# So WHERE Are ALL The Aliens? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 2, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042 "2002-06-02T21:33:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/1 "2002-06-02T21:33:01Z")
Well, it’s been what, 55 years since the “Roswell” incident? Since that time the world has been under continuous survellance (if you believ the UFO nuts) by the little green men in their flying saucers. heck, we even got to dissect a few of them. So where are they? I mean, I just don’t get it…they travel perhaps hundreds of light years to get to this planet, and then they just hang around scaring farmers and hitchikers! So, I ask you…where are they?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/2 "2002-06-02T21:37:50Z")
(disregard the fact that i am an alien) Why would aliens be interested in us? we’re violent jerks who kill each other over ideas of men in the sky and skin pigmentation. If any alien landed here, he’d be shot in five minutes, causing his race to nuke our planet form orbit. We are hardly hardy enough to survive as good worker slaves, and we’d revolt cuz we’re mean little devils. There are probably warning buoys around this planet as we speak, saying “Don’t come here, they’re CRAZY!!!” (At most, they’d be interested in platypi, since they are cool, and they stole Elvis, can’t forget that…) ---
**Author:** ![TVAA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TVAA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVAA)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/3 "2002-06-02T21:47:23Z")
Enrico Fermi was the first to actually make this argument. If there actually _are_ aliens elsewhere, why haven’t we found any traces of them? ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/4 "2002-06-02T21:50:37Z")
it’s a big universe… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/5 "2002-06-02T22:02:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Vorlon Ambassador’s Aide \* > \*\*Enrico Fermi was the first to actually make this argument. > > If there actually _are_ aliens elsewhere, why haven’t we found any traces of them? \*\* “We’re right here, Enrico, but we are disguised as Hungarians!” (Retort of the famous Hungarian physicist Whats-his-name.) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/6 "2002-06-02T22:04:39Z")
Might have been Heisenberg. Not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/7 "2002-06-02T22:08:04Z")
France. 😃 ``` /\ / \ / \ < . . > | ' | | _ | \_ / ``` My conehead. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/8 "2002-06-02T22:09:16Z")
DAMMIT! :o :mad: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/9 "2002-06-03T01:08:16Z")
The sign says “Mostly Harmless”, Tars. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/10 "2002-06-03T01:22:06Z")
From [Hungarians and the Fermi Paradox](http://www.setileague.org/askdr/hungary.htm): > [@](#): > > Physicist Enrico Fermi, said to be a firm believer in the existence of extra-terrestrials, was frustrated by the lack of firm evidence of their existence. Reasoning that advanced civilizations should by now have filled the Galaxy, Fermi came downstairs for lunch one afternoon at Los Alamos and blurted out his now-famous question, “Where are they?” > > “They are among us,” it is reported that Hungarian-born physicist Leo Szilard responded, “but they call themselves Hungarians.” Another Frenchman: ```auto /\ / \ / \ < . . > | ' | | _ | \_ / ``` ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/11 "2002-06-03T01:38:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*The sign says “Mostly Harmless”, Tars. \*\* You should read what the Mars on sez!!! ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/12 "2002-06-03T01:39:39Z")
Mars one… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/13 "2002-06-03T02:17:06Z")
Szilard! Yeah, thats the one. Wait, is he the one with the dead cat? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/14 "2002-06-03T03:36:07Z")
I think they are in the USA on student visas attending flight schools usine Verizon cell phones … “Can you hear me now …?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/15 "2002-06-03T05:45:56Z")
elucidator wrote: > [@](#): > > Szilard! Yeah, thats the one. Wait, is he the one with the dead cat? No, the one with the dead cat would be [Erwin Schrödinger](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_122.html) ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/16 "2002-06-03T05:50:25Z")
I think they came, saw us “ballet”, said “What the FUCK?!” and left… hastily. ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/17 "2002-06-03T07:06:33Z")
The aliens are sitting at home waiting to pick up their first batch of Guiding Light episodes so that they actually know we’re here. Then give it a couple thousand years for the colony ship to arrive, if they even care to make the trip. After all, if your evidence of artificially created radio signals from another planet was a 1930’s radio soap opera, would you invest hundreds of generations to travel hundreds of lightyears to say hello? ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/18 "2002-06-03T13:35:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*elucidator wrote: > No, the one with the dead cat would be [Erwin Schrödinger](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_122.html) \*\* By the way, didn’t anybody ever report him for cruelty to animals? ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/19 "2002-06-03T14:07:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ralph124c \* > \*\*So, I ask you…where are they?😕 \*\* The answer: It’s a big universe. Your question seems to assume that some practical form of interstellar or intergalactic travel is possible. Currently, our best understanding of physics seems to rule this out. It may very well be that there are, have been and will be thousands of species of intelligent beings who basically just don’t/didn’t/won’t have any way effective way to communicate with each other, or even to become aware of each others’ existence. Frankly, your post seems to be mostly a jab at the UFO freaks. Well, I’m not terribly impressed by their evidence either, though I admit there are some puzzling cases. But, again assuming some effective form of interstellar or intergalactic travel, there are all sorts of reasons as to why ET’s haven’t yet gotten in touch with us. Maybe they’re just not interested. Maybe we aren’t as fascinating to them as they would be to us. Maybe this is some kind of reservation for primitives. Maybe they have a “Star Trek”-like Prime Directive which forbids them from contacting species which haven’t reach a certain level of development yet. Maybe a few close encounters are the cosmic equivalent of a traveler from France or China whose car breaks down in some remote rural area of Alabama or Nebraska. Or maybe they’re the equivalent of extraterrestrial juvenile delinquents playing pranks on the hayseeds out in the sticks. Maybe they want to study us very, very closely before deciding whether or not they want anything to do with us. Maybe they’re trying to introduce themselves slowly so as to give us some time to adjust to the idea that we’re not alone, making it much less of a disruptive cultural shock. (Shucks, you could write a whole science fiction novel on that last concept.) But even if the UFO freaks are absolutely, totally wrong about all the evidence they’ve presented so far, even if they really are the space cases they seem to be, \*it doesn’t prove that there isn’t, never has been or never will be intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. \* Or, to quote Carl Sagan, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. I think that pretty much settles it. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042/20 "2002-06-03T14:09:04Z")
The caty was only half dead. ## Tris “Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty.” ~ Erwin Schrodinger ~ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-are-all-the-aliens/112042.md?page=2)