Astronomers Discover Ancient Star with Five Earth-Size Planets 117 Light Years Away

originally posted by: Shiloh7
a reply to: gortex

I always wonder at these new discoveries which take your breath away but I am stuck with the concept that our solar system and the way its made gives earth life. Could we exist with any other 'layout'. Our time is measured by the exact distance of our planet from our sun, (exactly right not too close to burn us or farther out and we would freeze). We couldn't exist without the work the moon does in moving our oceans to stop stagnation and other things necessary for our lifeforms, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune shield us pretty well from incoming disasters. We rotate on an axis that a few more degrees tip and we would all fly off etc. Life in our solar system is so precise to protect us fragile beings that surely we would need an identical solar system for a similar life form to exist and how likely, despite all the billions of stars is that?

JMO, but finding life like ours is unlikely, possible but unlikely. That said I think finding alien life is very likely. I think people (not saying you) are too hung up on looking for life that fits the parameters that we have set out.

IMO, there shouldn't be any restrictions on where we think we'll find life. Life has evolved in some of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Just because planets are too close (in our opinion) to a sun doesn't mean life isn't there. Ditto for gas giants. Theoretically life could evolve anywhere under any condition.

Bottom line the question isnt: Will we find life outside of Earth? The question is when.

a reply to: Asynchrony

I think I read something like that in a Peter Hamilton book. An alien civilization developed the ability to move entire planets (like you stated) and had dozens of planets circling a star. Can't remember the book unfortunately.

I think when it comes to this kind of subject we shouldn't place any restrictions on the possibilities. Our understanding of the Universe and life in general is so shallow and incomplete it borders on the ludicrous.

originally posted by: Answer
Wormholes, dude... wormholes.

That's right! All we need to do is figure out a way to generate the power of an entire galaxy so we can sail through a wormhole without being smeared into a thin paste of elementary particles, and it would be like strolling over to the local store for a bottle of milk.

originally posted by: Toblakai
a reply to: Asynchrony

I think I read something like that in a Peter Hamilton book. An alien civilization developed the ability to move entire planets (like you stated) and had dozens of planets circling a star. Can't remember the book unfortunately.

I think when it comes to this kind of subject we shouldn't place any restrictions on the possibilities. Our understanding of the Universe and life in general is so shallow and incomplete it borders on the ludicrous.

I also thought that as civilizations grow to planet sized starships they could consume small planets and moons for resources in an unfathomable eating type scenario. For example I was looking at diagrams of Pluto and they show that Pluto is mostly made of ice with a nickel core. I imagined a starship would superheat Pluto until the ice floated off into space or maybe it would consume the liquified elements and then when the nickel core is bare it would swallow it up for a super-industrial sized metal-smithing, using the nickel to repair itself or perhaps expand even further or create more items for the inhabitants.