# Any intelligent life out there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2000, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-intelligent-life-out-there/9168 "2000-03-26T00:52:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-intelligent-life-out-there/9168/1 "2000-03-26T00:52:00Z")
Okay, so when people say that they’re “looking for intelligent life on other planets,” what is their definition of intelligent life? Obviously, fungus wouldn’t count, but what about dolphins, turtles, or monkeys? Or what if there’s something like humans out there, only they’re still at the pyramid building stage of thier civilization? They’re intelligent, but they aren’t on the same level as us, what with our radio astrology stuff and rocket science. So what is “intelligent life”? Or what are we looking for? * * * “I was born in this town, I was raised in this town, and I’ll probably die in this town. Hell, I’ve already been hit by a car on this street, twice!”–if you recognize where this quote is from or who said it, please tell me. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-intelligent-life-out-there/9168/2 "2000-03-26T01:42:00Z")
[SETI](http://www.seti-inst.edu/) is looking for intelligent life that is intelligent enough to produce radio signals. I presume that what most people would look for is life that can produce tools and/or artifacts, because that would be an easy thing to look for. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-intelligent-life-out-there/9168/3 "2000-03-26T03:14:00Z")
If dolphins are so intelligent, why do they live in igloos? * * * **Gypsy** : Tom, I don’t get you. **Tom Servo** : Nobody does. I’m the wind, baby. ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-intelligent-life-out-there/9168/4 "2000-03-26T03:33:00Z")
What they are looking for is _technical_ civilizations. ---
**Author:** ![Timothy\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Timothy\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timothy_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-intelligent-life-out-there/9168/5 "2000-03-26T03:55:00Z")
For an enlightening commentary (and a useful equation) pertaining to your question, check out this web site: [http://fellowship.net/jerrynixon/documents/theDrakeEquation.htm](http://fellowship.net/jerrynixon/documents/theDrakeEquation.htm) * * * Are you educated, erudite and maybe a bit eccentric? Please help us test a [new web game](http://www.pyroto.com)! ---
**Author:** ![Timothy\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Timothy\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timothy_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-intelligent-life-out-there/9168/6 "2000-03-26T04:10:00Z")
For some reason, my last attempt to post this answer didn’t “take”. Anyway, for useful background on the question (along with a useful equation), check out this web site: [http://fellowship.net/jerrynixon/documents/theDrakeEquation.htm](http://fellowship.net/jerrynixon/documents/theDrakeEquation.htm) I hope the message gets saved this time. * * * Are you educated, erudite and maybe a bit eccentric? Please help us test a [new web game](http://www.pyroto.com)! ---
**Author:** ![Timothy\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Timothy\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timothy_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-intelligent-life-out-there/9168/7 "2000-03-26T04:20:00Z")
Incidentally, if anybody wants to donate spare computer time to helping search for extraterrestrial intelligence, check out this web site: [http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/](http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/) This is a collaborative effort that involves hundreds of thousands of computers around the world. All you need is an Internet connection. I’ve been involved in the project for about a year, now. It’s nice to know that when I’m not using my computer, it fires up the processing program and does something that might end up transforming our view of the cosmos. * * * Are you educated, erudite and maybe a bit eccentric? Please help us test a [new web game](http://www.pyroto.com)!