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Gliese 581d Confirmed as 'Habitable' Exoplanet

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the but-you-wouldn't-want-to-live-there dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A rocky world orbiting a nearby star was confirmed (PDF) as the first planet outside our Solar System to meet key requirements for sustaining life." The "key requirement" was actually a Starbucks — astronomers were pretty surprised to find out that they like their coffee burnt on Gliese 581d too.

10 of 451 comments (clear)

  1. We've sent them a message already... by cruff · · Score: 5, Funny

    From TFA:

    However, humanity has already tried to make contact with the new planet. During Australia's National Science Week in August 2009, Cosmos magazine partnered with the Australian government, NASA and the CSIRO to run a 13-day campaign to collect goodwill messages from the public to be sent to Gliese 581d.

    The initiative, known as Hello From Earth, collected 26,000 messages, which were transmitted by NASA's Tidbinbilla facility. The signal is not due to arrive until January 2030.

    At which time it will be returned because we failed to include sufficient postage.

    1. Re:We've sent them a message already... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Hello from Earth?" They should have called it "Hello World!"

    2. Re:We've sent them a message already... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      More likely, you'll be dinner. Unfortunately for you nerds, dry aging in a cool dark cellar and marinated in mountain dew and cheetos is a popular way to prepare their meat on Gliese 581d.

    3. Re:We've sent them a message already... by sqldr · · Score: 4, Funny

      either that, or..

      BLESSED GREETINGS

      I AM KANU YAKUBU FROM THE PLANET GLIESE 581D. I AM CROWN PRINCE AND BENEFACTOR OF AN OIL COMPANY WORTH 4,100,000,000,000 (FOUR POINT ONE TRILLION) BITCOINS, WHICH I... etc.

      --
      I wrote my first program at the age of six, and I still can't work out how this website works.
    4. Re:We've sent them a message already... by Surt · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's why I work at a cheetos factory. You don't eat the chef!

      --
      "Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
    5. Re:We've sent them a message already... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Seems kind of rude to just start shouting at them."

      Not really, the scientists that though of it were from New Jersey.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  2. indeed by Artifex · · Score: 4, Funny

    Since it's within the Goldilocks zone, I'm guessing that the Starbucks serves oatmeal not too hot, and not too cold.

    --
    Get off my launchpad!
  3. first post by slick7 · · Score: 2, Funny

    When you get readey to go, don't forget the pox laden blankets.

    --
    The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
  4. oh i can perceive them by circletimessquare · · Score: 1, Funny

    if you put a blueberry in a pile of shit i think it would change the flavor subtly, but it will still taste like shit

    likewise, i have no doubt that bean type, soil, growing conditions, etc., changes the taste of the coffee bean... something that tastes bitter, and always tasted bitter, and always will taste bitter, as the overarching flavor, no matter what the subtleties

    what i am saying is that it does not matter the subtleties when the overarching flavor always dominates. and since with coffee the overarching flavor is hot and bitter, that condemns all flavors of coffee, no matter what the slight modifications that fills your mind with supposed merit that is essentially meaningless, since you are willfully ignoring the dominant flavor for psychological and addictive reasons

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  5. Missionary by CosaNostra+Pizza+Inc · · Score: 3, Funny

    The 700 Club is already building a spaceship so a Missionary can be started there.