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Are We Alone in the Universe?
cynic10508 writes "CNN is running a story about how ours might be a unique solar system. Of the 100+ systems currently known to contain planets, all contain seemingly only gas giants. However, this may be a case of current technology and techniques being unable to detect planets similar to Earth." There are also
BBC and Space.com stories.
Nah, been done before....
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Next story, please.
"A witty saying proves nothing." ~Voltaire
"d'Oh!" ~Homer
just export our lawyers to other planets, then "try" to find them again.
That way we will always know there is life outside the planet, but we will have no desire to find it.
this is such a non-story. if i want to read pseudo-science, i'll browse cnn.com.
Scenario 1: We find life outside our planet, but that life turns out to be nothing more interesting than slightly-better-tasting cattle.
Scenario 2: We find ourselves on the receiving end of Scenario 1.
Let's face it, if the odds of finding intelligent life outside our solar system are astronomical, then consider the odds of that life being even remotely analagous to us, development-wise. We're either gonna be finding some glorified alien algae or uber-beings who don't even blink when their uber-Cuisinarts routinely vaporize solar systems...
Obliteracy: Words with explosions
"The best proof that there is intelligent life outthere is that they haven't tried to contact us"
Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes)
I think that we should be more concerned about who will have the upper hand if we ever do encounter aliens. It would suck to come into contact with a cranky alien civilization bent on being jerks and being some kind of ant under a magnifying glass to them. I would be much more comfortable if We held the magnifying glass. I mean I mean I would feel much more comfortable if we could show an alien civilization the kindness, compassion, and generosity of the human race and our wonderful track record for being that way....yeah yeah that is it
all those o's reminded me of gooooogle. can we google the universe for life?
In audio
Fight Spammers!
HE UNIVERSE:
4. Population
It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination.
--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
all of us 6 billion human beings. Alone and lost.
... that there is another, more advanced life form living on a distant planet, should it be included in the Axis of Evil?
hmm, I just had a great idea for a DOOM 3 mod...
"Space, is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly hugely mindboggingly big it is. I mean you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space."
If our squidgy soft bodies could endure long-term 9G acceleration, it would take almost 40 days just reach the speed of light.
So that's 40 days to reach the speed of light.
+ 73,000 days to get somewhere (200 years)
+ 40 days to decelerate.
That's 73,080 days to reach a planet 200 light years away.
So put yourself into one of those liquid nitrogen coffins, hope it all stays sealed for 73,080 days, and then whoever finds you will:
1. Beat your coffin with a stick because it makes strange sounds.
2. Eat you.
3. Disect you.
4. Revive you with their superior technology and hail you as a space traveller and all the alien chicks will want to have sex with you (hopefully is weird, kinky alien ways).
How would you hold your breadth, anyway? Sometimes I hold my width, especially after eating spicy chicken wings, but I don't think I've ever held my breadth.
WWJD? JWRTFA!
The universe is massive and ancient. It is also heartless and dangerous.
Like nethack.
The Universe - some information to help you live in it.... Population: None. It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination.
"Gee we don't see anything so far, so I guess we are alone" What kind of crap is this? We have stone-age technology to look at this crap. Large number statistics support life on other planets. Just that they may be 10 galaxies away.
-- "You can lead a yak to water, but you can't teach an old dog to make a silk purse out of a pig in a poke" - Opus