some order in the sequence of prime numbers, and we have reason to believe that it is a mystery into which the mind will never penetrate.''<br />
</blockquote><br />
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The probability that a random integer N is prime is roughly 1/ln(N), where ln(N) is the natural logarithm (base ''e'') of N.<ref>http://home.att.net/~numericana/answer/primes.htm</ref> This is a formulation of a more general statement known as the [[prime number theorem]].<br />
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==The Prime Numbers==<br />
The smallest prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13...<br />
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It is easy to prove that there are an infinite number of primes using Euclid's second theorem: Imagine there is a finite set consisting of all the primes. Multiply them all together, add 1, and call this N. N would not be divisible by any number in the set--there would always be a remainder of 1. Because all non-prime numbers can be decomposed into a product of underlying primes, N must be divisible by some prime not in the set (possibly itself), thus contradicting the assumption that the set contained all of the primes.<br />
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To construct a table of all prime numbers less than ''n'', you would use a method called the [[Sieve of Eratosthenes]]. Simply write down an ordered list of all counting numbers greater than 1. Beginning with 2*2 = 4, cross out every second number:<br />
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:2 3 <s>4</s> 5 <s>6</s> 7 <s>8</s> 9 <s>10</s> 11 ...<br />
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then beginning with 3*3 = 9 cross out every third number:<br />
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:2 3 <s>4</s> 5 <s>6</s> 7 <s>8 9 10</s> 11 ...<br />
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Beginning with 5*5 = 25, cross out every fifth number, then repeat for the primes 7, 11, 13, etc. until <math>\sqrt{n}</math>.<br />
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==Unique Factorization==<br />
According to the [[fundamental theorem of arithmetic]], proven by [[Carl Friedrich Gauss]], every positive integer has a unique factorization into prime numbers.<br />
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This means that every integer larger than 1, can be expressed as a product of one or more [[prime|primes]] in only one way. For example, 132 = 2 * 2 * 3 * 11. There is no other product of primes that equals 132.<br />
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Finding the prime factors for large numbers can take considerable time (millions of years) even with the most advanced computers. This is referred to as the prime factorization problem, and it is believed to be NP-complete.<br />
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==Primality testing==<br />
To determine whether a number is prime, you can use the trial division method, provided the number you are testing is not too large. Let ''N'' be the number being tested and ''s'' be its square root. Divide ''N'' by each number in the prime table, beginning with 2. If there is no remainder, stop--N is composite. Otherwise, test again with the next largest prime in the table. If the next largest prime is greater than ''s'', stop--''N'' is prime. <br />
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For larger values of ''N'', a method based on Fermat's theorem can be used, though it usually requires a computer. Start with the number 1, and double it ''N-1'' times. Divide this number by ''N'', keeping only the remainder. If the remainder is greater than 1, ''N'' is composite. Unfortunately, the converse is not true--if the remainder is 1, ''N'' is ''probably'' prime, but not necessarily. Algorithms which improve on this method exist, and primality testing is today an active subject of mathematical research.<br />
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==The Largest Known Prime==<br />
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The largest known prime is ''2<sup>32582657</sup>-1''; it was discovered by the '''Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search''' ('''GIMPS''')<ref>http://www.mersenne.org/</ref>, a distributed computing project launched by George Woltman in early 1996.<ref>http://primes.utm.edu/largest.html</ref><br />
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==Mersenne Prime==<br />
A '''Mersenne prime''' is a prime number ''M'' that is of the form ''M = 2<sup>n</sup> − 1'', where ''n'' is some [[prime number]]<ref>[http://mathworld.wolfram.com/MersennePrime.html Mersenne Prime] from Wolfram</ref>. As of April, 2007, only 44 Mersenne Primes have been found. The largest known prime ''2<sup>32582657</sup>-1'', is a Mersenne Prime. The concept of a Mersenne Prime was discovered by the French theologian, philosopher and mathematician [[Marin Mersenne]].<br />
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==Riemann hypothesis==<br />
Most mathematicians believe a proof of the [[Riemann hypothesis]] is the best hope for discovering some pattern in the distribution of prime numbers. ''The Clay Mathematics Institute'' has offered a one million dollar prize for a proof of the Riemann hypothesis.<ref>http://www.claymath.org/millennium/Riemann_Hypothesis/</ref><br />
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==Cryptography==<br />
The security of [[public-key cryptography]] schemes such as [[RSA]] depend on the difficulty of prime factorization, if a pattern in the distribution of prime numbers is discovered, then such cryptographic schemes could become vulnerable to attack.<br />
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==References==<br />
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==See Also==<br />
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* [[Composite number]]<br />
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==External Links==<br />
:[http://www.mersenne.org/ ''Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search'' project website]<br />
:[http://primes.utm.edu/ Prime Number resource Archieve]<br />
[[Category:Mathematics]]</div>Ga ohoyt