NASA's Deep Space Camera Locates Host of 'Earths'

This is great news, since we've raped most other countries on Earth for all their resources ... we need to set out sights higher.

I'm just thankful that we'll be destroying someone else's world and habitat, rather than our own. I don't think we should even bother with all that "scientific" stuff like cataloging species and all that nonsense.

We need to get in, take what we want and leave the destruction to the natives.

We need to handle these planets differently than we handled Iraq and Afghanistan ... er, wait a second ... um, I mean ... we need to handle them exactly the same way.

“The figures suggest our galaxy, the Milky Way [which has more than 100 billion stars] will contain 100 million habitable planets, and soon we will be identifying the first of them,” said Dimitar Sasselov,

Zoinks!

Well once all the data gets some closer scrutiny the Drake equation will have some better numbers.

If this pans out as Sasselov states, well then we live in a very crowed universe, yet I can't help but feel this will end up being much more complicated then we could ever imagine. Honestly I don't know what to hope for because if we live in a crowded Galaxy/Universe this could turn out to be a "be careful what you wish for" moment.

reply to post by Helmkat


no not really, if this is the number for the whole galaxy its quite bad.

Originally posted by yeti101
reply to post by Helmkat

 

no not really, if this is the number for the whole galaxy its quite bad.

Care to elaborate?

I'm not sure where you are going with "bad".

Originally posted by Portugoal

NASA's Deep Space Camera Locates Host of 'Earths'

www.foxnews.com

I guess Fox News is reporting the story because Glenn Beck wants to know what planet will get him as their god some day...

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
en.wikipedia.org...

This article describes how unlikely we humans are in this universe. And this is just from a geological, paleontological, astronomical perspective. It doesn't even take into account chemistry or physics.

Brilliant find. I haven't seen this article before, and I think it articulates an important position perfectly.

It use to be that if you believed in aliens, you were stupid and not enlightened. But as people started realizing the vastness of the Universe, it became true that if you DID NOT believe in aliens you weren't enlightened. (How could multiple instances of intelligent life fail to exist in a universe this big?)

I think there is one more step here towards enlightenment: You have to realize that the vastness of the universe is quickly reduced by compounding probabilities. A probability such as 1 in 10^15 is so unlikely that it may take the vastness of the universe to create even one single instance of intelligent life.

reply to post by Helmkat


the TED presentation is really vague so its difficult to know what they mean when they start quoting the hypothetical numbers. I hope to get some clarification soon.

i would say its bad compared to the 30 BILLION prediction some years back. news.bbc.co.uk...

if its 100 million around G tyoe stars thats fine. If its 100 million around all types of stars in the galaxy it would be a bit disapointing.

Greeting everyone. This is only my second post. I just have always had a thought and want to throw it out for others to think about. We always say, oh, there can be no life there. Couldn't support life. To cold. To hot. Not enough water. Sure, that is all well and thoughtful. BUT! That's just life we as humans think we know and understand. There could be life on every planet that we just do not see. Not visible to our eyes. It may not follow the rules that we as humans with great egos have composed. I hope I'm making sense. Sometimes my thoughts sound so grand in my head, and then...yeah....it comes out as vomit
All I'm trying to say is, we as humans always say something just because we have read facts from other people and they read facts from other people. The science and numbers we have figured here on earth, well, we are such a splash in time. Who is to say the formulas even work out? Just because a few scientists get together and say so?
When I hear them say, oh thats a million light years away. Thats all great, but it's really just a theory correct? I mean we can only prove that by acting on it. We are the same species that just as short as hundreds of years ago, thought the world was flat. So, we do have room for growth.
Listen, I'm not saying things cannot be proven. All I'm saying is that from a planet that is so small within an infinite universe, I pause when people say there is no life out there or can't be sustained. Just because our human brains could not prove it, does not mean it's not so. That's all. Kind of cocky to think we are the bee knees. Just thousands of years ago, people on one part of the planet never thought there were other people either....and look at us now. We can't stay out of each other's business. Maybe that's why it is taking awhile to find other life. We may not be ready yet.
Anyway, just something I had rattling in my brain. Thanks again for listening...this is only my second post, but I have read thousands of yours. You guys are great
PEACE...GOD BLESS....OM...

Originally posted by yeti101
reply to post by Helmkat

 

the TED presentation is really vague so its difficult to know what they mean when they start quoting the hypothetical numbers. I hope to get some clarification soon.

i would say its bad compared to the 30 BILLION prediction some years back. news.bbc.co.uk...

if its 100 million around G tyoe stars thats fine. If its 100 million around all types of stars in the galaxy it would be a bit disapointing.

I understand where you are coming from. There is still a great deal of analysis and clarification that needs to come out of the data. Once that is in hand then our speculation will be a bit more informed. However from my point of view the numbers are what they are and while 100 million is certainly less then 30 billion, it is still far better then 1. We also should take into account that there might be many smaller bodies (Moons) in each of these systems that could also support life. In the end I look forward to the corrective eyeware this information will provide our race once all is said and done. Unique, common or something inbetween, each gives perspective.











[edit on 26-7-2010 by Helmkat]

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL

I never mentioned that the earth is the center of the universe. All evidence is pointing to the fact that there is no intelligent life out there.

People like you baffle me. OK, so lets say the hypothesis you linked was extremely well rooted and for the most part correct. Lets say it was so correct that out of the 20 billion stars (on the low estimate) in our galaxy exist in the habitable zone. Now if we were to pick out identical stars to ours, barring life can exist around any other type of star, lets be critical and put that at 10,000. That makes it 10,000/20,000,000,000= .0000005. That means for every 2 MILLION star, just ONE was like our sun.

I want you to think about that for a moment. To say our star is even THAT rare, is a leap. Our star is not that rare. But for argument sake, we will say it is.

Out of those 10,000 stars like our sun. How many do you think have planets?

Now keep in mind, this is following that they are in the HZ of the galaxy like that hypothesis you linked suggests. It also follows that out of every 2 million stars, just 1 is like earth (a stretch but ok). Now lets be generous and say half of those stars just like the sun, in the HZ, have NO planets at all. That means no gas giants, no rocks like ours, nothing at all. Just the star by its self. Saying half is most likely wrong, and it is a great deal less, but again, for arguments sake, we'll say half.

Now we are at 5,000 stars just like ours, in the HZ of the galaxy, with planets. Now lets assume that one out of every 20 stars has a planet like earth in size and material. Maybe not in the habitable zone, but just in size and material. Doesn't have to be exact in earth size, or exact in earth materials, just enough for it to possibly support life under perfect circumstances. So 250 stars that have planets that resemble earth at least some what. Now lets say that only 10 percent of those stars have said planets in the HZ of the star. 25 stars.

As you can see, I'm throwing all sorts of variable at it and giving them less than expected percentages for actual existence, and still we are coming up with a number higher than 1.

Now obviously these numbers aren't accurate, and they weren't suppose to be. They were all leading up to what I am going to say next.

After viewing all those factors, and seeing how ridiculously large our galaxy is, you still want to say we are the only intelligent life? OK. Lets assume that out of 100 billion stars, 20 billion are in the habitable zone of the galaxy, and lets assume that out of that 20 billion, there is a minute fraction of stars like our sun. A VERY small amount. Now lets assume that out of that small amount, only a small amount of those have earth like planets. There would still be 100's of earth like planets.

But still, maybe, just maybe, by some horrible stroke of bad luck, out of those 100's maybe 1000's of earth like planets, none of them but ours made it to support intelligent life.

Guess what?

There are literally thousands of galaxies.

Oh sorry, that was a mistake, I meant.

There are thousands of galaxies in one little dark part of the sky. Any direction you look, if you could see them, you would be able to see thousands and thousands of galaxies. They all have billions of stars. Many even more than ours.

There are more stars in the universe then there are grains of sand on every beach in the world. Think about it.

Originally posted by Portugoal
Sure these planets can sustain life, but that doesn't mean life has ever existed on the planet. Even if life has existed on any of these given planets, it doesn't mean that life exists there today, at this particular time. In particular intelligent life would be hard to find. Humans have only been around 200,000 years out of 4.6 billion years of Earth's existence. Although these planets may support life, there is no guarantee that life exists, and an even less chance of intelligent life existing.

But still, these findings are incredible in that they show just how much more there is to learn about the universe, and perhaps one day those findings can render my entire paragraph above useless.

one thing you didnt seem to consider is that even though there 'is no guarantee' that life exists on these planets, there is absolutely no reason to consider it DOESNT.

and what, exactly, are you basing the chances of 'intelligent life' on?

reply to post by Gorman91


how do you know that aliens are as fragile as us?

and why do you portray yourself as intelligent, and then refer to Mass Effect as a design for the universe you favor?

Originally posted by OuttaTime
Nice find. Last I read, there were about 520 Exoplanets. Kinda makes you wonder sometimes... If only 1% of known Exoplanets can sustain life, that's still 7. Hmmmmmm

Yes only 1% of known exoplanets can sustain life BUT... its life according to our conditions. Its 1% of "life as we know it, Jim"... now exobiology can give you a whole different perspective. You're only taking into account that aliens have to have any similarity to our concept of "life" in any means, starting on the very basic ones... hell there can be alien life, even intelligent one, that doesnt even need to breathe for instance.

Theres an infinite number of probabilities and possibilities and we cant grasp 0.001% of them.

Remeber even Carl Sagan mentioned the hypothesis of alien life in gas giants... who knows? Its their world... they're built according to their laws and conditions, not ours.

Issues of the hardiness of a particular hypothetical species aside, the real issue is that here we have a rapidly increasing number of potential planets to explore in time to come. A rapidly increasing potential for life in the rest of the universe. To be honest, I care not wether the life we find is microbial, or if it is in some other way simple, and deviod of the intellect shown by ourselves, or if it does indeed show human or better levels of understanding. As long as we find it, I do not care how we do it, or what manner of creatures we discover. ANY life outside our own ecosystem would be good evidence of the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, because you know, it wasnt so long ago that the very idea of life on other planets was laughed at by near on everyone. Let alone intelligent life.
Now we have a situation where scientists are proposing life in the vapour clouds of venus, and elsewhere in the solar system, and Earth like worlds are being discovered all over the place. Things seem rapidly to be approaching a time where life on other worlds is a logical certainty, and all that will come into question from then on, will be our ability to find it.

Everyone needs to just slow down. First of all, we can't even seem to get back to our own moon. Second of all, we can't even seem to get to the next planet over. Third of all, it would take a one way trip to even explore our own solar system right now.

Exploring these potential planets is hundreds of years away. The primary goal should be to see if life like ours can even exist there.

Anyways, why aren't people like SETI pointing their dishes toward these planets to see if they can hear anything? Are they?

If they start hosting colonization missions, I will eagerly sign up. What guy who grew up on Star Wars wouldn't?

Anyway, this is cool. Seriously though... I would love to pioneer the colonization of another planet.

Originally posted by RockCreekMan

I mean...if this superior and much more advanced alien race have been in contact for years with our government and NASA shouldn't we expect that the aliens have informed them about the universe and everything that's out there.

IF the government has strong evidence of alien life, this is the scenario that I suspect.

Various governments have collected various forms of physical evidence that leave little doubt of the existence of Alien life.

BUT have established no form of legitimate "contact" because at the end of the day aliens have made a clear decision not to establish contact for rather obvious reasons. We haven't yet learned to "play nice" amongst our own "civilization"...still go to war with our own over the slightest of differences......hell, we don't even tolerate "aliens" from mexico, let alone a nearby planet. Why would any advanced race think we would be ready to join a larger community?

Right now the planet earth has a big sign hanging on it..."No tresspassing, no contact, species preserve, study in process"

Aware of some evidence of visitation, but absent any useful contact or help from alien civilizations the government is left with thier only policy choice, to cover-up any evidence and not publicly admit an unknown authority more powerful and advanced than themselves exists...there is zero benefit to disclosure and a myriad of potential risks and consequences at making the public aware. The government sees their role as providing answers...not admiting impotence or ignorance.

I think the existence of Alien life more advanced than ourselves is a very strong possibility...I am not certain...but very much lean that way. We humans seem to be an arrogant lot and the idea that we are the only life in the universe seems better suited for a time when we thought the earth was flat, the sun rotated around us and we were the center of all existence.

[edit on 26-7-2010 by maybereal11]

reply to post by 54v!0r531f


Mass Effect is a more realistic portrait of things. Of course all the aliens look human, so that's just plain silly. But besides that, all pretty realistic.

Aliens would be just as fragile as us. Because any more powerful and we move into a kind of "race" to the top. Once you jump to type 3 civilizations, there can only be one. And for all purposes, the reapers of mass effect are pretty decent protrail of such a civilization. You are not going to find good and peaceful aliens at this scale. Because for every good there is an evil. And the evil would have guns and blow up the good. Thus the good would have to fight, and become just as bad as the evil. Bio-robots are pretty much what you're going to find at that scale. Millions of consciousnesses running a form at peak efficiency.

So yea, sorry to ruin any kind of perfect world view you had with grays and reptilians happy aliens frolicking in the galactic grasses. Because realistically, you are not going to have aliens look like us at all, and you are not going to have many good guys. And the good guys will probably be uber isolationists that we will have to organize if we ever want anything done.

reply to post by vincentBlue24

I too don't believe that the "Goldilocks Zone" is the only place where life may exist. Our egos do get in the way and it's no different then once believing we were the center of the universe. I found a small amount of information regarding criticisms of the habitable zone that you may find of interest.

Having said that, I've read that the "Goldilocks Zone" is the best and most logical place to look for life and I have to agree to some degree. Space is an absolutely huge place to look for life, so where do you begin? Starting with some known criteria does seem reasonable.

Fortunately, astrobiology realizes that the "Goldilocks Zone" may not be the only place where life may exist. The "discovery of large varieties of extremophiles with extraordinary capability to thrive in harshest environments on Earth, have led to speculation that life may possibly be thriving on many of the extraterrestrial bodies in the universe".