Why we might be alone in the Universe

There are trillions upon trillions of stars and worlds in our Universe. Faced with such large numbers, it's tempting to conclude that there must surely be other life out there, somewhere. But is this right? Could the probability of life beginning be a number so small that we are alone? A video essay by Professor David Kipping.
You can now support our research program and the Cool Worlds Lab at Columbia University: www.coolworldslab.com/support
Further reading and resources:
► Chen, Jingjing & Kipping, David (2018), "On the Rate of Abiogenesis from a Bayesian Informatics Perspective", Astrobiology, 18, 12: www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.108...
► Hanson, Robin (1998), "Must Early Life Be Easy? The Rhythm of Major Evolutionary Transitions": mason.gmu.edu/~rhanson/hardste...
► Benzene in space materials and story: sci.esa.int/hubble/24530-stell...
► Columbia University Department of Astronomy: www.astro.columbia.edu
► Cool Worlds Lab website: coolworlds.astro.columbia.edu
Music is largely by Chris Zabriskie (chriszabriskie.com/) and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/..., in order of appearance;
► The Sun is Scheduled to Come Out Tomorrow ( / the-sun-is-scheduled-t... )
► Music from Neptune Flux, "We Were Never Meant to Live Here" (chriszabriskie.com/neptuneflux/)
► Cylinder Five (chriszabriskie.com/cylinders/)
► Music from Neptune Flux, "Stories About the World That Once Was" (chriszabriskie.com/neptuneflux/)
► "Waking Up" by Atlas, licensed through SoundStripe.com: app.soundstripe.com/songs/3984
► Cylinder Two (chriszabriskie.com/cylinders/)
► Piano cover of S.T.A.Y. (Hans Zimmer) byt Jordie Eskes: • Hans Zimmer - S.T.A.Y ...
Video materials used:
► Intro/outro video by Miguel Aragon of Johns Hopkins University with Mark Subbarao of the Adler Planetarium and Alex Szalay of Johns Hopkins using Sloan Digitial Sky Survey data: • A Flight Through the U...
► Bacteria videos from Nikon Small World competition: www.nikonsmallworld.com/galle... and • 2015 Nikon Small World...
► Tour of the J. Craig Venter Institute by Hedrich Blessing Motion and Sound: vimeo.com/92895327
► Tardigrade footage: • Video
► Yellowstone park footage: • Yellowstone 4k Video S...
► Bill Nye interview with Rita Braver aired on CBS Sunday Morning July 10 2016: • Bill Nye the Science G...
► Neil deGrasse Tyson interview with Charlie Rose aired on PBS May 26 2015: • Neil deGrasse Tyson: '...
► Carl Sagan interview with Charlie Rose aired on PBS May 27 1996: • Carl Sagan's last inte...
► Brian Cox interview on This Morning, ITV aired December 2 2014: • Brian Cox Questions If...
► Milky Way animation by Stefan Payne-Wardenaar: vimeo.com/330625918
Films clips used:
► Star Trek: The Next Generation
► Them! (1953)
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THANKS FOR WATCHING!!

[@CoolWorldsLab]

So you now know how I answer the question “do you think we’re alone?” - but how about you? ;-) thanks for watching guys!

[@matthewharrison333]

Amazing video! Please keep them coming!

[@EthenBergen]

Very thought provoking. Good job, thank you.

[@MrAndrew535]

Technically, you cannot answer that question, only the person you are addressing can do that. Also, if the universe is infinite, which it almost certainly is, then the emergence of life in an infinite number of places becomes (by extension) an absolute certainty.

[@zengara11]

I thought this video was all scientific and sht, showcasing something that is essential for life to grow and can only be happening on this planet or some sht. Not an ideology about life itself >.< Good video tho, keep it up!

[@DaFinkingOrk]

Very good video! I agree that we cannot currently know. I guess and speculate, and I think we can look at the ribosome as a key here. A very basic proto-ribosome could have formed in two ways, with protein first or RNA first. Also a mechanism of inheritance could have formed either way first too. As long as at least one can occur easily enough abiotically, and give rise to the other (these are the things we don't know, except knowing RNA can probably form proteins on its own in a purely-RNA proto-ribosome and that proteins can certainly form RNA). If and only if it requires both to be simultaneously initiated, and that that is unlikely even in a vast ocean of hot chemical soup, then life could be much rarer. The problem I see is that although we can "initiate" some very basic form of chemical self-replicator via RNA or proteins (proteins being more likely to be capable of replication especially in a bath of amino acids), for actual viable life beyond just random chemistry we require RNA, proteins and lipids to come together in a special way. That might IMO be the hardest step. Despite that, I think that life can form relatively "easily" enough to be common. With lipids self-aggregating into capsules easily, amino acids being common in the universe and nucleic acids at least being present (haven't we detected evidence for that? Not sure) or being able to be naturally formed catalysed by volcanism or similar in a chemical soup, then life should be common. The problem i see is if amino acids and/or nucleic acids won't randomly polymerise enough abiotically. That woukd be a big problem. RNA is what really needs to form for life to begin IMO (I am no expert! And have little evidence). RNA can both code information like its stable cousin DNA can, but it can also fold into complex shapes and thus perform as a controlled repeatable catalyst for chemical reactions - like proteins. It can then form structures to replicate itself, and that is all that is needed (though it needs to happen 'en masse') for Darwinian evolution to begin. It can then later start catalysing the polymerisation of amino acids into proteins, and then those proteins can later start catalysing the copying of RNA into DNA. RNA is very much a poorer version of proteins and DNA. But we look at life from a very DNA-oriented perspective. I studied mechanisms in yeast by which proteins themselves carry inheritance and participate in evolution - unique prion-like proteins that can do some special things similar to RNA. This appears rare in nature, but it exists and happens. What if proteins like these (which are capable of converting other similar proteins into copies of themselves and aggregating into complexes, which can do stuff such as catalysing reactions) came first, and quickly gained the ability to produce RNA. We lost most of these Darwinian proteins over the aeons as they would be very poor in comparison to RNA, the RNA life they could have created would quickly overtake them. If amino acids, but not nucleic acids, are present in abiotic conditions throughout the universe, and polymerisation of amino acids can occur via common but abiotic means, then this protein-first start to life could be far more feasible than RNA first and solve the problem of either naturally-occuring nucleic acids or natural mechanisms to polymerise them, needed to form sufficiently long chains of RNA, being very rare or unlikely to be produced randomly. Excuse that awfully written sentence.

[@JCNL871]

At least it would explain why Earth keeps winning Miss Universe every year

[@niveyoga3242]

😂😂😂😂

[@mgpvii]

That is so awesome!

[@jamespatrick5853]

😀😀😀 best comment of Internet 😀

[@aroj745]

Depends who you ask, once we agree that a miss is the best on the planet, it's safe to say that she's the prettiest in 'our' universe since beauty is in the eye of the human beholder. I'm sure every alien being that has beauty contests feels the same way as it's very difficult to think of a sexier lifeform than the ones that have evolved attributes to make us want to reproduce with them. We could never truly judge an unbiased interplanetary miss universe unless we judged our local lifeforms and then asked God to pick the winner...I think God is smart enough to not tell any single female lifeform that she is prettier than the other finalists. 🤪🤣🙏

[@dragonlord1935]

Umm...Excuse me, did you just ASSUME the Earth's gender?

[@foley15136]

If you’re right and we’re the only ones out there, it makes it all the more tragic with what we do to each other.

[@maddman4747]

INDEED, MR. FOLEY..

[@csulb75]

foley15136 Yeah! Because if there were others out there we could be doing it to them or vice versa.

[@foley15136]

Woyam Chny It was more of a commentary on the idea that if there’s only 7 billion intelligent beings currently alive in this universe, we’re even more rare and precious. If that were so, it makes it extremely sad. To us, 7 billion sounds like a lot, but on a universal scale, it’s almost nothing.

[@sharonsmilesphotography5553]

True, we need to take care of one another and move forward into the universe.

[@joshuatraffanstedt2695]

Yep. It would mean life is extremely delicate. We could ultimately be the reason life ends in the entire universe lol. But I dont believe we're alone in the universe. Just because we dont see it doesnt mean it's not there. We dont even know that life doesnt exist in our own solar system (outside Earth, I mean). We dont know that at some point in the past that life didnt exist elsewhere in the Solar System. To find evidence of life, we'd have to be looking in the exact right place at the exact right time. I also doubt that intelligent life would be so careless as to shoot radio signals off into the universe like we do. History has shown that lifeforms finding other lifeforms when they migrate doesnt fair well for the less advanced lifeforms. Native Americans are prime examples of that.

[@kerstinschwarz5222]

If we really are that special, it makes it so much more tragic and sadder how we are destroying ourselves and other lifeforms currently around.

[@cesarrobledo2583]

Why? We’re currently in the most peaceful era in human history

[@justinmiller947]

​@@cesarrobledo2583even better, we are the most peaceful planet with life that we know of in the universe.

[@liukang3545]

@@cesarrobledo2583 lol you dumb pissbrain we are destroying the planet hahahaha not by wars LOL dont reproduce

[@hherrie3tuoepiw]

​​@@justinmiller947granted, but there might be just the slightest bit of bias in that sentiment

[@fireblademapping131]

​@cesarrobledo2583 yeah, but for most of that peace period, from the end of WW2, we've developed swathes of WMD that, if misused, could threaten human existence. Best case scenario, devolved society. Worst case scenario, slow and painful extinction due to mass famine, disease and radiation.

[@davidtatro7457]

I think this was the most profound, most honest, and most beautiful video I've ever seen on this topic.

[@andreedwards7178]

I love how he was able to take the sadness of possibly being absolutley alone in the universe and turn it into romanticism and a perspective of profound beauty. Always well spoken!

[@spenser6353]

no one really knows to be honest

[@SovereignStatesman]

Hey, I just say "More for US!" It only takes 10,000 years to colonize the entire universe, plus travel-time.

[@lifeonlockdown7818]

@@SovereignStatesman Exactly! If there are other civilizations out also colinizing the universe that would just mean more compitition for us also trying to expand. If there was no life thay wouln no compitition and we could exand and colinize freely with the universe. If there was no life one possibility is that we could just stay hers on tnis planet or solar system and let the rest of universe die. If there was other life and we just stayed here would be just letting them take all that space for them selves! If you did leave to colinize other planets and star and maybe eventualy galexys and there is onther life out there, there would probobly be some compitition or war I mean unless you make some sort of treaty or get endorsed or somthing.

[@mestanley1753]

People see what they want to see.

[@PhysioAl1]

Indeed!

[@AlexKasper]

"Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying." - Arthur C. Clarke

[@reynaldowify]

The hell that´s right

[@Gizziiusa]

...and what if we are in some extremely complex simulated reality ? oops, a third possibility has entered the chat.

[@subspace666]

@@Gizziiusa , only 2 possibilities exist , if we are simulated it means we exists and so does someone else , so it pretty much is the second possibility that we are indeed not alone.

[@lauraholmes9353]

If we are alone we can own it all. That’s cool not really scary. We can do whatever we want and control the life we put out there. I’m just trying to be optimistic I guess.

[@Gizziiusa]

@@subspace666 granted, your point is valid. I didnt elaborate with the possibility/probability of a intelligently designed "reality construct" wherein with our limited ability of perception (3 dimensional reality with time), we will never really know if we are alone or not. thus, this third option is still on the table, the third option of "never knowing". aka neither A or B.

[@Lekter]

I like this theory. I've always thought we are alone. It shouldn't be scary. It's amazing and it should make you feel more special and therefore appreciate life more.

[@M4R10_]

yes! completely alone! even simple life form doesnt exist! not in this universe! maybe in another universe!

[@schuey999]

But unfortunately the democrats ruin the special nature of us. Bunch of dirtt bbags

[@A.D.540]

@@M4R10_ thats hard to say until we send mission to each planet in our solar system its bad idea.

[@manwthaplan]

Nope sorry. I don't care how any smarter person than me tries to make it sound. If we are alone for the size of the universe then we are in an experiment. Some form of captivity and what we see as the universe might be a type of gel holding us in our fish tank. For reason I cannot fathom.

[@toby9999]

I see no reason to believe we're alone. We might be aline but there's no way to know either way.

[@livethemoment5148]

From another commenter, I picked up the scary thought that sometimes , some of us, can feel alone even here on Earth, and now we contemplate being further alone in the universe, by god, that is a heck of a lot of loneliness! The other sad thought, is, and i agree with the video, we are truly rare , truly diamonds in the universe, yet as we sit here and watch this video, humans are actively working to destroy life on Earth and even to destroy themselves into extinction. This is very sad, but very true.

[@darkerorc224]

I just wanted to say thank you for inspiring my father. Hes 65 and has always love space and science ever since I was alive-he actually told me to watch this, said it was his "favorite yt video". It helped breathe new life into him. He said "the last part is my favorite. I watch it all the time."- He has been struggling with addiction for the past few years since my grandparents passed away and he had to retire from a back injury on the job.; but your last sentiment "that makes us special and incredibly rare like diamonds." It really touched his heart. Thank you so much for helping give my father new life

[@Tearstank]

Agree this channel is really inspiring and uplifting! It really does breathe new life into me as well

[@johnsiverls116]

Man yearns for everlasting life because man is made in the image of God. There's the natural and the Spiritual so life does exist .

[@fisterB]

A single candle holding back the darkness.

[@ericgranberg8893]

OK, you make me laugh, and cry, and want to hug you, all at the same time. But here's the deal. I'm 70, and frankly you sound like me.

[@ericgranberg8893]

@@GBNationalist There is exactly ZERO way to know for sure whether you are right or whether the person you are responding to is right. Which makes you as big a fool as what you accuse them of.

[@davidlucey1311]

Even if there is other life, the distance makes all of it effectively isolated.

[@doesnotexist305]

Which is unfortunate. As the universe continues to expand, any civilization will become completely isolated.

[@all0utmetal735]

@David Lucey yes but what if you could bend space time to your will? Given enough energy the laws of physics allow for the creation of a wormhole. A super advanced species might be able to pull that off and would thus be able to visit other areas of the universe that would otherwise be impossible. Also... you have to consider that a super advanced species might not even be 100 percent biological anymore out of shear necessity to adapt to the elements of space and foreign worlds and would be able to live for thousands maybe even millions of years therefore distances wouldn’t even matter. Or both.... 🤔🤭

[@psi4262]

@@all0utmetal735 interesting tell me more

[@JayJay5244]

Well they found the way to us still after the Pentagon officially confirmed the existence of UFOs and they have no idea what’s going on. Apparently even the US Senate wants to investigate this further… kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHPXfpV4hd-kfrs

[@donviitoriodasicachiavi5555]

@@doesnotexist305 Yess but is a paradigm rather than crude reality when science of 👽 have already Tahionic speed spacetime traveling.

[@shawna.4601]

Such a intriguing & profound video that gives one a lot to think about. I appreciated the part saying it’s ok to admit when we don’t know something. I’ve always thought given the # of galaxies, stars etc life is likely elsewhere, however recently I’ve been much more conscience & appreciate what life had to go through to be here today & it’s simply remarkable. One of the best quotes all time “either we are alone in the universe or we aren’t, either answer is terrifying”

[@duckydrummer6331]

David is so good at getting points across. No matter what the subject matter, I think he could put the proper words together to hold our attention. If he were a psychologist, he could probably offer unique insights in the same way he does the universe and help a lot of people.

[@sanpol4399]

Ironically, one of the things that makes me respect a scientist is when he says : _I don't know !

[@WyreForestBiker]

"I don't know" is the starting point of all science . Pretending to know everything the basis of all religion .

[@wittwittwer1043]

@Zurround100: The great thing about actual scientists is that they have to publish results to get noticed. They have to defend their theses, or the models they create via peer review. The geologist who first theorized plate tectonics was laughed to scorn. Time has a way of correcting or at least adjusting false theories.

[@wittwittwer1043]

@@WyreForestBiker: "I don't know" is the starting point of all science." I disagree, the starting point of science is "WHY"

[@WyreForestBiker]

@@wittwittwer1043 I framed my response in reaction to the original posting. Asking "why" infers that you don't know in any case.

[@dazecm]

Even more important is that, when new evidence comes in, scientists are willing to update their position to reflect the new data :)

[@popsrahul86]

In my childhood, the very thought that "we are not alone" used to give me goosebumps. Now as an adult, the very thought that "we are alone" gives me more goosebumps....

[@JJBenavidez]

@Nick Miller who asked nigga

[@mikeytodd7]

@@JJBenavidez Who is this Nigga you speak of? I've never heard of him. Does he usually know these types of questions?

[@JJBenavidez]

@@mikeytodd7 bruh

[@Jordan-qu9rv]

@@JJBenavidez hey it's the nigga guy

[@ataladin87]

@@mikeytodd7 im dead ahaahahahahahha

[@aquaticape68]

I have to admit that this video completely destroyed me. By the end I was weeping uncontrollably. I was ready for a universe without other intelligences, but to face the possibility that there is NO OTHER LIFE IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE is absolutely terrifying.

[@NobodyYouKnow98]

Why is it terrifying? What possible difference does it make to your life?

[@Ryan-eu3kp]

I'm sorry, but I think you are emotionally underdeveloped.

[@briantw99]

@@NobodyYouKnow98 Are you plankton?

[@greenktoo]

We won the universe equivalent of the lottery. The Odds were trillions and trillions to one against winning, but we won it.

[@WaxPaper]

I hear you. People can be edgelords about this subject, but it doesn't take a philosopher to recognize there's a profound, existential component to this idea. Especially when you consider that the human race is less likely to survive as long as people often imagine, in science fiction. There may not be an inhabitable world within reach, and the less inhabitable ones like Mars may not be practical. We might have a few thousand years left, and after that, sentience leaves the universe. Maybe it'll return, maybe it won't. We might be living in the only little sliver of time that the universe had life, had consciousness.

[@TheColonelKlink]

"I don't know" is the beginning of wisdom. A brilliant presentation. Thank you.

[@Mikey-ym6ok]

The smartest person or people are/is the one who knows they know nothing

[@gps9715]

@@Mikey-ym6ok Dunning Kruger syndrome

[@zimbabwe_twinnedwithanfield]

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

[@chadwomack919]

@@zimbabwe_twinnedwithanfield Curious as to why the Lord should be feared?

[@zimbabwe_twinnedwithanfield]

@@chadwomack919 For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. I, possess knowledge and discretion; wisdom dwell together with prudence. To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgement are mine; I have understanding and power. By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just: by me princes govern and all nobles who rule on earth.” These things stand out clearly here: • Wisdom is to depart from evil: “I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” • Wisdom is greater than rubies which is money • Wisdom is knowledge, discernment, power, sound judgement, understanding and discretion. • Wisdom is to listen to God’s word.

[@gordon3002]

If we really are are alone just think how lucky we are to be alive.

[@Futuresolidsnake]

Even if we’re not alone, we are still incredibly lucky to exist. Incredibly lucky!

[@thefpvlife7785]

Not currently with the MAGA nuts.

[@Futuresolidsnake]

The FPV Life I wish I could argue with that! 😃

[@1pcfred]

@@thefpvlife7785 don't like it then leave.

[@RonioFOX]

Luck don't exist

[@Bonkers4Hex]

I've always said this, that there doesn't necessarily have to be other life out there. I actually like that we might be unique, whereas others seem to be the other way out and want nothing more than other life out there.

[@JM-wf2to]

My confusion and curiosity lies in the fact there are likely many other sentient civilizations out there BUT we're still seeing their universes as they were dozens of millions of years ago and thus we can't see them and they can't see us...yet

[@xisotopex]

more likely worlds that are nothing more than primitive single cell organisms

[@Blakefulable]

Man... as a 29 year old that's been walking a pretty lame existence for the past 8 years, this brought me to tears at the end. I spend so much time hating my life and hoping that something brings an end to it because I don't have the bottle to do it myself, but the ending of this video just brought me out of that temporarily, to the point that I had tears streaming down my face. If we're truly all there is, there's not a single monetary value you could place on what we're going through. If you could sell your "existence" (the existence which I hate so much a lot of the time, that I complain about, and feel excited to be over with) there is not an amount high enough that would put a fair value on it. If we're truly alone, it's the most valuable thing in the entire universe. I guess I mean, if there were ever electronic-non-physical beings that knew we existed, and could some how buy our existence to try it for themselves, to see how it truly feels to walk on a planet in a real human body, there is no amount that could buy it. Crazy thought, and it's definitely shifted my view on things. Man I hope I start feeling like life is worth sticking out. I know life's a beautiful thing, I just can't bring myself to open my eyes and see it recently.

[@Blakefulable]

@@SuperYtc1 I agree. Although I'd argue that beauty is in the "eye of the beholder" as they say, and although I struggle to see it sometimes, other times I absolutely love life, but you're right.

[@PedroOrtega1993]

@@SuperYtc1 As somebody who struggles to love himself (and is quite ugly), I feel content knowing I will never have a wife & kids. My genes shall die with me.

[@gracey_bun]

Right, this just makes me appreciate life more.

[@emmyharris2355]

@@PedroOrtega1993 I know that the world we live in is terribly superficial, and that the standard of "beauty" we are programmed to accept, is ridiculous, and virtually unattainable... The faces and bodies that Hollywood parades in front of us are only possible with health, beauty, and medical regiments that are available to the chosen few.... and even the A-list actors/actresses, models, celebrities, etc. were not BORN looking this way, and I guarantee you that without all the makeup, editing, filters, plastic surgery, enhancements.... even these assholes DO NOT wake up looking like their avatar! Besides all that, for me personally, I find that branded beauty boring and FAKE AF. Normal people do not look like that and they dont even look like that at home on a Sunday night. I know it sounds corny, and I may not represent any majority, but FOR REAL REAL.... True Beauty, Real Beauty...... That shit is NOT skin deep.... It is NOT shallow.... It is not false..... It is authentic and natural and deep.... It begins INSIDE a person and radiates out..... And whoever has tricked you into thinking that you are not worthy of love because of your outer layer of skin not being up to par..... then they are a superficial, cruel, trivial, bully piece of shit..... and Pedro, if you are a kind, compassionate, useful human being - then you are more beautiful than all these mofo's.... Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise or who cant see past the shallowness of outward appearances and ACTUALLY SEE you in there..... you dont want those people anyway. I know many people out there are shitty, and that the world puts an impossible pressure on us to be like the "beautiful people" on screen. But I also know there are people out here like myself, who value the good stuff in the middle of someone, and who take the time and care to LOOK and SEE the humans around them. So, give yourself some love for the things that matter. Dont be like them.. they have it all wrong. With kindness and respect, Emily.

[@caleb-mk5tk]

@Uranus you seem like fun guy to party with.

[@kevenquinlan]

Lost in the dark, a singular candle holding back the empty void of thoughtlessness, what a responsibility it is then, to be... alive.

[@gd3369]

lol for someone that doesn't like enormous responsibility that would be like a brink in the face lol

[@MrWhangdoodles]

I'm gonna steal that quote.

[@alexs7097]

Lovely quote, a true testament to the human ability to state the obvious, however, those words are vain. We are not alone, we have never been alone. The question is not who they are and where they come from, but why.

[@PowerMixxes]

To be honest there almost no chance we are alone, the argument that we are lucky that we survived through so many disastrous events only points towards that its not that hard for life to evolve! If you look at thousands of different species that live today on our planet and someone tells you that 99% of species that were alive on planet earth are extinct I would think that its impossible (if planet earth itself wont collapse) for living organism to go extinct! So being able to survive through 5 mass extinctions seems to point out to that its nearly impossible to go extinct once life started! Also if from simple bacteria evolved millions of animal, fish species then it seems in the Universe should be the same, from star dust there must evolve life and it must evolve everywhere! So it seems based on evolution on earth and based on how hard for living organism to die out and how easy through time for it to multiply and evolve (from small rat mammal to lions, monkeys, humans, zebras, elephants, giraffes....), Life in the Universe should and it did (from big bang to stars to galaxies to planets to life) to evolve in big abundance and variety!

[@dt6653]

@@PowerMixxes Surviving disaster is great but that has nothing to do with how likely or often life gets started.

[@Exosta]

This is one of the best videos of your channel, crystal clear explanation and perfect reasoning flow. Extremely easy to follow, yet no stone is left unturned

[@mainemceachern1521]

Another brilliant piece of imaginative scientific story-telling. Thank you David and the Cool Worlds team!

[@-A-c]

18:49 "I can live with doubt.....and uncertainty.....and not knowing. I find it more interesting to live not knowing than have answers that might be wrong" -Richard Feynman Imo, probably the greatest lesson that nearly no one wants to learn, let alone take the time to make it a part of their everyday life. Because I think most people find it too scary to be humble.

[@VG-rj8pn]

it takes an idiot to think doubt is good. knowledge transcends everything. Ive spoken to aliens face to face I don't have to dumb down and live like a retard. Ive learned the secret to reality and mind. Mind is the final frontier not space

[@VG-rj8pn]

then you richard feynman have a small mind!

[@-A-c]

@@VG-rj8pn Sorry you feel this way.

[@VG-rj8pn]

@@-A-c you need to be sorry YOU FEEL this way. You are the one who will suffer due to the wrong state of mind.

[@VG-rj8pn]

@@-A-c and its not how I feel its how it is.

[@kalann89]

This 25 minute video taught me more about respecting other people on this planet than 30 years of living here. Thank you! That was brilliant.

[@fluthyhehim66]

well that's the if scenario, if we are really alone then yes

[@PungiFungi]

Respecting all life.

[@ChinnuWoW]

Being born out of extremely low chance is not a reason to be respected.

[@ChinnuWoW]

@John Grygus No. That's called a FAIRY TALE.

[@ChinnuWoW]

@John Grygus No, moron. Even if I did believe that, adding a god to that theory would recreate the exact same problem. It would only add an extra unnecessary step and would solve nothing. Believing in god is shallow thinking for simpletons. Everything changes states but nothing is created nor destroyed. I don't think there even is such a thing as a "void". What you think of as a void is just non-oscillating quantum fields. And why would you assume that nothingness is more probable than the existence of matter?

[@animeyahallo3887]

I've watched probably tens of thousands of videos in youtube, and this is in the top1% of it. the ending statement is just marvelous.

[@JoniniTheChickenNugget]

these videos are always providing far more nuanced views backed with solid reasoning, great content!

[@InsidetheCasino]

If we’re alone in the universe, that’s one extremely big waste of space.

[@truthseeker3857]

Inside the Casino There are enough life forms here on earth, yet humans cannot live in peace among them. Why look for life elsewhere in the universe...start a war over there too?

[@dipanjanghosal1662]

@@truthseeker3857 for us humans, exploration comes before peace

[@truthseeker3857]

Dipanjan Ghosal That’s like putting the cart ahead of the horse. 👌

[@dipanjanghosal1662]

@@truthseeker3857 its true that discovering something has risks associated with it. However risks have never stopped us from discovering. Its our nature. Its how we progressed. An alien contact is risky, but we humans will pursue it regardless. This is why we have progressed so far.

[@TOMAS-lh4er]

We are the only ones , If there ARE others it is because God created them also , not because there are so many planets, That there just has to be others ! the only proff is ourselves , our awareness of ourselves is a special abilty that God gave us ,that no other creature developed or needed !!

[@benthelearner6104]

Wow, you are one of the rare speaker on KZbin to speak slowly. But I watch all the video. You are the proof that it is possible to do more slow pace video!

[@maddman4747]

IT DOES TAKE AWAY THE FEELING OF BEING STEAM ROLLED ON A GIVEN TOPIC..

[@martinkunev9911]

That's why I watch the video at 1.45 speed.

[@maddman4747]

@@martinkunev9911 poor thing..

[@ophionnox1582]

The thing I like about not knowing would be the effect that has on our creativity and the ability to daydream. If we knew everything, would there be anything left to wonder about?

[@Mindseas]

The most beautiful part of the idea that we're alone, and that each of us is the result of impossible odds and precious, is that whether or not that's true, we should still treat each other that way. Thank you for this, it's lovely to listen to and very encouraging and inspiring.

[@katymaurer388]

"How rare and beautiful it truly is to even exist" - Sleeping at Last

[@cthulhuhoops7538]

I've never been instilled with existential dread in such a beautifully eloquent way.

[@normjohn217]

Do not fear. You will live until you die and most of the people on this world and all of the people on other worlds will not know of your existence.

[@jmitterii2]

@@normjohn217 Like so many millions, or billions of trees or trillions of plankton that live and die, and nobody notice any particular one of them fall or die or ever be alive in the first place.

[@arktouros.]

Beat me to this comment. By 5 months.

[@MidnightOilAndInk]

Which is why I think what you're doing with your staff is precisely what you should be doing. Youre teaching the general public of exactly what you're supposed to be doing! Kudos to you and your team. Keep keeping it simple so all understand the big picture. Diamonds of the Universe! Rock Onward

[@SmackWild-yb1rr]

Fascinating talk. It's refereshing to hear the subject of one of humanity's most compelling questions being discussed so rationally and so intellectually. Whatever the answer, it does indeed have profound implications for our species. I just hope we do find the answer some day, though I'm not certain we ever will, and that prospect is somewhat depressing. But that's exactly why we must keep looking. Our pursuit of the answer may yet also reveal the answer to that other compelling question humanity has been asking itself since we first gazed up at the stars..."Why am I here?"

[@petepottieski6673]

Awesome voice for narration. Love your videos. Some of the best! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@craiglabulis8431]

Every time I watch this video, I feel a certain way that I can't quite describe. I don't know if it's sadness, wonderment, fear, loneliness, or simply a longing for answers. Regardless, I keep coming back to experience it again.

[@dr.jamesolack8504]

Watched it 5 or6 times in the past couple of years. Will probably watch it 5 or 6 times in the next couple of years. Just can’t put it down……

[@johngreenwood1610]

Your Feelings of sadness and loneliness comes from not knowing God...? Your wonderment is knowing that there is indeed a Devine plan in the creation of the universe and Life on Earth and your feelings of fear is the acknowledgement of God and the true reality of your existence this understanding would have in your daily life...? Possibly?

[@raghav7020]

this is exactly what happens to me

[@harpyeagle5814]

The feeling is existentialism. Welcome to the club

[@woollymangina65]

Yep.

[@manbearpig2164]

I believe there is life out there, but my real question is why does the universe exist at all, and how

[@Loganbub]

This is also a question that fascinates me

[@kloboklonz9589]

...and not to forget another haunting question: why is it of all things me, who can think about it. In other words: why am I Me and not someone else???

[@MattExzy]

@@kloboklonz9589 I think consciousness and sense of self is universal. Just like with our appearance, tastes, traits, features - condense it all down, and it's really all the same, save for some subtle differences. The differences all add up of course... but really, I think nature cheats - individuality is just another magic trick. We all have subjective experiences, but those experiences are all incredibly normalised - to another intelligence, we might not even appear sentient.

[@haydndavies2248]

Now that's a deep question and a brilliant one. Why how when what for.

[@noudialp]

@@kloboklonz9589 It's not you, it's us. Imagine being born and growing up in an empty tube. When you turn 20 the only think you would think is the dark tube and nothing else. It would be you and the mighty tube then. Humans evolve collectively.

[@7pastorb]

This video inadvertently makes a strong case for creation. How interesting.

[@tdbla98]

Wow, I didn't know about the lab where the simulated lightning and created amino acids and stuff. That's super cool and I'm so happy I found your channel. Super in depth videos and I love hearing someone's thoughts on these things who has more knowledge than most :)

[@westnblu]

The idea of lightning creating life is nothing new really. It was first proposed two centuries ago and that's how the story of Frankenstein came to be.

[@franklinkz2451]

The diamond of the universe ending gave me chills, tears and a large smile at the same time! Thank you! Fk me that was deep

[@MrDominos106]

Me too

[@mattipsycho8250]

There is something in that statement that deeply resonates with me too. Although diamonds are quite common in the universe, but that's beside the point.

[@Hy-jg8ow]

We may not be the diamonds, but the blemish of the universe.

[@outstandingcruise3613]

The last few minutes of the presentation touched me to my very most deepest core and humbled my perception of what my life is currently and what surrounds me daily.Truly makes me think that we should all find it in our human hearts and minds to respect and love one another unconditionally for as long as we have a breath in our bodies.We right here and right now are truly a living miracle.

[@rgawt1870]

Outstanding Cruise I couldn't have said it better myself this video was deep

[@harveywallbanger2899]

Seek you Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! You will never feel alone again God Bless.

[@robboinnz]

Outstanding Cruise, yes assuming we are alone. This video hit me too bro.

[@duke68318]

Your final statements at 24 minutes moved me to tears. Thank you for this video 🤗

[@wireless849]

Watching this, it occurred to me that I had never really considered the rare earth hypothesis as viable, and that this was based solely on intuition. Your elegantly reasoned video gave me one of those rare moments when something in your worldview shifts, the profound moments that stay with you. What is very curious is that it was not just my assessment of the probability of a single fact that changed, but the way I viewed many other, more human, things. We are very possibly alone.

[@chewy7073]

Imagine the billions of years of evolution and it took us humans less than 2000 years to be technologically advanced. We became intelligent and curious of other intelligent lifeforms AFTER billions of years of evolution. So my point is, I think every habitable planet has their own specific evolution timer of its lifeforms. As an example, maybe our closest habitable planet currently has lifeforms that is equivalent to 500 million years ago on Earth. So we don't see intelligent lifeforms now since they're in their prehistoric period. Maybe we'll go extinct 50,000 years later and 500 million years later, those lifeforms are celebrating their first space flight to their moon and wondering if they are alone. In conclusion, the odds of two intelligent lifeforms being within close proximity and within the same narrow evolution window is astronomically low.

[@HH-dd2xq]

By this logic you'd then also expect your other neighbor to be form of life 500 million years more advanced than you.

[@ungmd21]

At least use proper terminology. Abiogenesis NOT evolution

[@PaulRobert474]

@@ungmd21 Abiogenesis is and always will be an unproven theory. To say Life was started by non-life is as crazy a theory as we were created by a divine being.

[@ungmd21]

@@PaulRobert474 abiogenesis is not a theory but a descriptive term. Evolution IS a theory

[@ForcesNL]

@@ungmd21 Evolution is fact. Species evolve every day. Offspring are more adapted every time. Look at every mammal in the Ocean and how they changed from living on the land. They are evolved from the land, other than fish such as sharks. There's so many proof in bonestructures that you cannot say that it is a theory.

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

One of the most profound videos on this platform.

[@behrensf84]

I think a reasonable argument for there being life out there in the universe would be that every time we thought we were special, we have been proven to be ordinary.

[@2020Twenty]

Though that's not always the case. We now know that certain things close to us really ARE rare, unique or special. For instance, humanity itself is a unique mammal. Not only our intelligence, but other factors, eg bipedalism, our running endurance, our dextrous hands, our capacity to sweat, our long growth phase. Our sun, too is quite rare. It is a G-type yellow dwarf star, not very common compared to the vast majority of stars, which are M-type (red dwarfs) or K-type (orange dwarfs). And even among G-type stars, our sun is still unusual. It is unusually bright and hot for its mass compared to other G stars. Our moon, too, is unusual. For one, no other moon in the solar system formed the way it did. Our moon is also the largest proportionally to its planet, of any planet in the solar system, and plays a big role in stabilising Earth's orbit. This is again, very rare for planets anywhere. TLDR; the factors that make Earth, Earth, and us, us, are very rare in the universe, and are anything but ordinary. Many times, new discoveries have violated the Copernican principle and challenged our assumptions of mediocrity.

[@mutabore7]

Ordinary compared to whom? How many samples do you have?

[@milinkerhe]

Amazing video! Finally some sense concerning extraterrestial life, rather than the ignorant/ unrealistic broken record that we always hear from 'experts'. Thank you!

[@johnstevenson9956]

Even Carl Sagan, who was convinced the universe was full of life, admitted that we may be alone. As he said, "After all, somebody had to be the first." And of course, there's a big gap between being alone and having a "crowded" universe. Maybe there are just one or 2 others.

[@maddman4747]

CARL WAS A SALESMAN FOR NASA, AND A GOOD ONE I MIGHT AD, BUT ONLY A SALESMAN

[@maddman4747]

@@nonenone5326 CHILD, SO WHAT'S WITH THE LABELS..? SO QUICK TO CATEGORISE.. YOU CAN BE RIGHT IF YOU WANT TO BE.. IT'S FINE WITH ME.. THAT SAID, I'M NOT SO QUICK TO SWALLOW THAT CRAP THEIR PUTTING OUT W/CGI CARTOONS TO HELP PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.. (DISTANCE IS THE KEY FACTOR HERE) CARL KNEW THAT THINGS WE CURRENTLY SEE IN OTHER PLACES/GALAXIES ARE MILLIONS OF YEARS OLD BUY THE TIME THAT LIGHT GETS TO US.. A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN A FEW MILLION YEARS.. ITS LIKE WATCHING A MOVIE IN EXTREME SLOW MO.. BUY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE 1ST. HR. MARK, YOUR LIFE IS OVER WITHOUT SEEING THE END OF THE MOVIE.. SO ENJOY THE DAY --- MADD

[@maddman4747]

@@nonenone5326 YOU ARE WRONG IN YOUR ASSERTIONS, THAT ASIDE YOU ARE EXACTLY THE KIND OF PERSON IM TRYING TO REACH OUT TO, BECAUSE IN MY DAY KOOL AID WAS LOADED W/RED DYE #5.. WHO KNOWS WHAT'S IN IT TODAY. THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULDN'T DRINK IT.. IS THAT SLOW ENOUGH FOR YOU TO GRASP..?

[@nomdeguerre7265]

@@maddman4747 Carl Sagan was a legitimate scientist who made solid, if modest , contributions to his field. A workmanlike scientist, but a stellar communicator and publicist. But he absolutely was a solid contributing astrophysicist too.

[@maddman4747]

@@nomdeguerre7265 really. that's what you think.?

[@97Andras]

Can we just take a second to appreciate how beautiful of a soul this man has? To merge art, poetry and science into such a balanced video is really difficult. This man feels for this race in a way that all of us should.

[@alliviatedindian6958]

yes. and to have an appreciation of such a man needs to be compassionate about all these. cheers to you too Man. Bless you.

[@prototropo]

I absolutely agree, Andras. I’ve noticed that even the comments are gently progressive and humbly intelligent. Unlike the depressing juvenalia and vulgarity KZbin often presents, and provokes.

[@arianamarieblankenship2722]

I feel like he’s about to demonstrate a dyson vacuum.

[@richardwills-woodward5340]

@@prototropo 'Progressive' can mean regressive, and it very much depends on what one is talking about. 'Progressive' is politics on earthly affairs is a deadly characteristic.

[@clintoruss153]

This is one of the best videos on You tube, so interesting and thought provoking. You can watch it over and over, awesome stuff.😊

[@moose6869]

"We should not be afraid to speak that most brutally honest and truthful of answers, which is simply, that we(or I) do not know." This sentiment has been espoused so often, and yet it still needs to be learned by so many. To say "I dont know" is not an admission of failure. If one can set pride aside, it is even easily said. That, in my humble estimation, is when true learning begins. [3 year old post but the ending to this is so beautiful, and honed in on such a problem today with individuals. The inability to set aside pride, and just admit to being a speck in a vast universe thay couldnt possibly hope to know all there is to know. There is a certain freeing feeling to that; being imperfect and not expecting oneself, or anyone, or anything, should be.

[@majinvegeta9280]

The way you narrate is perfect. You don't draw conclusions but instead let the viewer reach their own decisions with the info you give

[@TriAngulumStudiosAudioComics]

The reason I love your videos isnt because they are so wonderfully informational or well put together, they are, but it's not that at all. It is simply this, ALL your videos ALWAYS sparks my imagination and THAT is what makes them so wonderful! Thank you!

[@dendrxxoliver2712]

The diamonds of the universe statement at the end was something that I have never taken into consideration and man.. that was beautiful.. Thank You..

[@lasvegasotis6780]

Love your content & professionalism! I think you hit the nail on the head. Most people don't realize how truly unique we are.

[@nathanielfagner4414]

"I am apparently known for only one quote." -Arthur C. Clarke

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

He is known for many.

[@eliaskouakou7051]

@@scottslotterbeck3796 lol he said that because in every vid like this one there is 100% chance to find the exact same quote.

[@karennqz]

LMAO 😂

[@smallstudiodesign]

Feels like it - based upon the repetition rate of the most prolific peppered all over internet comments sections.

[@jonp3890]

“And it isn’t even that one.” - Isaac Asimov

[@chriss9744]

This was such a fantastic take, David. The end even moved me to tears. It's happy to see that I am not "alone" in having this point of view within science. But this is the most elegant elucidation I've seen on the topic.

[@dr.jamesolack8504]

“Elucidation”…….there’s a word you don’t hear every day.

[@smitasitara]

Agreed best video I have seen on the subject.

[@rocketmentor]

And how will the Webb telescope will change this if at all, will it find oxygen, chlorocarbons and oxides of nitrogen on any other planets indicating an artificial origin?

[@Daniel-wr9ql]

You know, just because we haven't been able to form life from non life doesn't mean we're special, it just means we haven't been able to form life yet. At one point we couldn't figure out how to use radio frequencies, but it didn't mean they were impossible to use.

[@321captain3]

Funny. Women create life from non-life everyday.

[@briantw99]

Ummm, we used radio frequencies from before we developed fully-functioning eyes.

[@pingpong1727]

Growing a human from a embryo fertilized egg is very different than creating life from chemicals

[@mutabore7]

@@321captain3 women don't 'create' life, it develops inside their body from a living egg cell fertilized by male sperm. You're taking feminist metaphors too literally.

[@Scion141]

"You know, just because we haven't been able to form life from non life doesn't mean we're special, it just means we haven't been able to form life yet." Ahhh.... Yes? He didn't bring that experiment up to imply that we're special, just that life isn't a matter of throwing chemicals together and getting something.

[@DeplorableNeanderthal]

Abiogenesis is so unfathomably improbable, It certainly didn't even happen here. How people look at the awe-inspiring design in biology and deny a Designer is dumbfounding.

[@redbluelife4297]

Bottom line is - It’s all speculation. Until we find life anywhere else, we cannot draw any conclusions. And currently, and for the foreseeable future, we will not be able to properly examine even a minuscule part of the universe ... even a minuscule part of our own galaxy.

[@mariusmusat1255]

there is nothing to examine, everything we see is so far in the past. closest galaxy we see it as it was over 2 milion years ago. we are out of our depth here.

[@TheLAGopher]

The next generation of a space telescope is going into space soon. It could very well give us photos of several identified Earth-Like worlds (size, mass, location in life zone around parent star) and analyze their surface temperatures and compositions of their atmospheres. We could likely identify if they have plant life.

[@xanider5098]

Life has to start somewhere, there has to be a "first time". I think it would be really cool if we were in fact the first!

[@sakesithole6295]

But it would also be really cool if we're not

[@ManiBalajiC]

@@sakesithole6295 Yes some species which could answer Why or How everything started which I think our species would take very very long time or never cause the Question is not for us to answer I suppose.

[@nobytes2]

I imagine every civilization out there is saying the same thing, we're the only ones in the universe, and every single one is wrong.

[@rolandthethompsongunner64]

Highly doubtful. Are we talking intelligent life or life in general? I think that’s when people get confused.

[@nobytes2]

I think intelligent life is extremely common, just because we can't prove it yet, it doesn't mean we are special and unique. Mathematically is just impossible, we have gazillion planets and we're supposed to be the only ones or first ones lmao don't be so naive people. Life doesn't start out of nothingness like scientists been telling us, we're the seed of much intelligent life. Every single DNA on Earth wasn't born out of nothing, someone put us here. (And no, not an imaginary god).

[@pjb3413]

I cant believe you're not at +1m subscribers yet dude. This content is gold

[@psenji]

Thanks a lot for this video. I have read about the Fermi paradox. It seems Fermi had asked the question -"where is everyone?". More than 35 years ago I happened to read a comic called "Mad worry book". (mad comics were famous in those days) .It listed a lot of worries that people can develop so as to not get bored and keep the mind occupied at all times of the day. One of those worries was that we may be invaded and captured by green coloured Martians. If we are indeed alone in this universe, then it removes one fear out out of my mind after 35 years !! We will not be invaded/captured by green Martians !!. Thanks a lot Prof.David Kipping. 🙏🙏😁😁

[@ou812a4]

23:33 “What a responsibility it is then to be alive.” Best thing I’ve heard all day

[@Richard-oo6pc]

As a teenager I got in trouble for telling my science teacher what you said in this video. He was going on and on about the Drake equation and I felt like I was the only one that noticed that the most important variable was a guess. He basically called me a dummy in front of the whole class. All I asked was, how can we possibly know what the chances of life appearing on a planet are if we only have ourselves as an example of it? I think it's why I got a B in the class.

[@slonslonimsky2013]

The cleverer you are the fewer people will understand you... Repeating what the majority say and do feels stupid and boring. But doing and saying something of your own means to be constantly condemned to indifference, misunderstanding and rebukes. It may be even dangerous... Yet, you have a chance to get into history as a hero and leaving something named after you by grateful descendants.

[@fitnesspoint2006]

You got a B because you got B's on exams, this drivel of ET life and its probability is just 5 minutes in physics lectures, Drake equation is easy and you should know it, but its not even tested. You didn't get a B because you disagreed with the science teacher, you got a B because your level of understanding the basics tenets of science in that class when tested was B level.

[@slonslonimsky2013]

@@fitnesspoint2006 I live in Europe, and here different systems of notes are used in different countries. But many years ago when I was a schoolboy I got in a similar situation. There was an exam and I explained the subject as I understood it. I was even proud that I found some meaningful explanation because the one offered in the textbook was impossible to make sense of, just some word hodgepodge... And I got very bad note for that my understanding. But a decade later that "science" seized even to exist, because of the radical change of political system in that country I lived.

[@jonathanclarke281]

Sounds like a biased jerk! I'm an ESL teacher working abroad and I always encourage my students to think for themselves regardless whether I agree with them or not! That's why I bailed on Asia permanently 10 years ago. I didn't get anywhere there!

[@haniffmohamoodally]

you should have got an A plus Richard

[@devrenee7223]

I love these videos! I wanted to give an alternative perspective of the lockpicking thought experiment we did. In addition to being a response to the theorized ease of abiogenesis, this experiment also supports the great filter theory. The great filter theory says that abiogenesis is not rare, but there is a barrier or filter that prevents most life from evolving past a certain point. That barrier could be something as simple as an earth-like planet lacking an ozone layer. This could mean that abiogenesis isn't rare at all, but the ability for life to evolve into complex, intelligent organisms could be extremely rare. Maybe we haven't heard from aliens because they're all microorganisms. Just wanted to give a different point of view. If you're reading this, I hope you have a great day 😊

[@Zaaxun]

"We are fearfully and wonderfully made". Psalm's 139.14

[@Scott-hq3jq]

... "The most intellectually honest answer to the question is...I don't know." ... 18:28

[@yell50]

rubbish.

[@Hy-jg8ow]

I agree with you Scott.

[@nicholaswilley9001]

@@yell50 :Sounds like you know the answer...how do you know?

[@RobertsfunWords]

I think "Almost certainly not" is more honest, based on all the searching to date

[@shelleybell5462]

So true

[@joshc.363]

I love how you say we should not be afraid to be honest. "I Don't Know" perfect way to answer such questions.

[@johntechwriter]

Do not propose that "I don't know" is a valid answer about the mystery of life to any religious person. Such people go to a lot of trouble persuading themselves that they do know, and rely on constant affirmation from fellow believers. Faith is the capacity to believe something that is not true but must be true because it supports a person's world view. And that is why religious people put so much emphasis on having faith. If something was obviously true -- for instance, that we are born and eventually die -- not a shred of faith would be required to believe it. On the other hand, believing there is life after death requires a huge amount of faith -- often backed up by some hefty tome of dogma describing supernatural beings who create us in their image, or similar nonsense.

[@johnezeah4585]

This video has once again instilled in my subconscuosness, the fact that I should see the person next to me as a special, rare breed in this lonely planet who deserves my respect.

[@aapddd]

Alone or not, unique we are at least. Let's take care of each other and this awesome planet.

[@spotieotie]

Amen brotha

[@mayankraj2294]

Unique? You sure?

[@sheilanixon4479]

The inhabitants of the earth have only been able to send radio and TV signals out into Space for about 75 years out of our long history,so the chances of another civilisation being at the stage of being able to communicate across the vastness of the Galaxy alone is not very great,If they can launch a small probe to the nearest star,Alpha Centauri,,which could travel at one tenth the speed of light,it would take 40 years to get there ,and another 40 years to beam the information back to Earth. "They" have had 80years to receive our signals and send back a reply.The silence is deafening! Nothing has been received

[@bobover6474]

Does that include Hitler or people like him?

[@rdelrosso2001]

WE ARE NOT!

[@JimmerJamesKM]

What a "wake-up call"! But it's a most important one as stated just near the end of this much-needed education! I thank you once again! Very elegantly proposed thinking! 🔥 💜 👍

[@metalpsyche82]

so we are the singularity of the universe. awesome video. your videos are very technical. congratulations for your immense knowledge and your will of studying over the years of your life.

[@djmusicmr]

Gotta admit that even tho I am a firm believer that life exists elsewhere, this is such a brilliantly made video accompanied by your soothing voice and hard facts. Absolutely amazing!!

[@jrpipik]

I don't agree. All the statistical analysis seems to leave out the immense time and space involved. The little experiment with electricity and amino acids didn't result in life within days, but the Earth had billions of years as well as an entire planet. It's failure really doesn't tell us anything. Give everyone billions of years to pick the locks, and you'll get a lot more open doors.

[@btc1337]

@Oni 100% agree the odds are just so insane that it would be crazy not to think this has happened before else where

[@AVerySillySausage]

My best guess is it is somewhere between the "crowded universe" and us being totally alone. It's extremely rare, but not so rare that we are literally the only ones. And the universe is also very big, the raw amount of empty space is much greater than the number of potential words. If other civilisations are so far away from us that we will never come into contact with them or find evidence of them, we might as well be alone. The most boring and realistic answer to this question is probably "it doesn't matter because we will never encounter it either way".

[@BradyR95]

@@jrpipik did you not watch the video? The immense time and space is irrelevant. That is the whole point. Yes, that experiment tells us nothing, but no experiment ever conducted gives us any idea how rare life is. Your assumption on more locks being picked if you give them billions of years ignores the possibility that the difficulty of picking the lock could be scaled up billions of times(thus the probability would be the same). It is simply an incomplete equation. We cannot comprehend how immense the universe is(infinite?), could it be that we cannot comprehend how rare intelligent life is? (infinitely rare?). Believing there has to be life elsewhere is no different than believing there has to be a God. (By the way, I have no problem with "believing" either, you just can't use science or statistics to back the belief of either one)

[@windyhillbomber]

unbelievably brilliant analysis...should be mandatory viewing in every school on the planet. I have just discovered your channel and you guys are truly the diamonds holding up a candle to a world full of doubt

[@inkyguy]

David T62, or every school in the universe. 😜

[@22781dave]

It is good to read comments from someone who actually watched the entire video. Your sentiments mirror my own.

[@blancaroca8786]

Should be put out on public TV at least once a year perhaps on christmas day

[@inkyguy]

David T62, doubt and ignorance - and much of it willful and determined.

[@MadMethod-qs1en]

That final sentiment about diamonds is so beautiful, I hate the fact that it doesn't change the feeling that even among diamonds, my life still feels as dull and common as ash. Even in a vault full of money, some is valued higher than the rest.

[@jackfoltz7486]

Every thought a science video would bring tears streaming down my face. Wow.

[@mahwishrasheed7894]

Other life forms may not require water and oxygen to survive like we do. May be what we think inhabitable is infact habitable for them.

[@Miguel-nj6en]

Exactly that’s what I’ve been saying just because humans need a planet that is warm doesn’t mean an alien civilization could have evolved on a cold or extremely hot planet

[@110000116699]

@@Miguel-nj6en heat is a requirement life needs energy

[@110000116699]

I'll agree on the oxygen thing though considering the oxygen was originally toxic to all life on earth

[@kissen1x638]

@Jean-Paul Teitu II because you're dumb

[@FatRescueSwimmer04]

Very very very possible if not for certain! I read a few articles that called into question, why haven’t we heard from anyone (obviously insane distances, and all that good stuff are definitely part of it)? But it focused on how we search, precisely what you just said! They are soooo stuck on water and other variables that we may have already over looked exactly what we were looking for lol.

[@kamikazekrush3758]

I really enjoyed your video, at the end it reminds me of a quote from Saint Augustine "Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, the huge waves of the sea, the long courses of the rivers, the vast compass of the ocean, the circular motion of the stars, but they pass by themselves and they dont even notice"

[@franzliszt8957]

Knowing that there is a concrete answer to that question out there is somehow terrifying to me. It’s just a matter of going out there and finding it ourselves, but it’s impossible, and probably will always be.

[@JM-wf2to]

I am upset that this doesn't appear to be in podcast form anywhere I have looked. C'mon guys, this would be a stellar podcast.

[@freshcaffe]

Your way of presenting ideas is so non invasive and neutral that I instantly like the video and subscribed. You give room and food for thought and I just love your approach on these subjects

[@Vidiri]

I would bet we are alone. The reason why is there's a distinct possibility we may be the first. And if we aren't, there's a high probability that we will never get to meet them anyway.

[@all0utmetal735]

@Jacob G check out some videos on “The Great Filter”. It’s basically exactly what your saying and it’s very interesting.

[@Steinjung]

This is basically similar to the Fermi paradox

[@cosmicray007]

In think simple terms. As we look at almost everything, I find it's rare to find true uniqueness and more common to find things we have thought as unique, only to find it is more common.

[@JohnJones-ct9pr]

The most beautiful conclusion to any science video , lecture , paper or text book I have ever experienced. And I am 63 years old Thank You Professor David Kipping .

[@NomenNominandum]

If that is so, I highly recommend you to read the book "Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe" by Peter D. Ward, Donald Brownlee". It is one of the best books I have ever read.

[@JohnJones-ct9pr]

@@NomenNominandum Thank you Nomen. I will look this book up.

[@Involent]

Yes, in this video, Dr. Kipping neatly encapsulates and articulates my worldview. The conclusion elaborates a philosophy of existence I find compelling and breathtakingly beautiful.

[@JohnJones-ct9pr]

@@Involent Indeed. Me too

[@boriboribo]

And the background music really made it extra special. It's from one of the best movies ever !!!

[@mrh9177]

Wow, I love the fact that someone else can simply admit... "I don't know"

[@voidremoved]

Only the Father knows

[@reallyryan_]

@@voidremoved stop

[@dog9yearsago122]

voidremoved who’s farther

[@LilOogoo]

@Slim Hyena if ailiens discover us we might be fucked or fine, noone knows if ailiens are nice, or bad. Noone even knows if their actually real.

[@joeystrittmatter6890]

The word would be a better place if there were more ppl like that

[@vincentlammert7003]

That ending speech together with the music from interstellar is incredibly beautiful!

[@vindeiatrix]

The assertion that "If there galaxy was teeming with life why don't we see it" begs the question, what would we see if there was? I wish someone like Dr. Kipping would do a video speculating what kinds of things we should be seeing, and some theories about how we could see nothing even though they are out there.

[@bipolarbear9917]

Brilliantly presented Prof. Kipping. Thank you. One of my favorite quotes from Carl Sagan's 1980 book Cosmos is: 'We are a way for the Cosmos to know itself'.

[@gerardjones7881]

Your word for God is cosmos.

[@wladicus1]

_ One possible understanding is that "we", but actually "I AM" the Cosmos.

[@tylermoore4429]

This is one of the rare "we-are-alone" videos on youtube where the comments are civil and thoughtful, suggesting Professor Kipping did a great job communicating this unpopular view and gently undermining the defective intuitions of people such as Bill Nye and Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He takes an elegiac tone towards the conclusion he's driven to however, which I don't agree with. Since I always doubted the existence of aliens, I am emotionally neutral to the prospect that we may well be the only intelligent beings in the universe. Of course I believe we should continue looking and refining our instruments and so on, but we should also be contemplating the desires and anxieties that make us cling so desperately to the hope that life must exist elsewhere.

[@kgbstudio]

excellent post, fellow rare earther! Cool worlds in indeed one of the few places on YT that is friendly towards rare earth theory... Maybe consider watching Isaacs Great filters series too...

[@theboombody]

I don't get why people deny God so adamantly but think that denying aliens is jumping to conclusions. There's no scientific evidence of either one.

[@SKBottom]

I still think it would be very sad and unfortunate if we were the only ones. How boring and how lonely.

[@tylermoore4429]

@@SKBottom Does our loneliness take precedence over the truth? We have been looking out at the cosmos for centuries now, and it seems fairly obvious that there are no large sectors of the universe that are artificially altered in a way that might indicate the existence of alien super-civilizations. Such evidence, if it existed, would be the most exciting and loneliness-busting discovery of all, but it does not exist (of course we must keep looking). Anything short of that does not do much to alleviate loneliness (say the detection of pond-scum on some remote planet where the vast distance along with cognitive and technological disparities pose unsurpassable barriers to communication and interaction). Robin Hanson's recent paper on "grabby aliens" concludes that humans are early arrivals in the development of the universe.

[@theboombody]

@@SKBottom Yeah, but reality doesn't care about our sadness. At least not according to the secular world.

[@joshuagharis9017]

"We don't know " is absolutely a great human statement. Its profound. Its a starting point to curiosity and knowledge. Look at years of earthcentric views, etc...where did "knowing " beyond a doubt get us?

[@dannyhall3561]

This is the best analysis I've seen on this question. Very well done.

[@erikincph]

This kind of video makes me proud of being a human

[@PoeLemic]

@@erikincph Yes, this is very well-done. He changed my view on life in the universe. And, sadly, I hate him for it. GRIN ...

[@FatRescueSwimmer04]

He is absolutely BRILLIANT

[@rafaelmonge6821]

Maybe life is just a fluke... as stated on this video... and even if there is life out there in the universe... it may just be unicelullar life. It took billions of years for life to evolve from unicelludar to multicellular, it may had just been a fluke... and then to evolve for multicelluar life to inteligent multicelular life... may be even another fluke. Occam's razor... at the lack of evidence of life outside of our planet, the most simples answer is there is no life outside of this planet.

[@bluceree7312]

Well, not really. This whole video is trying to assess the probability of abiogenesis. He spends 25 minutes telling us: we don't know. We just need more data and to explore other places to find out. Brilliant, can you give me the 25 minutes back? For a more useful analysis, I suggest to check out Jeremy England.

[@Ganderco]

This must be the best video on KZbin out of..."billions and billions and billions" of videos! Fantastic! Simply and honestly stating what the data says, keeping opinions, feelings and theories to a minimum. THANK YOU!

[@Psalm1101]

Yes better than reading my astronomy book from year one good stuff

[@raniolvespanssenlafayett6762]

Gary Anderson II Yesss is Good done.

[@aliquraishi3525]

I agree with Arthur Clarke that either we are the only intelligent species in the Universe or we are not.

[@jbx1967]

There are two possibilities: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Either option is equally terrifying. - Arthur C. Clarke

[@Ivan.Nikolic]

This totally gave me shivers all over the body. Especially the part when you said: "..the only intellectual answer to this question is: I don't know". The ending with the Hans Zimmer's soundtrack from the "Interstellar" - purely amazing. Music that is slowly ascending to the dynamic culmination so that it would instantly descend to the quietness can be metaphor for the whole subject of us being one special *diamond* - as you said. Thank you for the amazing content!

[@coaking]

Upravo tako. Svaka mu cast.

[@Bryan-Hensley]

He's exactly right.

[@shanecreamer6889]

Emerging scientific data in the journals agrees that life is rare. The increasing habitable zones means that less then 1% of the planets in each galaxy being unsuitable for life. Known Current Habitable zones as of 2017: - Water habitable zone - Ultraviolet/Radiation habitable zone - Photosynthetic habitable zone - Ozone habitable zone - Planetary rotation rate habitable zone - Planetary obliquity habitable zone - Tidal habitable zone - Astrosphere habitable zone - Electric wind habitable zone For host stars with an effective temperature more than 7,100 K (7,100 °C above absolute zero) or less than 4,600 K, even for just microbes, a team of four Chinese astronomers showed that the liquid water and ultraviolet habitable zones will not overlap. This may seem like a fairly wide effective temperature range, but it is narrow enough to eliminate all but 3 percent of the Milky Way Galaxy’s stars. Japanese astronomers Midori Oishi and Hideyuki Kamaya established that the zone of overlap is even narrower including the metallicity requirements of the Host star, this leaves less than 1 percent of our galaxy stars as candidates for bacterial life. Advanced life has even more stringent requirements. Scientific Articles: - Jianpo Guo et al., “Probability Distribution of Terrestrial Planets in Habitable Zones Around Host Stars,” Astrophysics and Space Science 323 (October 2009): 367-73 - Rory Barnes et al., "Tidal Limits to Planetary Habitability," Astrophysical Journal Letters 700 (July 20, 2009): L30-L33 - David S. Smith and John M. Scalo, “Habitable Zones Exposed: Astrosphere Collapse Frequency as a Function of Stellar Mass,” Astrobiology 9 (September 2009): 673-81 - Midori Oishi and Hideyuki Kamaya, “A Simple Evolutionary Model of the UV Habitable Zone and the Possibility of Persistent Life Existence: The Effects of Mass and Metallicity,” Astrophysical Journal 833 (December 2016): id. 293, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/293 - Glyn Collinson et al., “The Electric Wind of Venus: A Global and Persistent ‘Polar Wind’-Like Ambipolar Electric Field Sufficient for the Direct Escape of Heavy Ionospheric Ions: Venus Has Potential,” Geophysical Research Letters (June 2016): doi:10.1002/2016GL068327 - Glyn Collinson et al., “Electric Mars: The First Direct Measurement of an Upper Limit for the Martian ‘Polar Wind’ Electric Potential,” Geophysical Research Letters 42 (November 2015): 9128-34, doi:10.1002/2015GL065084 - adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-ref_query?bibcode=2003ARA%26A..41..429K&amp;refs=CITATIONS&amp;db_key=AST

[@akbeh]

I don't know of the gaps

[@loopernoodling]

Life appeared on Earth soon after it was cool enough to support it, around 3.5b years ago, but it took another 2.9b years for multicellular life to evolve. Perhaps the genesis we should regard as a rare phenomenon is the one that happened 600m years ago, not the one that happened 3.5b years ago. Perhaps the life that evolved 3.5b years ago is common throughout the Universe, but the explosion of multicellular life 600m years ago would be a vanishingly rare occurrence, requiring a unique combination of circumstances.

[@gj9157]

I've always wondered if life was common in the universe, just not technology advanced civilizations like us. It would be really hard to detect something like that unless we traveled there or sent probes.

[@loopernoodling]

Just two words to say inn reply to that; Microbe farts! It's doubtful we'll ever get a nice clean radio signal from some Little Green Men, but there is a decent chance we will pick up reactive gasses in a planetary atmosphere. Oxygen would be locked up in rocks usually, unless life produces sufficient quantities of it. Finding Oxygen in an exoplanet's atmosphere wouldn't be proof, but if we found it, the planet would be worth more investigation.

[@ryanmiles4904]

Every now and then I re watch this video, and its amazing every time