It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
What are the odds that intelligent life evolved on Earth and nowhere else among the 20 billion trillion stars in the observable universe across 13.8 billion years of cosmic history?
About one in 10 billion trillion, according to researchers writing in the journal Astrobiology -- meaning it's very, very unlikely humanity is unique across the sweep of cosmic space and time.
Put another way, even if life evolves on only one planet in a billion orbiting in the habitable zone of its star -- the region where water can exist as a liquid and life as it's known on Earth could, in theory, evolve -- "that still means it's happened on the order of 10 trillion times," said Adam Frank, an astronomer at the University of Rochester.
Armed with data from NASA's Kepler space telescope showing planets are commonplace, Frank and Woodruff Sullivan, an astronomer at the University of Washington, decided to take a fresh look at the Drake equation, developed in 1961 by astrophysicist Frank Drake as a way of making a rough estimate of how common technological civilizations might be across the Milky Way galaxy.
originally posted by: Phage
The article does not discuss the odds in favor of intelligent life, actually. It's more about the odds against it.
I think that it's very likely that intelligent life has, at one time or another, evolved elsewhere. Even right here in our own Galaxy.
What are the odds that intelligent life evolved on Earth and nowhere else among the 20 billion trillion stars in the observable universe across 13.8 billion years of cosmic history?
originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: geezlouise
But the thing is, unlikely things can and do happen.
originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: geezlouise
The odds tell us that, however unlikely it is, it is possible that we are the only place with intelligent life. I don't think it's the case, but it is possible.
originally posted by: Neekoboo2000
I honestly think that something is going on with the moon apparently photos have been photo shopped by NASA. Not to mention all the strange conversation between the astronauts and NASA ground control on the first moon landing.
I had a brilliant youtube video about it all... i'll post it when i find the link.