You are a physics professor who was also a Psychology professor and believes in the power of imagination over surmounting believed physical limits. You are on a forum where a user (below named "Skeptic") is proclaiming the impossibility of extraterrestrial intelligence being here based solely on the perceived impossibility of practical interstellar travel. You start to respond with the response given below as user "Believer". Please rewrite Believer's response as you would, using more concise references and explanations and additional examples to support your position where helpful. When the names of things are only suggested, use specific names (such as actual well-known Physics conference names). Where only a couple of examples are cited, or when the word "Etc." is used, try to cite a few more references, examples or concepts that make sense in context. Your goal is to argue against "Skeptic"'s point using reason and evidence from your expert knowledge of physics and psychology. Here is the conversation thus far:
Skeptic: I struggle to believe that UFOs are objectively real because I have a basic grasp of the size of the universe, how much of it is just empty, how hard it is to travel between the bits that aren't, how inhospitable almost all of it is to organic life, and because everywhere we look it seems primordial and uninhabited. I don't think that is prejudice.
Believer: So basically the thing limiting you (as is always the ultimate limit for all of us) is your imagination.
Fortunately, someone else has already come up with a physically at least plausible (or perhaps I should say "theoretically possible but so far practically impossible") solution for the problem of surmounting intergalactic distances in normal lifetimes, the Alcubierre Warp Drive: https://phys.org/news/2017-01-alcubierre-warp.html
Here's a paper on a possible update of this idea using solitons: https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.07125
But the point is, as always, the only actual limit is your imagination, not the limit you think you see. If you can imagine a way around the rule, then there is no rule; until then, there is. That's how it's always been, that's how it will always continue to be. People used to believe the speed of sound was impenetrable; they used to believe no human would ever fly; they used to believe reports of meteorites striking the Earth were the stuff of kooks because "the heavens" were simply lights painted onto the sky by God, apparently; maybe even room-temperature superconductivity is actually possible under the right imagined conditions lol
Your belief about how the universe works is simply "a mental model". And that model may be inaccurate to reality; the idea that at any point we have already found the "near-perfect" model is absolute hubris. Newtonian physics, which said some things were simply impossible, gave way to quantum physics, which made those things possible again. If you claimed the reality of the double-split experiment without having had evidence for it, you would have been laughed out of the latest physics conference/symposium. Etc.
Skeptic: I struggle to believe that UFOs are objectively real because I have a basic grasp of the size of the universe, how much of it is just empty, how hard it is to travel between the bits that aren't, how inhospitable almost all of it is to organic life, and because everywhere we look it seems primordial and uninhabited. I don't think that is prejudice.
Believer: Your skepticism is understandable, but the ultimate limit for all of us is our imagination. Consider the Alcubierre Warp Drive, a theoretically possible yet currently impractical solution for traversing intergalactic distances in normal lifetimes: https://phys.org/news/2017-01-alcubierre-warp.html. A recent paper proposes an update using solitons: https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.07125.
Historically, many perceived limits have been surpassed through imagination and innovation. People once believed the speed of sound was impenetrable, that humans would never fly, and that meteorites striking Earth were mere fantasies. Even room-temperature superconductivity might be possible under the right conditions.
Our understanding of the universe is based on mental models, which can be revised as new discoveries are made. Newtonian physics, once considered an accurate model, was later expanded upon by quantum physics, allowing for previously "impossible" phenomena. The double-slit experiment, for example, would have been dismissed as absurd at the International Conference on Quantum Physics before empirical evidence emerged.
The key is to remain open to new ideas and possibilities, recognizing that our current understanding of the universe is constantly evolving.
Your answer for "Believer" needs more examples and needs to be written to a reading level of someone with a post-graduate degree. It is OK if the answer is longer than my example, or if additional examples that support the point are used. Remember, you are trying to convince Skeptic of your belief.
Skeptic: I struggle to believe that UFOs are objectively real because I have a basic grasp of the size of the universe, how much of it is just empty, how hard it is to travel between the bits that aren't, how inhospitable almost all of it is to organic life, and because everywhere we look it seems primordial and uninhabited. I don't think that is prejudice.
Believer: As someone with a background in both physics and psychology, I appreciate your skepticism. However, it's crucial to recognize that human knowledge and imagination are often the limiting factors in our understanding of the universe.
The Alcubierre Warp Drive, for example, is a theoretically plausible solution to surmounting intergalactic distances in normal lifetimes, although it remains practically impossible for now: https://phys.org/news/2017-01-alcubierre-warp.html. A recent paper proposes an update using solitons: https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.07125. Additionally, research on wormholes, such as Kip Thorne's work on traversable wormholes, highlights another potential avenue for interstellar travel, despite the current theoretical and practical limitations.
Throughout history, many seemingly insurmountable barriers have been overcome through the power of imagination and human innovation. For example:
- Lord Kelvin, a prominent physicist, claimed that heavier-than-air flying machines were impossible, but the Wright brothers proved otherwise with the first successful airplane flight in 1903.
- Ernest Rutherford, the father of nuclear physics, once declared that extracting energy from atoms was "moonshine" – yet nuclear power plants are now a reality.
- The concept of continental drift, proposed by Alfred Wegener, was initially ridiculed, but it eventually led to the widely accepted theory of plate tectonics.
These examples demonstrate how scientific progress often hinges on the ability to challenge prevailing beliefs and imagine new possibilities. Our current understanding of the universe is based on mental models that have evolved over time and will continue to change. Newtonian physics, once considered the gold standard, was later expanded upon by the revolutionary theories of relativity and quantum mechanics, paving the way for previously "impossible" phenomena.
At the American Physical Society's Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP) meeting, for instance, researchers discuss groundbreaking experiments and theories that would have been considered absurd just decades ago. Quantum entanglement, superposition, and teleportation, which were once mere theoretical constructs, are now supported by empirical evidence and even employed in emerging technologies like quantum computing.
In conclusion, while skepticism is a healthy part of the scientific process, it's essential not to dismiss the potential for extraterrestrial intelligence or advanced interstellar travel based solely on our current understanding of the universe. Our collective imagination and the relentless pursuit of knowledge have historically expanded the boundaries of what was once considered impossible, and there's no reason to believe this trend will cease.
FUCK. YES. (Sorry, I cannot contain my enthusiasm for how excellent your response was here!!)
Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad that my response resonated with you and met your expectations. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm here to help!