What is Digg?63 Comments
- MacEnvy, on 11/08/2007, -1/+30When we can finally detect small rocky planets with ease, I think we'll find that most star systems had accretion disks at one point, and thus most have planetary systems. It's already clear that *lots* of stars have gas giants and big planets from what we've already found.
The question is, now that we know that many stars have planetary systems, what is the likelihood that some of those planets can support life? Statistically, pretty good. That's why it was so depressing when Jimmy Carter was on the news the other day saying he doesn't think extraterrestrial life exists. Sad that he would be so ill-informed as to make that assumption. - DeskFlyer, on 11/07/2007, -0/+13We're gonna have to go right to ludicrous speed.
- ibanezdtx120, on 11/07/2007, -1/+13I dont understand why everybody assumes all life just has to be water and oxygen dependent. We have no idea what to look for out there.
- mathmanjeffy, on 11/08/2007, -0/+10The "statistics" you mention rely on the vastness of the Universe. Unfortunately, that same vastness also lends the conclusion that statistically, its pretty good that we'll never find one in either of our lifetimes. Here's to hoping I'm wrong.
- JQP123, on 11/10/2007, -2/+12Carter is a devout Christian. Once the rational mind has succumbed to superstition, all manner of illogical starts to spew forth, often justified on religious grounds. Religion is the most dangerous thing man has ever invented.
- karacoatta, on 11/07/2007, -0/+9Seems to me water and oxygen is a good place to start
- JQP123, on 11/10/2007, -1/+9Arrogance? What could possibly be more arrogant than religion? To profess a personal, intimate relationship with the creator of the universe? To claim knowledge of life after death, all without any evidence whatsoever? And the moral superiority complex that usually comes along with it? When it comes to arrogance, religion wrote the book.
- crashflow, on 11/07/2007, -0/+7I'm confused. We digg you up or down in hopes of you're wrong or because we agree...?!?
- blackacre, on 11/08/2007, -0/+7We could digg him up because he added something positive to the conversation.
- oxygen728, on 11/10/2007, -1/+7"Astronomers have announced the discovery of a fifth planet circling 55 Cancri, a star beyond our solar system. "
This is opposed to the stars within our solar system? - EarlOfLade, on 11/07/2007, -0/+6We look for two things:
1. Extra solar planets. Find one that is comparable to Earth and we may find comparable life.
2. Look for non-random radio signals. This will lead us to someone who know how to use technology comparable to our hence increasing the possible chance of being able to communicate with them.
1 & 2 can then be combined for targeted search.
It also seems like there is a connection between the size of the star and the number of planets to be found around it. Bigger stars - fewer planets, smaller star - more planets. - NikoKun, on 11/07/2007, -0/+5Why should our solar system, be the only one with so many planets?
- bbqsalad, on 11/10/2007, -0/+4Well there is one star in our solar system...
- frsrblch, on 11/07/2007, -0/+4Hows the mileage?
- plizard, on 11/13/2007, -0/+4yeah it's a planet
- EarlOfLade, on 11/07/2007, -1/+5Why don't you apply the intellect that you clearly showed and apply scientific principles on your own religion and get back to us with the result?
- MacEnvy, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3I thought so too, but he was on CNN the other day (in response to Kucinich's UFO thing) and he made it clear that he didn't think there was extraterrestrial intelligence. Maybe it's a religious thing.
- typicalusername, on 11/10/2007, -0/+3What if you believe Jimmy Carter was an extra-terrestrial?
- donjuan571, on 11/10/2007, -0/+3@ibane, yea, we could look for methane based life forms, or some crazy plasma based intelligence, but what do we have to go off of? We have no idea that they exist in our universe. So we go from what we know, habitable zone = liquid water, liquid water = life. Anywhere on earth, from cold temperatures to above boiling, as long as there is water, there is life.
So that is the only example we have to go off of, but we know it exists on at least 1 planet per galaxy. - Fhwqhgads, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3.... and our planet be the only one with life. Seems like an incredible waste of space if that is the case.
- JQP123, on 11/10/2007, -0/+2"People like you ... People like you ... People like you ... People like you"
Stereotype much? And speaking of bigotry, what type of bigot would attempt to brand anyone who doesn't see the world his way with the worst imaginable atrocities from human history? - ibanezdtx120, on 11/10/2007, -1/+3More people have been killed in the name of 'God' than for any other reason.
- BritishGolgo13, on 11/07/2007, -1/+3I'm catholic and believe in God and the Bible and all that jazz but I'm still open to other ways of thinking. For example, the big bang theory, yeah, I'm all about it. The Earth had to have been around for billions of years, how else would we have record of dinosaurs and ancient Egypt and stuff. So just because someone is religious doesn't mean they're a total close-minded brain dead sheep.
I'm going to hell in a hand basket. - Tiak, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2There are problems with both methods though:
1. We can only rarely see extrasolar planets
2. We don't know what is plentiful on whatever other planets life develops on and what spectrum they would happen to use for communication.... We use radio, which is all fine and good, but we wouldn't know of what their atmosphere is composed and how well radio transmits through it.
Also, the connection between the size of the star and the number of planets to be found is kind of ambiguous... Our methods for finding planets depend upon the wiggle which occurs from the pull of the planets on the star, which is less present when the star is smallar, and from the difference in light when a planet passes in front of a star, which is also less distinct when the planet can block a smaller percentage of visible surface area. - Prathik89, on 11/07/2007, -1/+3I thought Jimmy Carter saw an UFO? I know this doesn't have to mean extra-terrestrial, but I always thought he believed in them :/
- Tiak, on 11/10/2007, -0/+2Erm, I'm pretty sure killing in the name of one's own country greatly outnumbers it... There have been a great many more wars, in every age, over greed than over religion.
- kevinmotel, on 11/10/2007, -0/+2Dad, whats a muppet?
- cnldelta, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2If those alien microbes taste good (alien mushrooms/truffles???) it might just be worth a trip.
- Tiak, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Yes, but we cheated, so don't get to keep the record...
Damn you early 20th century astronomers! Why did you have to go and count Pluto?! - Tiak, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Because we can calculate minimums based upon statistics and what we DO know... minimums are helpful...
The opposite would just be to say that the universe is a perfect sphere around the earth and that there are only a couple dozen planets outside our solar system, because that's all we can directly observe. THAT wouldn't be very scientific. - Tiak, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1The chances of them being edible to us are much smaller than the chances of them being intelligent...
- toetagger, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1I'm there! (*****, do they have coffee?)
- hammerattack, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1It has a track record of success whereas intelligent life is concerned. How many nitrogen breathing bacteria living on sub-oceanic volcanic vents have you had active conversations with?
(BTW, not every is making the assumption that you assume to exist. Scientists believe there is a strong possibility that the methane oceans of certain Jovian moons may hold life forms.) - inactive, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1And carbon.
- marcusbrutus, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2Colonel Sanders: Sir, we've never gone that fast before. I don't know if this ship can take it!
Dark Helmet: What's that matter Colonel Sanders, chicken? - poidh, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2Well it shouldn't come as a surprise about Jimmy Carter. The guy is nuttier than Chinese chicken salad.
- Napoleone, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1A one followed by 600 million zeroes; that's the minimum amount of stars there are in our Universe. Scientists estimate, through census data, that at least 10% of them have planetary systems.
Given that, according to evolution, life on Earth is merely the logical byproduct of simple planetary composition, it is mathematically highly improbable that that same (similar) composition is not then achieved at least billions upon billions of times across the Universe. In other words, life on other planets is not only the most likely cosmic scenario, it is highly abundant.
And believing extraterrestrial life exists requires no more proof than believing there exists life here on Earth, which you have not yet witnessed. I, for one, believe in math more than I do in my eyes. The odds of the chemical reactions that make life possible never occurring anywhere else in the Universe are too incredible to have any credibility. - leodavinci, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2I have no clue what your talking about in the first two sentences, but it sounded good so you get +1 digg from me : )
- inactive, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1I really wish they would name these things quicker, like before the press announcement. Gliese 581c doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. To date there aren't that many extrasola planets so it would be possible for people to refer to them by name, especially for the more interesting ones such as earth like ones rather than the gas giants they seem to keep finding (probably because their easier due to size).
- ikepigott, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1I clearly remember Carter talking about witnessing a UFO. Now, all UFO means is Unidentified Flying Object, but still - he brought it up.
- gcnaddict, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Record fifth planet orbiting nearby star?
Don't we have 8? - macwac, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1ibanezdtx120 really true.. for all that we know life can exist on nitrogen and helium mix rather than H2O.. or a completely different type of atom/element that we are unfamiliar with. Similarly they could know different technologies and won't be sending out radio waves. But like others have mentioned its a good place to start to find some intelligence at the same level of ours. Mankind would probably be too scared if they met a species with more advanced technology...
- designerutah, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1"If you look at history, God is the leading cause of death."
-George Carlin - PhairOh, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2"Seems like an incredible waste of space if that is the case."
While I agree with the sentiment, that to me is the worst justification for there being life outside of our solar system because that implies that the reason that the universe exists is explicitly for the facilitation of life. - inactive, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Bring me your 'shrooms.
- Grok22, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1but thats what god made it for, DUH
- rodrigo74, on 11/07/2007, -1/+1I guess you mean "1 planet in 1 galaxy", not per galaxy.
- AntBing, on 11/07/2007, -3/+3Carter is a muppet.
- jmitchtx, on 11/07/2007, -0/+0I never get why scientists even try to calculate how many more stars or solar systems there are out there. I mean, even when you come up with a number, why can't there be twice that many? Let's say you could teleport to the end of the universe. Where is that? Is there really an end?
After all, it isn't very scientific to say "We just don't know, and have no way to find out". That would be either admitting defeat ... or having faith. - hammerattack, on 11/10/2007, -1/+1'Religion' is a "strongly held set of beliefs". It is a concept. It is not arrogant - arrogance is a human emotion. So is bigotry, the type of bigotry you display here by branding everyone who doesn't see the world your way as fitting into some stereotypical mold of inferiority. Rational? You sir, are not rational. You're precisely the kind of Jungian clod who can't even express a coherent belief without invoking your own limbic insecurities. People like you did experiments on blacks because they were "inferior" to you. People like you rounded up Jews and stuffed them into gas chambers by the hundreds because they were "dangerous". People like you scare the hell out of me. People like you aren't rational at all. People like you are why I won't admit to anyone I know that I'm an atheist. I'll be damned if I get lumped in with people like you.
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