The Purpose of Life

[reaper]

As far as I'm concerned it's known information life exists on other planets.  I also don't agree that the other intelligent life would be dangerous, life that could get here anyways.  And the nature of life is unknown, other earth like realms life transfers to, who knows.

[Tubby]

But if "to live" is the object/end to be attained by Life - is it not achieved right off the birth? What's next?

Wouldn't death be a more suitable intent - it also seems to be common to all men.

Tubby 

Laurelin, I didn't suggest that the object of life is "to live". What I suggested was that the object of life is to create more life.

Think about it: What living organism - from a bacterium to a human to an earthworm to a coconut palm - doesn't strive to procreate? It's inherent in every living thing, and it's also necessary for the survival of every living thing, including humans.

There is no other drive remotely as consistent across all living species as the drive to procreate. It's the master driver of life, and that's why I think that the purpose of life, ultimately, is to procreate (make more life).

 

[Tubby]

- Maybe advanced civilizations have existed or do exist somewhere, but the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be.  So that it would take literally billions of years for them to reach us, just as it would also take billions of years for them to become aware of us even if they knew where to look.  (The observable universe is something like 93 billion light years across.)

What about wormholes, Quadz, if they exist...?

Maybe we're being a little arrogant in suggesting that just because we haven't got the intellectual ability to detect life elsewhere in the (observable) universe, doesn't mean "it would also take billions of years for them to become aware of us even if they knew where to look".

That's what I mean by intellectual arrogance: This is an example of a member of the human species not only extending his scientific ideals to his fellow man, but insisting that extraterrestrial life forms - if they exist - must also submit to them.

Whose to say we're not just touching on the surface of ways to communicate information across vast distances, Quadz? Maybe, in fact, we're like homing-pigeon operators during the Boer war who said; 'this is the fastest way of getting the message back to central command'?

[quadz]

- Maybe advanced civilizations have existed or do exist somewhere, but the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be.

That's what I mean by intellectual arrogance: This is an example of a member of the human species not only extending his scientific ideals to his fellow man, but insisting that extraterrestrial life forms - if they exist - must also submit to them.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you had trouble parsing my grammar.

This is how the above was intended read: "Maybe ... the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be."

Feel free to untwist your knickers now.

  *  *  *

As it happens, it is with the deepest sadness that I regard the possibility that we may never, ever, ever be able to explore the universe.  It would fill me with immense joy to learn that FTL travel were someday to be a practical possibility.  However, I am also able to accept that there may be no practical way to transmit information faster than the speed of light, no matter how advanced the civilization is.

OK?

[Tubby]

- Maybe advanced civilizations have existed or do exist somewhere, but the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be.

That's what I mean by intellectual arrogance: This is an example of a member of the human species not only extending his scientific ideals to his fellow man, but insisting that extraterrestrial life forms - if they exist - must also submit to them.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you had trouble parsing my grammar.

This is how the above was intended read: "Maybe ... the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be."

Feel free to untwist your knickers now.

  *  *  *

As it happens, it is with the deepest sadness that I regard the possibility that we may never, ever, ever be able to explore the universe.  It would fill me with immense joy to learn that FTL travel were someday to be a practical possibility.  However, I am also able to accept that there may be no practical way to transmit information faster than the speed of light, no matter how advanced the civilization is.

OK?

Nope, Quadz. This is the quote taken directly from your reply #39: "the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be.  So that it would take literally billions of years for them to reach us, just as it would also take billions of years for them to become aware of us even if they knew where to look."

'The speed of light REALLY IS the absolute unsurpassable barrier it seems to be' - Quadz (emphasis added).

That's what you said, and it's one more reason why I think your intellectual arrogance is getting the better of you.

Like I said, soldiers in the Boer war thought that homing pigeons "really were" the fastest way of transmitting information back to their command post...

Look how far we've progressed. Imagine how far we will eventually progress.

But I'm with you in hoping that FTL travel will one day be a possibility!!! 

[quadz]

- Maybe advanced civilizations have existed or do exist somewhere, but the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be.

That's what I mean by intellectual arrogance: This is an example of a member of the human species not only extending his scientific ideals to his fellow man, but insisting that extraterrestrial life forms - if they exist - must also submit to them.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you had trouble parsing my grammar.

This is how the above was intended read: "Maybe ... the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be."

Nope, Quadz. This is the quote taken directly from your reply #39: "the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be.  So that it would take literally billions of years for them to reach us, just as it would also take billions of years for them to become aware of us even if they knew where to look."

'The speed of light REALLY IS the absolute unsurpassable barrier it seems to be' - Quadz (emphasis added).

"really is", Quadz. That's what you said, and is one more reason why I think your intellectual arrogance is getting the better of you.

Listen asshole.

I'm telling you how my fucking comment was intended, and I'm a little irritated that you now appear to be insinuating I'm lying about it.

As it happens, the reason the post you copied that comment from says posted "February 12, 2011, 05:53:06 pm" but edited "February 12, 2011, 05:55:47" is because I actually went back a couple minutes later after re-reading it, and explicitly added the "seems" because I was concerned the "maybe" wasn't clear enough that it was intended to apply to the entire conjecture.




quadz

[Tubby]

- Maybe advanced civilizations have existed or do exist somewhere, but the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be.

That's what I mean by intellectual arrogance: This is an example of a member of the human species not only extending his scientific ideals to his fellow man, but insisting that extraterrestrial life forms - if they exist - must also submit to them.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you had trouble parsing my grammar.

This is how the above was intended read: "Maybe ... the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be."

Nope, Quadz. This is the quote taken directly from your reply #39: "the speed of light really is the absolute unsurpassable barrier that it seems to be.  So that it would take literally billions of years for them to reach us, just as it would also take billions of years for them to become aware of us even if they knew where to look."

'The speed of light REALLY IS the absolute unsurpassable barrier it seems to be' - Quadz (emphasis added).

"really is", Quadz. That's what you said, and is one more reason why I think your intellectual arrogance is getting the better of you.

Listen asshole.

I'm telling you how my fucking comment was intended, and I'm a little irritated that you now appear to be insinuating I'm lying about it.

As it happens, the reason the post you copied that comment from says posted "February 12, 2011, 05:53:06 pm" but edited "February 12, 2011, 05:55:47" is because I actually went back a couple minutes later after re-reading it, and explicitly added the "seems" because I was concerned the "maybe" wasn't clear enough that it was intended to apply to the entire conjecture.




quadz

1. Please don't call me an asshole.

2. I wasn't aware of your edit. I simply responded to what I saw. Sorry.

3. Can we still be friends?

4. I'm hungry. Brb.

[Tubby]

OK back. Sorry again Quadz.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand:

Like most philosophical, theological, and scientific theories, we're really doing nothing more here than skirting around the edges of that great unanswerable question: What is the Purpose of Life?

I've put my idea on the table: That the purpose of life is to create more life.

Any other ideas?

[|iR|Focalor]

quadz
CELEBRATED FORUMS WHORE

Posts: 2001

 

As far as I'm concerned it's known information life exists on other planets.  

As far as YOU are concerned? So I take it you've studied the universe first-hand and discovered life elsewhere? Care to share this evidence you've found?

I also don't agree that the other intelligent life would be dangerous, life that could get here anyways.

I never said that OTHER intelligent life would be dangerous, what I said was that it's possible that they are terrified of us given our propensity for war. Then again, given that we are the most intelligent life on this planet, it's entirely logical that another species of equal or greater intelligence would be at least capable of destruction and violence on a much larger scale.

[yahoo]

Tachyons (hypthetically) can travel faster than lightspeed thats if they really do exist.

http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Tachyon.html

[Sgt. Dick]

There is no other drive remotely as consistent across all living species as the drive to procreate. It's the master driver of life, and that's why I think that the purpose of life, ultimately, is to procreate (make more life).

Maybe I do get this then. 

I have been fixed, but I still try to procreate every chance I get. 

[haunted]

the continuation of any species is dependent on the population's ability to re-produce, so by the biological definition of "life", in essence you are saying that the purpose of life is to live.(notice I said the biological definition of life.. being that WE ARE HUMANS this does not apply to all of aspects of life. Finding a mate and reproducing is only one aspect of our interactions with society, aka our social life)

So it's just a very limited, ignorant point that you are making tubby. Maybe YOU should take a look at the bigger picture here...

Answer this question:

If the sole purpose of life is to live(I have already established that it's what you are saying essentially..), what is the purpose of fulfilling Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

and

What is the purpose of life for a dog that has been spade or neutered(or anything that cannot produce offspring)?

[fdrjk]

quadz
CELEBRATED FORUMS WHORE

Posts: 2001

 

Can't wait until I get my can o' spam. 

[reaper]

As far as YOU are concerned? So I take it you've studied the universe first-hand and discovered life elsewhere? Care to share this evidence you've found?

Yes I believe it's known (as much as we can say anything is known) that life exists elsewhere, something like - if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's a duck, and even if it doesn't there's still a duck somewhere.  Personally I have zero doubt about this, just like if I get pushed out of an airplane and fall on a spike I'll die.

I don't think Aliens would be scared of us either. If they can travel here, I'm sure they'd be sufficiently advanced enough to render our threats useless.  And if they could come here, I'm sure they'd be sufficiently advanced enough not to be total assholes.  Maybe that's why they don't fuck with us.  That or they can't get here or don't know about us.  In my opinion the latter is the case, with the former still being applicable.

Tubby: I have no interest in having children, yet plenty of purpose.  carry on

[QwazyWabbit]

 Personally I have zero doubt about this, just like if I get pushed out of an airplane and fall on a spike I'll die.

If you were pushed out of an airplane and didn't fall on a spike would you die? Or is it less certain, in your mind?