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  • Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 10:46

Emma9
For the sake of a stimulating discusssion, what does everyone else think of this
controversial and far out theory?

Basically, Ancient Astronaut theory proposes that in ancient times, the Earth was
visited by extra-terrestrials from other civilizations in the universe. And mankind,
with limited knowledge of science, believed them to be gods and thus worshipped
them, perhaps giving rise to religions.

Also, it is also proposed that these advanced visitors gave primitive man assistance,
knowledge and tools that enabled them to accomplish great feats in engineering
and mathematics, among others.

Reasons for:
- Civilizations from all four corners of the world, developing in isolation from each
other, somehow came to share the common concept of God descending from the
skies, as well sharing many other motifs in their relics.
- Was this just coincidence, or points to misunderstood, alien visitations?
- With an almost infinite amount of galaxies out there, surely intelligent life
developed somewhere else?
- Chinese culture talks of deities descending on fire-breathing dragons. Could this
simply be spacecraft with exhaust propulsion?
- Many ancient wonders, e.g. the Pyramids, Stonehenge and the Moai on Easter
Island, would be quite a challenge to construct even with today's modern
technology. Yet societies thousands of years ago achieved it. Could they have had
some help?

Reasons against:
- There is no solid evidence supporting these beliefs. All there is, is pure conjecture
and speculation.

Personally, I feel it is plausible, though not entirely probable. This concept is so out
of left field, that it becomes quite fascinating. But for now, I'll agree that it is pure
speculation. Perhaps one day we'll know for sure.

What say you?

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  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 23:28

CommanderR
@Emma

I will say there is no way to prove this due to the lack of knowledge and proper
documents from Ancient time; however with that said there is was to disprove this
theory in fact it can be backed up many time over with human behavior...
When the Spanish took over what is now days Mexico the Aztecs treated them as
gods... As did the native Americas when they were being colonized/enslaved


  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 22:55

Valefar
Just playing Devil's Advocate; no offence intended towards anyone :)

A burning bush, golden tablets, or conversation with a deity is just as plausible as a
shining light or ray from the sky. According to some, the world was supposed to end a few
weeks a ago; my career is built upon a whole pile of theories that will never be
definitive or absolute, but are supported by piles of replicable data. The beauty of
science is that it tests the unknown using hypotheses that are often seen in their time as
being unimaginable and/or extraordinary. Ussher was accurate about human origins in his
time, as were Darwin, Boas, EO Wilson, and Gould; science always changing, and the unknown
will (most likely) soon become the norm. In a way, I hope I will be proven wrong; it only
serves to advance our understanding of the world around us.

If anything, these sorts of theories force those of us who disagree to test our own ideas
and further our understanding what who were are an (hopefully) where we are going.

Yet another tl/dr:
Even the "far out" theories help us in some way, shape, or form.

  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 20:48

Emma9
Elmusafir,

There are some purported "evidence" which some claim, may support this theory.

E.g. prehistoric legends of beings descending from lights in the skies, the similarities
in motifs, beliefs and depictions of ancient cultures from different corners of the
world who developed independently, etc.

So while it's not solid evidence, it's does make a compelling case.

Of course, it can't be proven that there is a relation, but at the same time, you can't
prove that there is no relation either. We just don't know enough to say for sure,
either way.

  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 20:41

whukid
Meh. I think its more of a twisted version of history to suit the "History/UFO/Trucking"
channel, much like MonsterQuest and UFO files.

Besides a bunch of retards running around with camera's and expensive suits, there is
nothing going for any Alien Theory.


  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 20:37

elmusafir
Emma, you wrote:

>Reasons against:
>- There is no solid evidence supporting these beliefs. All there is, is pure
>conjecture and speculation.

I think you meant to say that there is NO SINGLE SHRED OF EVIDENCE supporting this
conjecture. Other than that, Gilgamesh, Viracocha, Hercules, Osiris, Kukulkan,
Quetzalcoatl may have well been the same person or type of people.

Nice topic.

  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 20:33

Emma9
That's right Valefar, there's just no credible evidence supporting it at the moment.
Perhaps one day some will come to light, but till then, it remains a theory.

---------------------------------------------------------

Anyhow, the main thing that puzzles me about religion is the that homo sapiens are
believed to have been around since 200,000 years ago, with modern man as we
know it coming to be around 50,000 years ago. Yet most religions started only in the
last few thousand years.

If modern man gained some semblance of intelligence way back then, how come it
took tens of thousands of years until they started worshipping. Why that gap?

No offence intended to anyone or any religion in particular with this post. Just merely
questioning things which in my mind, doesn't seem to add up.

  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 18:43

JimmyEAC
It would be nice if you would keep the religion bashing down... I have my believes and
you have yours... =/

  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 18:20

Sindher
Think about it, your united through colour, yet divided by belief.

  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 16:14

ljsevern
"Also, religion = a form of dividing the people and controlling them."

That has been one of my beliefs, although regarding organised religion.

  • Re : Ancient Astronaut theory

    06. 09. 2011 13:19

Valefar
I'll speak to the parts in my area of work.

Archaeological evidence doesn't point towards extraterrestrial visitation and/or
intervention. There are certainly a few interesting artifacts that seem to look like
spaceships, aliens, and so on; out of the finite number of easily-created symbols that can
be created with the technologies at the time, it should be no surprise that there are some
coincidences and likenesses in the images we find. Anthropological, geological, and
genetic evidence all points towards the commonly-accepted theories of human origins,
population migration, and human behavior.

I can't speak to Stonehenge, but one of my committee members did a lot of work on Easter
Island; the explanations for the statues, as well as the origins of the islanders, are
firmly planted within the realm of human ingenuity and migration. The same can be said of
the pyramids (and the cultures that produced them) found throughout the world.

While we can never 100% rule out any hypothesis, the empirical evidence and support for
this one simply isn't there. I think a lot of the "they had to get help from somewhere"
statements stem from underestimating what humans are capable of; they were certainly
capable of the things you and I are today (and quite a few things most people today
couldn't do).

"Personally, I feel it is plausible, though not entirely probable. This concept is so out
of left field, that it becomes quite fascinating."

Quite a few of our contemporary facts were just this at the time of their advent, but I'm
not holding my breath on this one :)

tl/dr:
Nope- aliens may exist, but they didn't visit us.

In before someone in Tennessee and/or Kansas public schools chimes in on Creationism :P
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