h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

considering you're playing devils advocate, are you warming to your subject yet?

Fair enough.

So have we narrowed the arguement down? The only reason why 'they' aren't here is because there is some galaxy-wide extinction event that resets all evolution clocks to zero?

I've suddenly become inexplicably passionate about it!

Then there's always the chance that they've succeeded, but only on a galaxial (Is that a word? It is now. Because *I* said so!) scale, and it hasn't happened in this galaxy yet. Using up the resources of an entire galaxy has to take exponentially more time than using up the resources of a single planet.

Yes. But CLAIMING the resourses of a galaxy would be much quicker.

Funny how when you play devils advocate you begin to believe, if only a little, in the subject a little... just shows why we should all be open minded eh?

But it doesn't make sense to start claiming resources in another galaxy when the resources in your own already exceed your needs on a massive scale. "What's my motivation?"

Yes. But arguements are healthy. ESPECIALLY ones that don't have any consequenses.

That was a reply to post 26 by the way.

I wasn't talking about inter-galactic colonisation. Only colonisation within our own galaxy.

Its getting a bit confusing, isn't it?

yes, healthy they are... I think it is especially healthy to argue from the view contrary to your own as well... still, where were we...

Did someone mention motivation?

Fiedlers,

Are you finding it difficult flipping between conversations so fast?

Motivation? If there are a number of races competing for the limited resourses of a galaxy, there is every motivation to expand.

A galaxy-wide ELE would reset the counters, then... but we'd still be on just as much time as the rest of the galaxy.

Being that we're in the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy, in sector ZZ9PluralA (or some such nonsense), it's entirely possible that someone is colonizing other star systems, but hasn't made it to our neighborhood yet.

Or they're avoiding us, because they picked up our first television broadcasts, which came from Nazi Berlin.

I must admit, all of my arguements have come straight from Stephen Baxter's book 'Space'. I recommend it to anyone interested in this thread.

that is what the book is about

Or maybe they're hiding out on Pluto, having picked up Pop Idol!!! American Idol to you Blathers....

F99... yeah, sometimes it gets a little taxing, but you get used to it... I don't get involved in debates too much, just prefer to mess around making quips... I do find it annoying thought when you try to engage someone and they give you the brush off without answering your questions... still, c'est la vie...

Funny you should mention that... the very book is now sitting on my bookshelf awaiting its turn... 'Time' is sat with it...

When you've read it, look back to this thread. You'll see i'm a fraud.

hmmm, I seen to have inadvertantly come across a link there...

Flake why have you started two threads about essentially the same subject?