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Scientists estimate the number of intelligent alien civilizations in the galaxy
CNET ^ | June 15, 2020 3:53 p.m. PT | Jackson Ryan

Posted on 06/15/2020 6:38:28 PM PDT by BenLurkin

A new study... provides an updated estimate of the likely number of alien civilizations that could exist in the Milky Way. The analysis...starts with revising the Drake equation...

"The classic method for estimating the number of intelligent civilizations relies on making guesses of values relating to life," said Westby in a press release. "Our new study simplifies these assumptions using new data, giving us a solid estimate of the number of civilizations in our Galaxy."

Westby and Conselice...built a key assumption in to their estimate: Life on another planet will arise in a similar way to how it did on Earth.

The duo placed three different sets of limits on these "suitable planets" harboring life with weak, moderate and strong categories with different time frames for life to arise.

The weakest limits allowed them to make estimates on a time frame of greater than 5 billion years, while the strongest limit only assessed worlds between 4.5 and 5.5 billion years old.

When plugging the strongest limits and numbers into their complex new equation...data reveals there could be a minimum of eight CETI civilizations within the Milky Way.

On the other hand, using weaker limits, Westby and Conselice suggest there could be as many as 2,900 worlds where life has found a way that means we may be able to detect them sooner.

Though an interesting new way to examine an age-old question, the work relies on a lot of assumptions. The authors make it clear there is only one data point for intelligent, communicating life and that is humanity. Using us as the basis for other life in the cosmos may itself be flawed because the truth is we simply don't know what other intelligent life might look like or where it might thrive.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnet.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science; UFO's
KEYWORDS: alienlifeforms; astronomy; christopherconselice; drakeequation; estimates; lifeinspace; pseudoscience; science; seti; tomwestby; ufo; ufos; wag; xplanets
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To: BenLurkin

Whatever their estimate may be it will be one too high.

There is precious little intelligent life here on Earth.

Almost none in the UN or other international NGOs. Well, the evil intelligences aside that is....


41 posted on 06/15/2020 7:45:41 PM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: BenLurkin

The answer is supposed to be 42. 42 worlds in our galaxy with intelligent life.

If the question is about intelligent life in the universe, the answer would still be 42, making our galaxy the luckiest galaxy of them all.


42 posted on 06/15/2020 7:52:49 PM PDT by adorno
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To: BenLurkin

Total nonsense based on unprovable assumptions.


43 posted on 06/15/2020 7:56:22 PM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: rbg81

44 posted on 06/15/2020 7:57:57 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: dirtymac
in a reversal of all the laws of entropy

It really isn't a reversal of all the laws of entropy when you have a constant, large energy source putting energy into the system from outside the system.

There are lots of questions about information flow, but all the laws of entropy are not violated.

45 posted on 06/15/2020 8:01:11 PM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: ifinnegan

“How many?”

Somewhere between 8 and 2,900, they are thinking.

Just in our Galaxy.


46 posted on 06/15/2020 8:04:30 PM PDT by BeauBo
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To: BenLurkin

The number was approximately 1, but our civilization is in the process of full collapse, so soon, it will be zero.


47 posted on 06/15/2020 8:09:41 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Politics is the continuation of war by other means. --Clausewitz)
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To: backwoods-engineer

We are alone.


48 posted on 06/15/2020 8:14:53 PM PDT by Does so (Neo-Venezuelans = Democrats = Rioters = Looters)
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To: BenLurkin

I hope these aren’t the same scientists that came up with the global warming predictions or the covid 19 plan.


49 posted on 06/15/2020 8:21:18 PM PDT by pfflier
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To: ealgeone
Somehow gotta feeling we’re not on that list.

Nor should we be.

50 posted on 06/15/2020 8:22:13 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: BenLurkin

“There’s a starman waiting in the sky,
he’d like to come and meet us,
but he thinks he’d blow our minds...”


51 posted on 06/15/2020 8:26:15 PM PDT by Kriggerel ("All great truths are hard and bitter, but lies... are sweeter than wild honey" (Ragnar Redbeard))
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To: dirtymac

We went from a microbe figuring out how to become a man to a man convinced he’s a woman.


52 posted on 06/15/2020 8:26:20 PM PDT by Rastus
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To: BenLurkin

Unless and until we either actually find life somewhere else or figure how to make a living organism from scratch in a laboratory we have no idea how common or rare life is in the rest of the universe, let alone intelligent life.

It could be that Earth has the only life anywhere and the rest of the universe is entirely sterile or it could be that there is life on nearly every planet with water.


53 posted on 06/15/2020 8:39:12 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy (The Obamanation has ended!)
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To: BenLurkin

This kind of speculation gives science a bad name. But the media will publicize it....and the movies are still being made about it...and despite all the negative evidence they still spend money on it. Maybe the extraterrestrials are all Kanamits and all our missing people were fast food while the Kanamits were passing by. Add that factor to the Drake equation.


54 posted on 06/15/2020 8:50:49 PM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find.)
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To: ealgeone

Well, I was going to say 0, including the devolving human population on earth.


55 posted on 06/15/2020 8:52:14 PM PDT by ican'tbelieveit
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To: BenLurkin

If all that exists is matter, then maybe these guys are right? But what if the soul which is the principle of a living organism is immaterial? In that case these scientists have nothing to say about life. They have no expertise with regard to immaterial substance.

Theologians have a lot to say about immaterial realities. Angels, for example, each angel his own species, fill the universe. But you will never see a scientist even consider that angels are another form of intelligent life.

Aliens are a construct of unbelievers who deep down understand that other intelligent life forms must exist, but they cannot bring themselves to admit that angels fall in this category. It is also interesting to me that aliens are almost always humanoids with big heads.


56 posted on 06/15/2020 8:59:29 PM PDT by blackpacific
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To: BenLurkin

57 posted on 06/15/2020 9:33:31 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: BenLurkin

The over under of intelligent life forms in our solar system beside on Earth, is -1-.


58 posted on 06/15/2020 9:38:03 PM PDT by Glad2bnuts (“If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.” Francis Schaeffer)
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To: BenLurkin

Is ‘zero’ up for grabs?

I will take zero.


59 posted on 06/15/2020 9:52:17 PM PDT by Pikachu_Dad ("the media are selling you a line of soap)
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To: dsc
“giving us a solid estimate of the number of civilizations in our Galaxy.”

Did anyone else find that hilarious?

Translated, if you wave your hands long enough, shout about your credentials enough, and use enough sixty-four cent words, your guesswork ceases to become guesswork and becomes fact.

60 posted on 06/15/2020 10:06:01 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
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