Posted on 04/08/2015 6:07:34 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Bolstered by a flurry of recent discoveries, NASA scientists believe they could find evidence of alien life in the universe as early 2025.
Much of the excitement has been around the discovery of water in so many unexpected places. Several planets including Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune (and their moons) are believed to possess water in their atmosphere and interiors and the five icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn have shown strong evidence of oceans beneath their surfaces.
"I'm going to say we are going to have strong indications of life beyond earth within a decade and I think we are going to have definitive evidence within 20 to 30 years," Ellen Stofan, NASA's chief scientist, said at a lecture Tuesday.
"We know where to look. We know how to look," she said. "In most cases, we have the technology and we are on the path to implementing it. So, I think we are on the road."
Jeff Newmark, NASA's interim director of heliophysics, predicted it was a matter of "when, not if" for the discovery of life beyond Earth.
"The pace of our discovery is amazing," he said. "We will be visiting Pluto, the last of the planets that we haven't seen. With Solar Probe Plus, we will be visiting our nearest star in a few years. We're just continuing to discover what is out there."
The optimism is also driven by what scientists are finding in distant galaxies.
Thanks to the planet-hunting Kepler telescope, launched in 2009, scientists have discovered more than 1,000 exoplanets. Among those were eight new planets announced in January, including two that scientists believe are similar to Earth.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Yep, he's still around collecting ad hominem attacks because people can't refute his evidence.
What about the angelic realm?
Spectroanalysis of an exoplanets atmosphere can show life indicators such as oxygen in high concentrations.
Its too bad the bible never said anything about humility and not tempting the lord.
I didnt say I agreed with the NASA prediction.
I said that finding other life would not shatter my beliefs.
If string theory proves to be true...then there are least 10 other dimensions beyond our own that we cannot perceive.
I have always said that one day science will validate what we already take on faith.
“Life indicators” is a long way from proving life.
“Human life” out there? Wow you are confused.
Nope. If it’s not in the Bible, then it doesn’t exist.
That’s why airplanes, microwave ovens, the moon landing and vaccines are the work of the Devil!
(yes, sarcastic mockery of the Luddites)
Agreed. There are many other matters and mysteries the Bible does not address as well. It is not a science book. It is God's universe and God can create life wherever and whenever He chooses.
Broadly speaking, life indicators is what a pregnancy test delivers
You just want to argue, don’t you?
No. I’m simply making the point that often the concept of “proof” for some people exceeds the limits of reason. High concentration of oxygen in an atmosphere create a reducing atmosphere the reacts with iron and other common elements. Unless continuously replenished by some mechanism, high amounts of oxygen don’t linger long, geologically, in any atmosphere. Oxygenating mechanisms other than plant life are difficult to describe. High amounts of methane in the presence of oxygen are likewise temporary unless continuously replenished.
I think this is unlikely, because alien life, or its communications, not only have to cross vast distances, but great lengths of time as well.
To explain the latter, the universe is something like 14 billion years old. The human ability to send or receive any messages through space is probably less than a hundred years.
The entirety of human civilization is likely less than 6,000 years. An important consideration of intelligent civilization is how long it can last. If it can only last 100,000 year on average, or even a million years, galactic empires could have risen and fallen, leaving not a trace behind.
There are many cosmic events that can sterilize entire sectors of space, such as a supernova, which could wipe out every form of life, even microorganisms, for hundreds or perhaps thousands of parsecs around.
Then there are theories that life might only be able to exist and develop in the “middle band” of a spiral galaxy, not too close to the center or the edge.
I agree with you. Why should it shatter anyone's beliefs? However, given what we know about time and energy and what we know we don't know about guessing at astronomical distances, I'd be surprised man ever finds life anywhere else in the universe.
What would not surprise me would be if some moonbeam tried to fake an B.S. alien contact to establish some neo-pagan "extra-terrestrial" basis of spiritual authority like: "We've objectively assessed your situation and you are surely in imminent jeopardy of climate change" and furthermore and not to mention that "Jesus Christ is surly not alive and well in all his bodily glory, seated at the right hand of Father and chomping at the bit to return to iniquitous Earth to judge the living and the dead."
I predict they’re wrong.
I hope they are smarter then most of the ones running the country now.
Good thing he wrote it in English.
In a real sense you could say that God, the Creator of all languange, wrote English in the Bible.
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