27 replies to this topic

[Althalus]

                                                      My bet is that the physics that we are currently calling theoretical and top stuff, is actually down nearer the bottom of the ladder, or at least somewhere near the lower middle, and that we have a lot more to learn.                                                      

[Magikman]

                                                      That may be true when applied generally to physics and our knowledge of its principles, Al, but there are highly specialized disciplines within the science that require an adherance to a certain set of rules and/or conditions, no matter what the circumstance. Just coincidently, an astrophysicist has written a two part article for Astrobiology magazine that addresses the issue of intelligent life in the universe. Its simply written so that any lay person can understand the crux of his ideas, but it contains enough information to give you an idea of what is needed for intelligent life to form elsewhere.

Link to article

There are other links at the bottom of the page that you can click on if you want to read further information on the subject.

Magikman                                                        

[Expendable]

Here's something to chew on. (From thekeyboard.org.uk)
Just doing a little paraphrasing here:

-100 Billion Galaxies in our universe that are visible to a modern telescope, 100 billion being a conservative number.

-100's of Billions stars in the average galaxy

-Total number of stars in the universe: 100 billion x 100 billion.

That's 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars, 10 thousand, billion, billion; conservative estimate

-1 in a million stars that have a planetary system, with one planet for each star. Conservative estimate.

-Assuming Earth-like planets are rare, give this another conservative number of 1 in a million

So that puts it at 10 Billion earth-like planets, capable of producing life. 10 Billion being conservative.

[Homer]

[Expendable]

Lol, yes, I meant to write universe. :b

[PurpleStuart]

Great article MM, thanks.

[AndyThorley]

There was a formula drawn up to work out just how likely it is to meet a foreign race...Ill dig it up and get it back to you...

[snuffypuffer]

Hmm, I bet life is the natural standard in the universe, we just don't see it because it takes a different form.

[PurpleStuart]

I dunno SP, i think we would be able to recognise alien life if we came across it - think of the diversity we already take for granted - Humankind to amoeba, Zebra to wasp, Shark to Oak.

[snuffypuffer]

I see your point, PS, but alien life could be so different from what we understand we'd have no idea waht it was.

[PurpleStuart]

Thats a possibilty, sure but i think what might shock us is that alien lifeforms (intelligent or otherwise) maybe a whole lot more similiar to earth's than we'd expect

[snuffypuffer]

That's entirely possible, PS, we may even be talking about humans being the dominant design for intelligent life.  After all, it's possible that evolution on other planets took the same course it did here.  It's all theoretical at this point.

[Great Big Sea]

Maybe aliens came from Jack Rabbits?

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