Aliens.

[victoreia]

To quote Sagan, "If we are alone in the Universe, it sure seems like an awful waste of space."

Drat! You beat me to the Sagan quote!
 

I am positive that, somewhere out there, there is something equivalent to an alien lichen or amoeba out there, maybe even more advanced forms of life including sentient. However, I do not believe that if there are sentient advanced life forms out there that they're advanced enough to overcome the problems associated with faster than light travel and all the baggage and theoretical work arounds associated with it. Or that if they have, that they give a frack about visiting us, let alone probing us and screwing with our various governments etc.

I also think it's bunk to claim aliens are involved in our history. At. All.

Considering we don't recognize the other sentient lifeforms on our own planet, I'd say it's utter arrogance to believe intelligent life from elsewhere in the universe is in any way impressed by humankind. (Yes, I totally believe in the intelligence and sentience of whale and dolphins.)

There is an excellent text called Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archeology by Kenneth L. Feeder that I highly recommend anyone interested in history or science on any level read. It addresses everything from supposed ancient international  ogam writing, to ancient astronauts and pyramid building. I was originally required to read it as part of an anthropology/archeology course.

 
I'll have to look for that text. (Wanders off, wondering if the state library has it.)

[Raganhildis]

So, what's your take on extraterrestrials? Do you believe in them or not? Why or why not?

Yes, I do believe in aliens. I don't, however, necessarily believe that they're more advanced than we are. And I definitely do not hold any weight to the theories that they built the pyramids or abduct us for anal probing. Not only is that fairly selfish of the human race, but it's denigrating to ancient cultures. ...I'd go on, but I have enough rants about this posted all over the place. I don't need another.

So, to answer my question: Yep. They're out there. Do I think they have flying saucers or are "little green men"? No. Do I even think they live on a planet like we do? Probably not. They probably live on a gas giant or in the middle of a sun somewhere. I think they exist, I just don't think that we have met them nor will we.

 
I don't know the exact science or equations for it, but our universe is mind-bogglingly huge, and is... what? 12, 14 billion years old? I simply can't believe that there isn't other life out there, and I think that there is all sorts of life, all at different stages: microscopic, 'simple animals', beginnings of civilization, same stage as us, others far more advanced then us, while some would be completely unrecognizable as life.

Now, as to whether they'd be interested in us? Judging by humanity, I think some aliens would interested in us, especially if they had never come across other life before. Advanced aliens less so, since they've probably already come across other life, if faster-then-light travel is possible.

I don't know if aliens have 'visited' us. I certainly don't think they're manipulating our governments, and I tend to regard people who claim to have been abducted with a heavy dose of salt.