There are 500 million planets in OUR OWN GALAXY capable of producing life

Originally posted by Silicis n Volvo

Originally posted by Versa

So far Kepler has found 1,235 candidate planets, with 54 in the Goldilocks zone, where life could possibly exist.

The planets would also have to have a number of other variables for it to harbour life, the planet would need to be the right size, made of rock, a magnetic shield, it would need an atmosphere, liquid water and so on.... This alone reduces the number of planets likely to have life.

The number is reduced again for 'complex life' and reduced again for 'intelligent life' there are 2 million plus forms of life on earth and only humans have discovered science. Therefore the odds of us finding intelligent life on another planet are very very small.... That's not to say its not out there just that the chances of us finding it any time soon is slim.

if a planet is within that safe zone the chances are it has water...if it has an iron core the chances are it has magnetic poles...given time even if it doesnt have one now the chances are that planet will have or form an atmosphere...these are things we know life needs...then take into account the possibility that different life forms may not need oxygen...or water...our bodies do..but what if another planet houses life that needs other elements..and that planet has them...and...the only reason chances of finding life out there are slim for us is because nobody wants to put enough money into space exploration.

Why dump money into space when millions starve and suffer uneccesarily right here on planet earth? No more waste buckets, it is time we need to prioritize! We should get our ducks in a row before we even consider stepping out into the galactic neighborhood to spread our insidious sin and hatred for our brothers and sisters.

reply to post by mrphilosophias


The problems that face the majority of the worlds citizens have nothing to do with money or lack of resources though. The system is designed to keep people hungry and the countries of those peoples in a cycle of perpetual debt...all so we can rape their resources at a pittance, a much easier thing to do if a country and its people are broken and malnourished rather than strong and unified. In any case, we will have to expand and start colonizing space...it is inevitable and necessary if our species is to survive, i would prefer it to happen sooner rather than later.

Originally posted by cripmeister
The number of planets where life possibly could exist is an estimate and not a fact.

To get the estimate for the total number of planets, scientists then took the frequency observed already and applied it to the number of stars in the Milky Way. Source

I think it's important to bear in mind that this estimate isn't about complex life. We don't know if complex life can exist through out the Milky Way. The GHZ (Galactic Habitable Zone) theory for example states that complex life is impossible outside a defined circular region of our galaxy. This is thought to be because of radiation, meteor strikes etc. The GHZ is a theory and not necessarily true.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/16fe2ef702f1.jpg[/atsimg]

Yeah this one sounds pretty old... I don't think this would stand up to very much actual scrutiny. Too bad we don't have any data or observations about such far off stars in the inner galaxy (mostly because they block each other so well). I don't know anything about where life tends to spring up with the fewest global catastrophes (likely resulting in lower forms of life). My estimate would be that only old galaxies like our own or Andromeda with inactive center black-holes have solor-systems capable of sustaining life in the inner sanctums of the galaxy. Newer galaxies are spinning far too fast and the cosmic matter at the center is being consumed too fast for stars to form, but once the holes stop spinning, stuff slows down and gravity takes over from there.

As for the outer parts of the galaxy I know nothing of the physical differences between an active or inactive galaxy, I'd have to assume the outskirts of the galaxy would be at least somewhat as chaotic as the inner portions. But if the centers of galaxies tend to be more chaotic then the outer portions then I see no reason why anyone would stay there if they didn't have to...

As for joining some sort of galactic community, humans would probably rank about where neanderthals do on our own scale of life and intelligence to a inter-planetary federation of advanced races so don't count yer chickens on that one. I like to think there is some sort of order to it all, the chaos is so apparent, yet here we are. Humans are so ignorant, selfish, wasteful and yet that makes us easy to manipulate, look at us we don't even know who's in charge anymore... You think humans would stand any kind of chance against a more powerful more evolved race that's lived among the stars for untold eons? Of course not, I'd rather hope we attract no attention at all... But that's just wishful thinking... I wouldn't be surprised if they'll eventually have to wipe us out if we don't annihilate ourselves before we begin to colonize space.

Originally posted by LanceDH
One thing I don't understand:
If I'm not mistaking some time ago science has found a lifeform which they thought could have never existed.
So why do they scratch the not-too-hot not-too-cold planets ?
I'm guessing they only go for life as we know it, but it seems to me that they would just outrule a ton of possible life just because we don't know it's existance.
It might be a little offtopic.. I'm not sure.


But it's of course still nice to hear the big possibility of other life (as we know it)

edit on 20/2/11 by LanceDH because: made things make more sense

It's true... i was thinking the other day that other life in the Universe could be able to live in super sub zero temps or higher temps.... organisms adjust to heat and cold... whats freezing to us may not be so freezing to them etc etc...

Originally posted by Versa
The planets would also have to have a number of other variables for it to harbour life, the planet would need to be the right size, made of rock, a magnetic shield, it would need an atmosphere, liquid water and so on.... This alone reduces the number of planets likely to have life.

The number is reduced again for 'complex life' and reduced again for 'intelligent life' there are 2 million plus forms of life on earth and only humans have discovered science. Therefore the odds of us finding intelligent life on another planet are very very small.... That's not to say its not out there just that the chances of us finding it any time soon is slim.

Very good point. Our paradise planet has 2 000 000 forms of life, of which only ONE has discovered science. The odds of finding intelligent life elsewhere with our technology - or rather them finding us - is practically impossible. I think what made humans so intelligent is the use of tools and ability to speak. If we lost that knowledge we'd animals again for some time. Think about the "wolf children." Don't really know if all the other alien species who have possibly discovered all this have to look just like us, or something whole different.

You would have to be extremely close minded to say that we are the only ones in the galaxy, yet alone the universe. In my opinion, there are millions, possibly billions of species of intelligent life in the universe. Some may have visited here, some may inhabit the space between planets. This is the first step for the scientists to find the planets which may inhabit life and research them individually.

reply to post by hotrice


I was wondering how long this would take to pop up on ATS!

When I heard the estimate I was blown away. Goldilocks certainly has found a lot of beds that are "just right". It really all boils down to the question of "where are they?" (Another civilization that is). It would seem to me that each civilization is so far beyond and different from each other and us humble, confused Earthlings that we have next to no hope of recognizing the signs of otherwordly intelligence even if its slapping us in the face. Looking for radio? , Radio is probably the "baby talk" of the universe. Our neighbors are out there, doing their thing, just in ways we cannot even imagine.

Other species tune into us daily for a laugh , we're are the stars of reality t.v.

nobody tell Stephen Hawking ok

Let's just say there are 3% of the planets in the entire universe that have intelligent life, what if they have had this intelligent lifeform living there and successfully evolving for 100's of thousands of years or more. I believe if they've made it for that long without destroying each other or their planet that they would have the technology, after 100's of thousands of years, to travel through space and maybe even time. This intelligent life may have finally drained their planet of resources after so long and looked for another hospitable planet, Earth, to live on...or in, you just never know. My point is, there is no possible way that any scientist could imagine what or who is out there, the universe is way too large for our simple minds to comprehend.

Originally posted by ballsdeep

Originally posted by Versa

So far Kepler has found 1,235 candidate planets, with 54 in the Goldilocks zone, where life could possibly exist.

The number is reduced again for 'complex life' and reduced again for 'intelligent life' there are 2 million plus forms of life on earth and only humans have discovered science.

Science isn't a discovery it's a method.. there are certain species of monkey that leave nuts out to dry for a week and then smash them open with rocks; science.
Dolphins that kick 'nets' of silt up around schools of fish and feast in the panic; science.
Knowledge through observation; science.

Science: The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment

Source

I think its stretching it a bit to claim that the monkeys and dolphins have been SYSTEMATICALLY studying and EXPERIMENTING. When you can have an intelligent conversation with a monkey about art religion or science over tea and cakes then I'll accept your claim.

Originally posted by kaskade
reply to post by Versa

 

You have come up with this conclusion based upon what you only know, seen and experienced. Granted, thats a perfectly summed up conclusion, but non the less it is a biased one at best.
In the tanks of nuclear reactors. Tanks that have never been cleaned, nor opened. They found micro organisms living and breeding.
They are no where near the complex life that we are eagerly searching, but non the less... A life form was created outside the conditions that we are familiar with.

You are limiting your mind, as well as your understanding of the bigger schemes of things. Life can reside outside of the "comforts" we are only familiar with.
You're limiting the grand beauty and scale of the cosmos.

I am not doubting that the universe is quite probably teaming with life forms but what I do doubt is that there are vast numbers of intelligent or civilised species.

Originally posted by Jonas86
Very good point. Our paradise planet has 2 000 000 forms of life, of which only ONE has discovered science. The odds of finding intelligent life elsewhere with our technology - or rather them finding us - is practically impossible. I think what made humans so intelligent is the use of tools and ability to speak. If we lost that knowledge we'd animals again for some time. Think about the "wolf children." Don't really know if all the other alien species who have possibly discovered all this have to look just like us, or something whole different.

edit on 21-2-2011 by Jonas86 because: (no reason given)

The ability to speak is a very good point. We cant currently hold a conversation with a Dolphin so how we expect to communicate with a species form another planet is one that puzzles me. Speech is unique to the homo species on this planet and as such marks us out as very unusual.

after reading this post, you will realise that due to the magnitude of habitable planets and the high chance. There is a high possibility of a planet out there which has dinosaurs at least similar to what we had.

Originally posted by randomname
science never discovers anything. it just observes it for the first time. everything existed long before science and will exist long after science.

the odds are 99.99% that life exists on other worlds.

if you use earth as an example. we arent even the only species on earth, there are literally over a billion different life forms on earth.

yes but how many of those lifeforms are complex intelligent lifeforms similar to humans? As you said over a billion different life forms on earth and only humans seek to explain life through science, philosophy, mythology, and religion.

Originally posted by Versa

Originally posted by Jonas86
Very good point. Our paradise planet has 2 000 000 forms of life, of which only ONE has discovered science. The odds of finding intelligent life elsewhere with our technology - or rather them finding us - is practically impossible. I think what made humans so intelligent is the use of tools and ability to speak. If we lost that knowledge we'd animals again for some time. Think about the "wolf children." Don't really know if all the other alien species who have possibly discovered all this have to look just like us, or something whole different.

edit on 21-2-2011 by Jonas86 because: (no reason given)

The ability to speak is a very good point. We cant currently hold a conversation with a Dolphin so how we expect to communicate with a species form another planet is one that puzzles me. Speech is unique to the homo species on this planet and as such marks us out as very unusual.

Of course a reason our neighbors aren't talking to us (or perhaps we are not understanding them), is that what we fancy as language is nothing more then baby talk compared to the real communicators amongst the stars. Human hubris makes us want to put ourselves as the measure of all things, however given the age of the milky way etc. it would seem we are the new kids on the block and still pooping our diapers.

Originally posted by Solomons
reply to post by mrphilosophias

 

The problems that face the majority of the worlds citizens have nothing to do with money or lack of resources though. The system is designed to keep people hungry and the countries of those peoples in a cycle of perpetual debt...all so we can rape their resources at a pittance, a much easier thing to do if a country and its people are broken and malnourished rather than strong and unified. In any case, we will have to expand and start colonizing space...it is inevitable and necessary if our species is to survive, i would prefer it to happen sooner rather than later.

Sin & greed of man are at the root of the problem. Babylon will fall as God is true to His word; may the love and mercy of God be understood: Christ Jesus, Immanuel, the Word Made Flesh, and the Only Begotten Son of God the Father: contemplate His humility, obedience, fidelity, love, compassion, mercy, wisdom, power, and for His glory and His kingdom: when He comes He will judge the living and the dead, and He comes with salvation, the Sword, and the keys of life and death, so understand His love for us stubborn sinners, and consider the Cross of Christ, His Passion, Sorrow, Suffering, Anguish, Torture, Mockery, and unjust persecution, that in spite of the fact that we are covered in sin, like Barrabas, He has humbly, graciously, and most generously was turned over so that our sins could be forgiven (He took the penalty and inevitable consequence of death, but not even death could overtake Him, and after three days in the tomb, He was Written, as He is true!>). The Lord God is a just, holy, righteous, compassionate, understanding, patient, loving, merciful, and Most Gracious God: He is the Benevolent King! How awesome and kind is our God! That He loves us even when we don't deserve it, and endured inconceivable sorrow for us! Let us not be foolish and callously dismiss this incredible gift, and it is no wonder He is worthy of praise, and thanksgiving, and honor, and glory, Forever and Ever!

reply to post by Versa


is your mind made up from what you here/see on television etc why should life need the specifics that you mention, as the creatures at the bottom of the sea that live off the thermal vents are living quite happily and they DONT conform to the normal ways of how life should exist, also are dolphins not intelligent, if you look at most creatures on and around the planet i believe that they are all intelligent in there own particular ways but we as the human race are just to ignorant to appreciate it

This is interesting, but I wonder how far they are actually taking this idea. In the complete cycle of our sun, from birth to death, how many of it's planets will be in it's "Solar habitable zone?" At some point the earth wouldn't have been considered habitable. maybe in a billion years or so earth will be dead and some of the other planets will have their chance, with Pluto being last... Oh, yeah sorry, Pluto's not a planet anymore... What about the habitable zone around our galactic center, wouldn't it also grow and change as well. How many of these planets that they are finding have been before, or will be someday in their own place to harbor some sort of life.

I wonder if maybe at one point our solar system, galaxy, universe etc. will all slowly progress through the different stages of life. As a leaf dies, falls from the tree and feeds new and different life, will not all of the suns/planets and other elements in our universe pass through the same kind of phases. Did life not exist between the leaf and the soil?

I've heard that the human body contains most of the elements found on earth. On their own these elements are not alive but when put to good use in our bodies, who can deny them their right to life. I would think that throughout time and space everything has it's chance at life, even conscious life maybe at some point.

As the dead leaf waits it's next chance at life, so maybe do the sleeping giants out there that create the light and warmth that we depend on right now. Who knows how old the universe really is, or how long it will last, how many times it has changed or "grown."

When we change our definition of life to include all things, then maybe we will see things differently and realize the importance of our actions and their effects on ourselves and the natural, life filled world around us. If we could imagine how long it may be before we will get to experience life again, maybe we would be more careful with our actions. Maybe we would notice that some of the things we do have huge consequences, and that we are right now in a struggle to save the life of our planet and hardly anyone seems to realize that if we don't struggle with this right now, nothing else will matter.

I'm just waiting for the scientists to come back from their studies and inform us all that... "The whole universe is alive and habitable."

Originally posted by sensairich
reply to post by Versa

 

is your mind made up from what you here/see on television etc why should life need the specifics that you mention, as the creatures at the bottom of the sea that live off the thermal vents are living quite happily and they DONT conform to the normal ways of how life should exist, also are dolphins not intelligent, if you look at most creatures on and around the planet i believe that they are all intelligent in there own particular ways but we as the human race are just to ignorant to appreciate it

I think your missing my point, I accept that life isn't constrained to our planet And I accept that dolphins and many other creatures are highly intelligent but it doesn't detract from the fact that the sort of life form humans represent ie we have art, science, religion, philosophy etc is RARE and even on this planet which is very much teaming with life we represent about 1 in 2million.