The Law of Parsimony Supports the Existence of Intelligent Extraterrestrials

{*The stock market depends upon many interacting factors. The weather depends upon complex interactions of terrain, the atmosphere, and the sun. The paths of hurricanes are at best approximately predictable, even with the latest computers and models. There are much simpler explanations: a stock market god, a weather god, and a hurricane god. So, does the Law of Parsimony demand that we accept the assortment of gods over the complexity of the real world?*} Many of your examples are not parsimonious. Our known science can explain weather. Introducing weather gods would complicate things. Richard Dawkins has stated that asserting a god is unparsimonious. The beings would have to be incredibly complex. Extraterrestrials don't have the same requirements as a god such as omnipotence, benevolence, etc. An extraterrestrial's existence would not stump scientists one bit. We exist on a planet, therefore, why can't other life exist on other planets. {*I claim that there is nothing in Parsimony that is so compelling.*} That's besides the point. We aren't debating parsimony itself. We are debating if parsimony supports extraterrestrial existence. {*One problem is that it is often difficult to tell what is simpler.*} That's what we are debating. Is the simplest explanation a universe with extraterrestrials? Or a universe without. Many prominent scientists agree that other life is likely to exist elsewhere in the universe. If it wasn't, an incredibly complex question would arise. Why is earth, in this infinite universe, the only life-bearing planet? {*How do they overcome speed-of-light limitations?*} That's not a necessary attribute for their existence. {*Why do they leave so much consequential evidence, but so little direct evidence? If they want to communicate, why would they use crop circles rather than, say, an interview of the evening news?*} I don't have to prove they visited earth. Intelligent extraterrestrials can exist regardless. To answer your questions though, they do communicate in ways without crop circles. They communicate through channelers, they communicate through writing on the internet, and they communicate directly on video. Though crop circle communication is understandable because the alien's primary forms of communication are symbolism and telepathy. {*Using the Law of Parsimony to explain events otherwise unexplained is no better than using gods to explain the unexplained. In fact, gods are even more parsimonious an explanation. Gods don't need space ships that travel faster than light.*} There's several things wrong with this. First of all, like I said before, we are not arguing about the pragmatism of parsimony. My argument is simply that the law of parsimony supports (intelligent) extraterrestrial life. Second of all, gods are not parsimonious. I don't know why you keep making this ridiculous assertion. The very nature of a god is complex and contradictory. {*Complex crop circles are all hoaxes.*} Wow. That's an extraordinary claim. Can you prove it? {*"Among the most famous hoaxers are the British team of Doug Bower and Dave Chorley*} http://www.museumofhoaxes.com... Can you show me a picture of a man made crop circle? I've yet to see any man made, complex crop circles. I'm curious as to how these look and if they really are complex and geometrically precise. My guess is that they are relatively simple with visible mistakes. {*With the simple techniques for making straight lines and circles, and pattern can be constructed that could be equivalently done on paper with ruler and compass.*} "There are approximately 20 percent of crop circles that cannot be proven to be made by man. Some of the earlier ones, from the 1700's, still have not been explained." - http://stargatelemuria.com... Just by looking at these crop circles, it looks impossible for any man to construct these. Even scientists will agree with that, which is why they are trying to come up with their own naturalistic, unparsimonious theories to explain them. http://www.alienseekernews.com... Think about this: "Around one thousand of these amazing geometric configurations appear out of nowhere each summer all around the world. The aerial photos below are as wide as 500 feet or more, yet the amazing aspect is that each one has shown up in a matter of seconds in broad daylight! Scientists have analyzed the actual crops these circles are created in and have found that the genetic DNA structure of the cells of these plants have been changed through high amounts of heat and radiation. Other stalks of wheat were found to be bent, and not broken which is an astounding feat to accomplish for any human or machine to design a perfect geometric formation of such magnitude. For years people have reported there are bright balls of light found hovering over these circles after and before their formation. These bright floating balls of light swirl and form these miraculous HUGE precisely designed perfectly geometric patterns over large areas in a matter of seconds." - http://www.enlightenedbeings.com... Also, there have been eye witnesses who have seen beams of light descend into their own crop. http://www.bltresearch.com... {*Given that any crop circle pattern can be constructed by humans, that is a simpler explanation than demanding that ET do the job.*} Eye witnesses have seen beams of light create crop circles. Many crops are perfectly bent, not broken. Many circles are perfectly calculated and geometrical which would be difficult for a man even with an aerial view. There are 1000's of crop circles continuously being formed. Assuming every single one is done by a prankster is an extraordinary claim yet to be proven. A crop circle research team has discovered many anomalies associated with crop circles which proves that a man with wooden boards could not have been responsible. http://www.bltresearch.com... {*Drake's Equation is indefinite and not Parsimonious*} The concept of the Drake Equation is definitely parsimonious. The equation itself happens to be complex for the sake of being accurate. It had to take an many variables into account for best results. The concept though is parsimonious which is based on the likely life-bearing planets per star with planets in the Milky Way. We can go beyond the equation and ask, then how many life-bearing planets are there in this infinite universe? {*Perhaps future studies will provide solid estimates, but as of now it is pure speculation. Therefore Drake's Equation provides nothing beyond speculation.*} That's besides the point. Like I've said many times, I'm arguing that the law of parsimony supports extraterrestrials. {*Drake's Equation says nothing about the overcoming the problem of traveling faster than the speed of light. For extraterrestrials to make crop circles, they must travel here to do so.*} I realize that my crop circle explanation requires that extraterrestrials have visited earth, but that's not what I'm arguing. My point was that the most parsimonious explanation for crop circles would be an extraterrestrial with a message, not a genius with knowledge of sacred geometry, advanced mathematical concepts, who can create 1000s of elaborate 500 foot crop circles in less than 6 hours each. Also, an explanation doesn't require an explanation. When we discover ancient artifacts, we can infer it was man made, but we don't start saying, "How can it be man made? Who created man? Well, that rules out that possibility." In conclusion, my opponent continually demanded me to prove things that aren't required to affirm the resolution. The resolution was simply that the law of parsimony supports intelligent extraterrestrial existence, in which case, I fulfilled my burden. Resolution not negated.