Life beyond Earth 'inevitable' claims expert

[UM-Bot]

Dr Sara Seager believes that astronomers are standing on a 'great threshold' of space exploration.

Dr Seager, who is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, believes that there is a chance we will find evidence of extraterrestrial life within as little as 20 years.

Read More: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/270498/life-beyond-earth-inevitable-claims-expert

[seeder]

Grand claims indeed. Finding it may the easiest part, getting there tho will likely never happen in our lifetimes

Another thread mentioning 20 years

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=266774&hl=20%20years&st=0

[+OverSword]

Expert.

[sinewave]

Nothing that has not been said before.

[Lilly]

Nice guess...but it's still only a guess.

[Rafterman]

Expert.

I'd say she's earned that title.

http://seagerexoplan...u/biography.htm

And I'd agree with the assessment of 20 years. The advances in planetary science and astrophysics in just the past 5-10 years are staggering.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Rafterman

[+OverSword]

I guess I will find a twenty dollar bill on the sidewalk at lunch. It's much much much more likely to happen.

[Occult1]

Grand claims indeed. Finding it may the easiest part, getting there tho will likely never happen in our lifetimes

I think it's a fair estimate based on the current thrend and probably one shared by many planet hunters. At this pace it's only a matter of time before true Earth-like worlds are found. The next generation of telescope are getting very powerful indeed, they will be able to tell us a lot about atmosphere's composition of exoplanets and detect chemical fingerprints of life.

That would provide a confirmation that life exist beyond Earth, a question that mankind has been pondering forever.

Getting there is another topic.

Edited August 7, 2014 by sam_comm

[CuriousRey]

All these claims of 20 years, I would like to think we will find or detect some for of alien life sooner than that and maybe in our own solar system at that. So much of our back yard isn't even understood yet, I think it is inevitable that we will find something if we look hard enough.

[seeder]

I think it's a fair estimate based on the current thrend and probably one shared by many planet hunters. At this pace it's only a matter of time before true Earth-like worlds are found. The next generation of telescope are getting very powerful indeed, they will be able to tell us a lot about atmosphere's composition of exoplanets and detect chemical fingerprints of life.

That would provide a confirmation that life exist elswhere in the cosmos, a question that mankind has been pondering forever.

Getting there is another topic.

The problem with telescopes is .... they can see millions/billions of years BACK in time....so they wont be finding life in 'real time'...

[Sweetpumper]

Yippee. Thanks, Sara.

[seeder]

The problem with telescopes is .... they can see millions/billions of years BACK in time....so they wont be finding life in 'real time'...

If anyone struggles with what I said do watch this short vid to understand it..

quote from vid "when we look the moon we see it as it was - a second ago, when we look at the sun we see it as it was about 8 mins ago, looking at the nearest star we see it as it was 4 years ago.

Looking to the edge of the galaxy, we see it as it was about 100,000 ya, Look further at other galaxies, and we see things as they were millions/billions of years ago

Hubblecast 68: The Hubble time machine

[Occult1]

All these claims of 20 years, I would like to think we will find or detect some for of alien life sooner than that and maybe in our own solar system at that. So much of our back yard isn't even understood yet, I think it is inevitable that we will find something if we look hard enough.

NASA is planning a mission on Europa, the best 'bet' of finding life in our solar system. But costs are somewhat an issue at this point.

''The NRC recommended NASA try to reduce the cost and scope of a mission to Europa, and the agency still is working out its plans for such an undertaking. In April, NASA released a request for information for concepts for a mission to Europa that would cost less than $1 billion, excluding the launch vehicle, which could still meet as many of the science priorities as possible. Recent NASA studies have focused on an orbiter mission concept and a multiple flyby mission concept as the most compelling and feasible.''

Source: http://www.nasa.gov/...s/#.U-OiZPl5PfI

The problem with telescopes is .... they can see millions/billions of years BACK in time....so they wont be finding life in 'real time'...

Of course the farthest a star is, the longest it's light reaches the Earth. But when looking for exoplanets in the Milky Way, it does not necesserely take that long. Thousands of years in many cases. You see, one of the top candidate so far Gliese832 c is nearby, at about 16.1 light years away. If you are looking for remote galaxies, indeed you are traveling far back in time.

Proof of extraterrestrial life thousands of years ago is still proof of extraterrestrial life elsewhere in cosmos.

Edited August 7, 2014 by sam_comm

[seeder]

Proof of extraterrestrial life thousands of years ago is still proof of extraterrestrial life elsewhere in cosmos.

But what would we consider 'proof' if we cannot visit or contact any planet for thousands of years?

[Occult1]

But what would we consider 'proof' if we cannot visit or contact any planet for thousands of years?

The detection of chemical fingerprints of life in the atmosphere.

[Mr.United_Nations]

The problem with telescopes is .... they can see millions/billions of years BACK in time....so they wont be finding life in 'real time'...

before the planet was born

[+OverSword]

The detection of chemical fingerprints of life in the atmosphere.

That would be evidence not proof.

[Rafterman]

But what would we consider 'proof' if we cannot visit or contact any planet for thousands of years?

We would simply say that life existed there at some point. The future generations of scientists can take it from there.

[CRYSiiSx2]

We haven't found a planet outside of our galaxy. It would be impossible to see anything inside our galaxy at the time it was before earth, as the galaxy is only 100,000 ly across...

[Ugly1]

Well no duh life is out there. I mean, really? I just don't understand how some people are so gullible to think that we are the only life in this universe, dimension, or any theory that you agree is more plausible than the other. I just think that it is so sad that some people are limiting the amount that they can expand their mind and just think outside of the box because they hold to a specific dogma. I have Jesus as my savior, and I love god. I really don't think too much into it other than trying my best to live by his teachings. With that said, some of the people I talk to from the "same faith" are so mentally blocked that it just bothers me that they limit the tool they were given. I believe there are UFO's for sure. Aliens, for sure. Jesus, for sure. Good and lack of good, for sure.

[Imaginarynumber1]

Well no duh life is out there. I mean, really? I just don't understand how some people are so gullible to think that we are the only life in this universe, dimension, or any theory that you agree is more plausible than the other. I just think that it is so sad that some people are limiting the amount that they can expand their mind and just think outside of the box because they hold to a specific dogma. I have Jesus as my savior, and I love god. I really don't think too much into it other than trying my best to live by his teachings. With that said, some of the people I talk to from the "same faith" are so mentally blocked that it just bothers me that they limit the tool they were given. I believe there are UFO's for sure. Aliens, for sure. Jesus, for sure. Good and lack of good, for sure.

Was jesus really necessary to add to the conversation?

We haven't found a planet outside of our galaxy.

Yes we have, technically.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/11/101118-science-space-new-planet-discovered-outside-galaxy/

[+joc]

There are trillions of galaxies...the Universe is Infinite...Life isn't...it exists...here and there...and is always leaving Here and being propelled There...it might take 150 million years before the spores of Exhibit A Life Form hit the Earth as a Meteorite...

Closed minds are like closed caskets....figure that one out...lol

[DONTEATUS]

To Look and not Open ones eyes,mind and Soul, Is not to of Looked at All.

[StRoostifer]

Joc and Donteatus, wise words!

Life is about learning but we stop learning when we think we know the answers. Best to keep an open mind and continue learning.

[lost_shaman]

The problem with telescopes is .... they can see millions/billions of years BACK in time....so they wont be finding life in 'real time'...

Well, we are only looking at Exo-planets in the Milkyway... so only about 70,000 years ago for the furthest away from us not Billions of years ago.