Solar Systems Like Ours Are Likely To Be Rare

KentuckyFC writes "Astronomers have discovered some 250 planetary systems beyond our own, many of them with curious properties. In particular, our theories of planet formation are challenged by 'hot Jupiters,' gas giants that orbit close to their parent stars. Current thinking is that gas giants can only form far away from stars because gas and dust simply gets blown away from the inner regions. Now astronomers have used computer simulations of the way planetary systems form to understand what is going on (abstract). It looks as if gas giants often form a long way from stars and then migrate inwards. That has implications for us: a migrating gas giant sweeps away all in its path, including rocky planets in the habitable zone. And that means that solar systems like ours are likely to be rare."

Comments

first anus

[Anonymous Coward]

but i poop from there!

first post

[Anonymous Coward]

electric universe explains it much better.

Re:first post

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh-oh, someone said Electric Universe! Cue the ad-hominem attackers (how DARE you question the mainstream?!) and the straw-man arguments ("I know nothing about the Electric Universe and I sure as hell am not familar with any of its claims, but it's BULLSHIT I tell you!") and the sheep who really seem to think that what Karl Popper had to say about falsifiability somehow shouldn't apply to astronomical theories.

Seriously, I have never once seen someone dismiss the Electric Universe who was remotely familiar with it. Try studying something before you feel qualified to declare it bullshit, mmkay? And while you're at it, take a good long look sometime at how Electric Universe scientists are routinely dismissed without examination (an arrogant, cowardly act in itself), ignored by mainstream publications, denied telescope time, and otherwise treated like heretics and marginalized. Then ask yourself if astronomy and maybe science in general is in good shape, if it's supposed to be about dogmas and politics and silencing critics.

Let's get this out of the way now:

[DwarfGoanna]

That does not imply ours was created by a giant invisible bearded guy.

Makes it harder to be a true-believer atheist...

[dtjohnson]

...since that means the universe exploded into existence with no
creator and then life arose spontaneously on the billions of habitable
planets scattered around. Recent
analysis of ancient diamonds suggests that life existed on earth
4.2 billion years ago while the earth itself is now thought to be 4.6
billion years old which only allows 400 million years for the formation
of oceans on a newly-formed rocky earth followed by the spontaneous
auto-formation of ancient bio-molecules, membranes, and proteins that
could function as a living cell. Hardly seems long
enough. Now we are told that our solar system with its
incredibly beautiful planet that is our home might itself be very
rare. Maybe there really is a creator after
all? Either that or we are the product of an astounding
string of 1-in-a-trillion coincidences. Which is easier
to believe?

Why focus on just this one factor?

[Empiric]

There are a multitude of reasons the formation of our habitable environment, and its intelligent habitation, are dependent on a finely-tuned universe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropic_principle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine-tuned_universe

I'll avoid taking time now to argue I think this is indicative of Design, because I expect to see the usual spontaneous compulsory posts insisting it isn't indicative Design, as sufficient psychological indication of it being considered plausibly Design.

Methinks Thou Doth Protest Too Loudly.

If you think this off-topic, well, one question. Why would it matter how rare such events are? Just state it in your own words. There, thought so.

Truly awesome TIRL

[Anonymous Coward]

Adults Evolve From Children, not from a Queer deified as a God by Religious/Academic Organized Crime, Swindling Educated Stupid and Gullible. Love for God = Hate for Child. Horrendous HOAX on the Educated, for they worship deified Queer as their God - that is Criminal Education.