EXTRATERRESTRIAL DEBATE; TEAM CON

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• EXTRATERRESTRIAL DEBATE TEAM CON

AST 112 Introduction to Computers
Applications Arizona State University Instructor
Professor Windhorst By Team Con May 1, 2014
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INTRODUCTION

• Do Extraterrestrials (ETs) exist, or not?
• Could Extraterrestrials have been here (Earth) or
  not?
• What does that mean for us?

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DO EXTRATERRESTRIALS EXIST OR NOT?

• Fermis Paradox
• Drakes Equation
• Chemical Abundance
• Temperature
• Habitable Zones

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1950s FERMIS PARADOX

• Big Contradiction probability vs. evidence
• Age of Universe vs. our Galaxy
• Reasons for visit
• Exploring,
• Colonizing,
• Survival
• Colonization, survival, habitability would
  require similar composition (bio chemistry) to
  ours thus would not survive the intergalactic
  travel

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FERMIS PARADOX
Speed of the galaxies and temperatures In case
that there are older ET civilizations they would
obviously need to do intergalactic travel.

• Some galaxies travel as fast as 20 of the speed
  of light, thus creating temperatures as high as
  10 million Kelvins, creating very high x-ray
  radiation.
• It would take some truly awesome material in
  order not to have it melted during this travel -
  material not know to us yet that exists in the
  Universe.

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SPIRAL GALAXY ESO 137-001

• Moves through Galaxy Cluster at the Speed of 7
  Million KM per hour

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DRAKES EQUATION

• R is the average rate of star formation in our
  galaxyfp is the fraction of those stars that
  have planetsne is the average number of planets
  that can potentially support life per star that
  has planetsfl is the fraction of the above that
  actually go on to develop life at some
  pointfi is the fraction of the above that
  actually go on to develop intelligent lifefc is
  the fraction of civilizations that develop a
  technology that releases detectable signs of
  their existence into spaceL is the length of
  time such civilizations release detectable
  signals into space.

• Components
• Factor for Error
• Probability

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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

• There are four main elements needed to spark life
• Oxygen (64) , Carbon (18) , Hydrogen (10) ,
  Nitrogen (3) , Other (4)

Each element has a key role in the human
body. Oxygen plays a vital role in breathing, in
metabolism, and is what keeps our organs active.
The only living cells that do not need oxygen are
a few anaerobic bacteria that obtain energy from
other metabolic processes. (Unlikely to evolve
into a life form as complex as humans). Carbon
when carbon bonds break down with energy, it
allows the dynamic organic chemistry to go on in
human cells. Hydrogen is involved in the energy
our bodies create by creating ATP, (which is a
nucleotide produced in cells), it also helps
build our muscles, cells, bones, and
blood. Nitrogen is in the nucleic acids that
make up DNA, and it also in amino acids that make
up protein.
Without these four elements it is highly unlikely
for life to exist Next, a list of elements that
the planetary bodies consist of (considering that
atmospheric and temperature conditions, rule out
life beyond it
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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
The earth is composed of multiple elements that
contribute to the evolvement and continuity of
life. Many of these elements are things that
other planets lack.
Pluto Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide
Neptune Hydrogen, Helium, Methane
Saturn Hydrogen, Helium, Methane, Carbon
Uranus Hydrogen, Helium, Methane
Earth Carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Iron,
Oxygen, Silicon, Magnesium
Mars Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, Argon, Helium,
Oxygen
Jupiter Helium, Hydrogen, Water, Ammonia,
Methane, Carbon
Venus Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, Helium, Neon,
Argon
Mercury Sodium Potassium

• Iron Required for the production of red blood
  cells but it also binds to the oxygen and
  facilitates its transport from the lungs. The
  immune system is also dependent on iron for its
  efficient functioning and physical and mental
  growth.
• Oxygen Slide one - It plays a vital role in
  breathing, in metabolism, and is what keeps our
  organs active. Many people believe that because
  there is oxygen found on mars, that there must be
  life. However, the atmospheric and surface
  conditions make it unlikely. (volcanos)
• Silicon Helps to grow and maintain strong bones,
  also it is responsible for cross-linking collagen
  strands which contributes to the strength,
  integrity, and flexibility of connective tissues
  such as those found in skin, bones, nails, and
  arteries.
• Magnesium Is a cofactor in enzyme systems that
  regulate biochemical reactions, include protein
  synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood
  glucose control, and blood pressure regulation.
  It also contributes to the structural development
  of bones and is required for the synthesis of DNA
  and RNA.

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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

• When astronomers search for life on other
  planets, they automatically begin looking for
  water. Organisms are composed of from 50 water
  to over 90 water.

Water acts as both a solvent and a delivery
mechanism, dissolving essential vitamins and
nutrients from food, and delivers them to cells.
Water acts as a medium in which organic compounds
could mix with one another.
Water facilitated the formation of the planet's
first life forms, possibly even protecting them
from the suns radiation.
Water is also used in our bodies to flush out
toxins, regulate body temperature and aid our
metabolism.
Every organism we know of needs water to survive.
In fact, without water, life on Earth would have
never begun. Astronomers have found traces of
water on a few other planets.. but earth is the
only known planet to have water near the surface.
Making it hard to have access to, if is deep
beneath layers of ice.
Scientists are certain that life requires a
liquid of some sort to survive. The only other
alternative is liquid ammonia. The problem with
that is, liquid ammonia only exists at extremely
cold temperatures, making it unlikely that
organisms could find the energy to support
metabolism.
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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
If there were life forms on other planets would
needing the same elements as us
Without nitrogen all ETs would die because
plants need that nitrogen to form certain
compounds to live.
Without iron hemoglobin does not exist and it is
essential for blood, no life without blood.
Without magnesium ETs would experience
gallstones, kidney stones, and their organs would
start shutting down and eventually cause them to
have a heart attack. (assuming they have organs)
Without oxygen their ozone layer would
disappear considering it is made up of it and
because the ozone blocks the majority of UV
light, all life would then burn to death. Another
thing that would happen is every living cell
would explode, due to the haze of hydrogen gas.
Without carbon the plants would die.. resulting
in no food source and even more important, no
oxygen source. Carbon also triggers the brain to
tell their lungs to breath.. therefore without
carbon, they would suffocate.
Without hydrogen there would be no water hence no
oxygen.
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TEMPERATURES BETWEEN THE STARS

• Interstellar medium
• Extremely tenuous by terrestrial standards
• (Ohio State)
• Most of the molecular matter in hot parts of the
• ISM are ionized
• Cold parts of ISM is about 100 Kelvin (UCSD)
• Hot parts can easily exceed 1000 Kelvin (UCSD)
• The very hot gas in the ISM has been shock
• heated by supernovae
• Travelling at speeds necessary for interstellar
• travel means that we cant come in contact with
• an molecules in the ISM because our speed
• would create so much force upon contact with
• the gas that the spacecraft would explode.

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HABITABLE ZONES

• Habitable zones required in order to support life
  are referred to as
• Circumstellar Habitable Zones (CHZ) aka the
  Goldilocks Zone
• Region around a star within which planetary-mass
  objects with sufficient atmospheric pressure can
  support liquid water at their surfaces
  (iopscience)
• Numerous planets have now been discovered in the
  CHZ. Most are super-Earths or gas giants this is
  because more massive planets are easier to
  detect. (Nytimes)
• However, The nearest such planet is 12 light
  years away

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HABITABLE ZONE
The habitable zone needed in order to support life

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COULD EXTRATERRESTRIALS HAVE BEEN HERE OR NOT?

• Radio Frequency/
• Light Spectrum
• Speed of Light
• Biological Diseases/
• Origins

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RADIO FREQUENCY/LIGHT SPECTRUM SETI Institute

• SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)
  Institute has not yet received a confirmed
  extraterrestrial signal. SETI receives little to
  no funding by the U.S. government because of the
  minimal concrete results produced by the
  Institute
• Searching for Signals from ETs
• Researchers, who search for narrow-band signals
  in the Microwave Window in the radio spectrum,
  often confuse signals caused by narrow-band,
  polarized and coded signals produced by our own
  planet (Military radar and telecommunications
  satellites)
• Sending Signals to ETS
• The signal from a radio transmitter dilutes as it
  moves farther and farther from Earth, so the
  radio telescopes a distant civilization must have
  to detect TV or radio signals from Earth would
  have to dwarf our most powerful radio telescopes
  on Earth.

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FALSE ALARMS

• Wow signal picked up at the Ohio State Radio
  Observatory in 1977 possibly could have fit
  criteria for an extraterrestrial radio signal but
  only lasted 72 seconds and was never heard of
  again.
• Researchers did rule out this was an ET signal
  and wanted verification by observing a repeat of
  the signal coming from the same part of the sky.
  While a number of searches for a repeat signal
  were undertaken, none was ever successful.

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WAVELENGHTS

• If the tables were turned and ETs were trying to
  send a signal to us, they wouldnt know if we
  received it or not. Just in the same way that a
  DJ doesnt know if you have tuned into his or her
  radio show.
• The complete exchange of messages would also take
  decades due to the finite speed of light

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RADIO FREQUENCY

• Even if ETs sent a signal through the radio
  spectrum, the Earth only has had the capability
  of sending and receiving signals for
  approximately the last 60 years. A very short
  period of time compared to how long the universe
  has existed.
• Therefore, it is not probable that ETs have been
  to Earth given that it has been such a short
  period of time that they could have received a
  radio signal from Earth.

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SPEED OF LIGHT

• It is a general scientific belief that the speed
  of light restricts interstellar and intergalactic
  space travel. Even if a spacecraft existed that
  could travel at a velocity of 299.79km/sec (speed
  of light) it would take 4.3 years for the craft
  to reach our sun's nearest neighbor the star
  known as Alpha Centauri. To reach solar systems
  or galaxies located at greater distances could
  take hundreds and even tens of thousands of light
  years.
• Albert Einstein once said that only light itself
  can travel at the speed of light. Therefore, any
  solid spacecraft will never be able to reach
  light speed, or go faster.

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SPEED OF LIGHT

• NOT SO FAST
• Sub-light speeds would be necessary, prolonging
  an already long journey in light years
• For any spacecraft to travel through space (let
  alone our own solar system), it would need an
  extremely large fuel tank and large storage area
  for the unused fuel as well.
• Even if ETs had advanced technology to travel at
  speeds close to the speed of light, could use
  antimatter as fuel, and could manipulate light
  and create wormholes within the universe, it
  could still take upwards of hundreds of years to
  reach earth.

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SPEED OF LIGHT

• While cruising at speeds below the speed of
  light, ETs and their spacecraft would be torn
  apart by space debris, meteors, and even
  planetary bodies in their path.
• The chances that a spacecraft could travel that
  fast throughout the universe without hitting an
  object is virtually 0.
• Even if this was all possible, the effects of
  traveling at the speed of light for years would
  prove disastrous to the physical bodies of the
  ETs aboard the craft

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BIOLOGICAL DISEASES/ORIGINS

• Definition
• Diseases are spread by many parts
• Vectors (Insects Animals)
• Examples

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BIOLOGICAL DISEASES/ORIGINS

• Biomarkers
• Disease Causes1. External source2. Internal
  dysfunction
• Human Immune System 
• Non-specific Immunity (innate)
• Specific Immunity

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BIOLOGICAL DISEASES/ORIGINS

• The European Colonization Effect on Native
  Americans
• Bird to Human Transmission of Disease
• Notable Zoonotic Diseases
• 1. Chlanydiosis
• 2. Salmonella

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WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US?

• Limited Elements
• Gold Abundance
• Payment
• Elimination

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GOLD AS PAYMENT
Gold only element of value to offer Abundance
Gold is included in the less than 0.1 Other
Category Non-Reactive Conductive Infrared
Reflective
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WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US?

• It is logical to automatically presume that any
  living organism would need to be fairly similar
  to us humans since we are indeed living. The
  chemical composition and elements in the universe
  are extremely important without them, life
  cannot exist. So, for us this means that IF there
  was an ET somewhere out there, it would need
  every single element together on one planet, and
  would also need a reasonable environment to
  sustain life. As explained previously, the
  chances are highly unlikely.
• Additionally, if a source of payment was sought,
  we would only have the limited resource of Gold
  to offer as payment as it is not in abundance in
  the universe and is a limited element.
• What would this mean for us? The use of our
  resources and limited elements as payment (such
  as gold) may result in the elimination of mankind
  in order to procure earth for the continuity of
  their species.

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CLOSING

• With the evidence mounting against the idea of
  extraterrestrials, and whether they have visited
  us, it is increasingly clear that we are alone.
  However, we are still infantile in the grand
  scheme of the universe. We must grow, develop,
  and explore on our own. The responsibility lies
  solely with us on Earth.

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REFERENCES
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REFERENCES
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.