bouncer Posted February 22, 2012 #1 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a new class of planet: a waterworld with a thick, steamy atmosphere. Observations using the Hubble telescope now seem to confirm that a large fraction of its mass is water. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17117030 At least were getting slowly better at finding these things, Edited February 22, 2012 by bouncer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d e v i c e Posted February 22, 2012 #2 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) I know its slightly irrelevant but I have to say it; you can be sure the universe is crawling with life. Edited February 22, 2012 by Device Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habitat Posted February 22, 2012 #3 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Sounds like a place for a Kevin Costner movie ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouncer Posted February 22, 2012 Author #4 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I know its slightly irrelevant but I have to say it; you can be sure the universe is crawling with life. No I think its totally relevant, as our tech' improves, and thats just a matter of time, we will end up 'knowing for sure' we are just one planet among hundreds or thousands with some degree of life on!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Am Not Resisting Posted February 22, 2012 #5 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Sounds like a place for a Kevin Costner movie ! Lol that's what I was thinking about when I saw the title of the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted February 22, 2012 #6 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Yet another planet discovered where there is zero chance of human survival. I'm almost willing to bet that other planets capable of supporting human life are so few and far between that our best bet is to ensure the longevity of our own planets ability to do this. By that same token I'd wager that extra-solar planets that support life, support life that would find existence on our planet intolerable. This would be due mainly to differences in gravity and atmospheric pressure. Try to exist too long in more or less gravity than the human body is meant for and your body starts to deteriorate and shut down. Same with atmospheric pressure. If you don't want to live in a completely artificial enclosed environment (like the ISS) your only choice is likely this planet and the same is probably true for any life on planets other than our own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud the mackem Posted February 22, 2012 #7 Share Posted February 22, 2012 We have life here that lives in volcanic vents under the sea,so although humans could not go there,it is possible that life exists,we are NOT alone in the universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted February 22, 2012 #8 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I agree, I just don't think there are many other places we can live naked, and without technology. It would make sense that it would be the same for alien species and thier native environments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dreamer - Hybrid89 Posted February 22, 2012 #9 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Interesting. You'll always have people saying this and that out of total fear or disbelief but remember, Once we thought the earth was flat. It may not be today or tomorrow or next year or a decade form now or not even a century from now but at some point we will go into space. Its in our nature to spread our roots and explore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habitat Posted February 22, 2012 #10 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Yet another planet discovered where there is zero chance of human survival. I'm almost willing to bet that other planets capable of supporting human life are so few and far between that our best bet is to ensure the longevity of our own planets ability to do this. By that same token I'd wager that extra-solar planets that support life, support life that would find existence on our planet intolerable. This would be due mainly to differences in gravity and atmospheric pressure. Try to exist too long in more or less gravity than the human body is meant for and your body starts to deteriorate and shut down. Same with atmospheric pressure. If you don't want to live in a completely artificial enclosed environment (like the ISS) your only choice is likely this planet and the same is probably true for any life on planets other than our own. Some good points made here, We are purpose-built for the Earth environment, the idea we can set up home on faraway planets is wildly optimistic at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted February 22, 2012 #11 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Interesting. You'll always have people saying this and that out of total fear or disbelief but remember, Once we thought the earth was flat. It may not be today or tomorrow or next year or a decade form now or not even a century from now but at some point we will go into space. Its in our nature to spread our roots and explore. If you are reffering to me then you're mistaken. Example, the mass of a planet determines how much gravity pull that body generates. A planet much smaller than the earth and bone density deteriorates to the point where after a couple of years you are a weak bag of jelly, a planet much bigger than the earth and your joints give out and you have a heart attack from your heart working too hard just to pump blood through you viens. I'm not saying other planets don't have life, I'm saying that any life they have will be evolved to live in that planets unique environment. It's not out of fear, it's out of years of contemplation that I have reached my conclusions. I used to be of the "one day aliens will visit us or we will visit them" crowd, but the more thought I give to it the more reasons I find against rather than for that idea. We truly do live in one very narrowly defined type of environment, we must live in an oxygen rich atmoshphere between more than freezing and less than boiling temperatures. Even so-called extremophiles would wither and die soon after being brought to live where you live because they evolved to live where they live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epochrider Posted February 23, 2012 #12 Share Posted February 23, 2012 maybe that's why so many reports of visitors have them in skin tight outfits.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DieChecker Posted February 23, 2012 #13 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I agree, I just don't think there are many other places we can live naked, and without technology. It would make sense that it would be the same for alien species and thier native environments. There is not really that much of our own Earth that humans could survive in naked with no tools. Even a regular Iowa/German/Mongolian winter would kill off almost the entire human population without technology/fire/clothing. Humans create their own environment, so that is really not a good arguement. Likewise, acceleration due to gravity is not linear, and a small planet, like Mars, might only have 40% of Earth normal gravity, but studies have shown that at around 50% gravity humans barely notice the effect of the lightening. Quite probably we'd just wear heavier clothes. If you weigh 150 pounds on Earth adding 75 pounds of clothes/belts would work your muscles like Earth normal. Even a planet twice the diameter of the Earth would be little problem for humans, as I see 300 and 400 pound humans running around all the time. A planet 8 times the mass of Earth would have a gravity of like 1.3 Gs, so a 200 pound man would feel like 260 pounds. Not a big deal. True, over time it might cause problems, but no more then Obesity causes now. As to not finding any livable planets... You do understand how they are finding these planets right? They can only find them because they are either super massive and thus wobble their star, or because they are so close they can easily be seen to eclipse the star. Rocky planets like Earth that are within the Goldilocks zone are not going to be found easily using current methods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Am Not Resisting Posted February 23, 2012 #14 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Even a planet twice the diameter of the Earth would be little problem for humans, as I see 300 and 400 pound humans running around all the time. Really? I don't see them doing too much running at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted February 23, 2012 #15 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) Thanks Quillius It is an amazing find, I am hoping we can get more on it. If it is so close to the sun, and covered in a haze, does anyone know, why would this planet be more like Titan, and not like Venus? 40 Light years, gee that is a long way. I do wonder if we will ever get a better look at it. maybe that's why so many reports of visitors have them in skin tight outfits.... Nah, that is just to get our attention Edited February 23, 2012 by psyche101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meiliken Posted February 23, 2012 #16 Share Posted February 23, 2012 The next question would be to find out the quality of the water. Is it salty, fresh, putrid, or anything in between. Salty, the possible salt based oceanic life. Fresh being fresh life. Putrid being more algae like life. It could be bacterial in nature, or complex life. Water begets life. The nature of it is the real question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27vet Posted February 23, 2012 #17 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Another waterworld...mixture of water and high temperatures...jaccuzzi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quillius Posted February 23, 2012 #18 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Thanks Quillius It is an amazing find, I am hoping we can get more on it. If it is so close to the sun, and covered in a haze, does anyone know, why would this planet be more like Titan, and not like Venus? 40 Light years, gee that is a long way. I do wonder if we will ever get a better look at it. no worries! Nah, that is just to get our attention didnt Ruwa childrens descriptions contain beings with tight suits??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryso Posted February 23, 2012 #19 Share Posted February 23, 2012 How people can presume we are the only lifeforms in the universe is beyond me :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenfahr Posted February 23, 2012 #20 Share Posted February 23, 2012 This is great, I am looking forward to more findings in the future. In terms of space... 40 light years is really not so far away. Not for our telescopes anyway. Some day I believe humans will solve the distance problem, its seems that it is only a matter of time and space. lol Now can someone explain to me what hot ice is, how it can exist? And can someone describe what superfluid water would look like or be like? Thanks in adavance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouncer Posted February 23, 2012 Author #21 Share Posted February 23, 2012 This is great, I am looking forward to more findings in the future. In terms of space... 40 light years is really not so far away. Not for our telescopes anyway. Some day I believe humans will solve the distance problem, its seems that it is only a matter of time and space. lol Now can someone explain to me what hot ice is, how it can exist? And can someone describe what superfluid water would look like or be like? Thanks in adavance! Google knows such things: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_hot_ice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenfahr Posted February 23, 2012 #22 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Google knows such things: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_hot_ice what fun is that when on a discussion board? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted February 23, 2012 #23 Share Posted February 23, 2012 There is not really that much of our own Earth that humans could survive in naked with no tools. Even a regular Iowa/German/Mongolian winter would kill off almost the entire human population without technology/fire/clothing. Humans create their own environment, so that is really not a good arguement. Likewise, acceleration due to gravity is not linear, and a small planet, like Mars, might only have 40% of Earth normal gravity, but studies have shown that at around 50% gravity humans barely notice the effect of the lightening. Quite probably we'd just wear heavier clothes. If you weigh 150 pounds on Earth adding 75 pounds of clothes/belts would work your muscles like Earth normal. Even a planet twice the diameter of the Earth would be little problem for humans, as I see 300 and 400 pound humans running around all the time. A planet 8 times the mass of Earth would have a gravity of like 1.3 Gs, so a 200 pound man would feel like 260 pounds. Not a big deal. True, over time it might cause problems, but no more then Obesity causes now. As to not finding any livable planets... You do understand how they are finding these planets right? They can only find them because they are either super massive and thus wobble their star, or because they are so close they can easily be seen to eclipse the star. Rocky planets like Earth that are within the Goldilocks zone are not going to be found easily using current methods. I wont waste my time doing a point to point but would like to point out that while you're correct concerning winter in cold parts of our world there are places where someone could survive naked without tools save those they make themselves out of available material. I'll follow that up with this....YOU SEE 300 TO 400 POUND PEOPLE RUNNING AROUND ALL THE TIME?????????? Even if the only effect was that living in a high grav environment was that you weighed more I would love to see you strap on double your own weight and walk around 24-7 for the rest of your life. You wouldn't last long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectre1979 Posted February 25, 2012 #24 Share Posted February 25, 2012 I like reading about these things but I will get excited when we discover another planet fit for human life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dest Posted February 25, 2012 #25 Share Posted February 25, 2012 yey warm ice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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