Posted on 07/28/2005 4:19:18 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - A NASA telescope has spotted galaxies that hold the ingredients for life dating back to when the universe was very young.
Using the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists at the California Institute of Technology detected organic molecules in galaxies when the universe was a quarter of its current age of 14 billion years old, NASA said Thursday.
These complex molecules, composed of carbon and hydrogen, are commonly found on Earth and are thought to be responsible for planet and star formation.
Spitzer scientists found the organic building blocks in galaxies where intense star formation took place in a short period of time. These starburst galaxies are not visible to optical telescopes because of their distance and light-absorbing dust.
Results will appear in the Aug. 10 issue of the Astrophysical Journal.
Previous scientists have found such galaxies and molecules that were closer to the Milky Way galaxy.
"These complex compounds tell us that by the time we see these galaxies, several generations of stars have already been formed," said co-author George Helou of the Spitzer Science Center.
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On the Net:
Spitzer Space Telescope: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/
Out there is a big place. The distances are actually beyond the imagination of most humans.
"They" may not even know our galaxy exists, let alone us.
100,000 years of intelligent space-faring civilization is a long time by comparison to us. All we've got so far is a few decades and we've come pretty close to blowing ourselves back to the stone age on a couple of occasions with all the new-fangled weapons we developed along the way. When you think about it, it wouldn't take that much to set this whole place ablaze, and it'll only get easier as more countries get bigger weapons. Some nutcase launches a missle, which causes the recipient to launch another, and then back and forth to destruction. Maybe we're coming up on a hump that advanced civilizations have trouble getting over... once every country has nuclear weapons. Smart enough to develop the technology, but still to stupid to use it correctly.
There swarms of tiny robots all over the galaxy (this is the origin of dark matter), and when they detect abnormal radio signals coming from a star system they start to converge on that star system. We have been producing radio signals for about 100 years so they are well on their way to us.
When enough of them arrive, they descend on the origin of the radio signals and destroy all organic life.
That assumes a lot of things: That they've detected us, that they have the ability to communicate over the distances (they might not have the technology and/or might not be sentient) and, finally, that they have any interest at all in contacting us.
For us, the discovery of alien life would be groundbreaking. Other species might not have any interest in contacting aliens, though.
Though the idea of ET is cool, I think first contact anytime soon would be very perilous. We would be relying on the good nature of any such space-faring civilization. Any space-faring culture with less-than-benign intentions would have no problems extinguishing us.
Ideally, we need a couple of thousand years to develop to the point where we can meet other space-faring cultures on somewhat equal terms.
They don't intend for development of any space resources. If they did, they would be allowing for claims of private property.
"That assumes a lot of things: That they've detected us, that they have the ability to communicate over the distances (they might not have the technology and/or might not be sentient) and, finally, that they have any interest at all in contacting us."
I'm no expert, but I would also assume there's the chance that somebody IS trying to contact us, but in a way that we don't recognize as "communication."
Could be. After all, another species might view reality quite differently from us. They could be trying to communicate and wondering why we aren't picking up the phone.
Out there is a big place. The distances are actually beyond the imagination of most humans.
"They" may not even know our galaxy exists, let alone us.
Your explanation supposes "their" intelligence is equal to or less than ours.
No it doesn't. It talks of unimaginable distances, not intelligence. The most intelligent life simply may not be able to travel through interstellar space for a variety of reasons, lack of resources, biological etc.
Given the size of the universe, I'd say the probability that we're the smartest ones in that universe is - zero.
Again due to the size of the universe, which you and others, including myself, don't even understand, even the most intelligent life in the universe might have no means of leaving their planet.
On the other hand, spacecraft no larger then a flea, carrying thousands could have made the trip many times, and come and go completely undetected. HA!
We just simply don't know.
What if their planet lacks the resources to even build a suitable spacecraft? What if their life spans are only 5 years? What if they are biologically unfit for space travel?
And the size of the universe is irrelevant.
Irrelevant? Really?
It would seem to me that great distances would present the largest problems to any life forms.
If the distances of the vastness of the universe are irrelevant, what are the big obstacles for interstellar travel throughout the universe? And why haven't we had manned missions to Mars and bases on the lunar surface?
Also, you just implied that you know the size of the universe, since the observable universe is only a part of the physical universe, what is the size?
Just in case someone doesn't provide the answer anytime soon, the recent estimate, per theory of course, is that the universe is 1018 larger than the part we can see with the Hubble. That's short of a google times bigger, but since most people can't get the feel for even the size of the visible part, it's big enough to cause that empty feeling in the pit of the stomach of even the most confident teenager if he comprehends it.
What if their planet lacks the resources to even build a suitable spacecraft? What if their life spans are only 5 years? What if they are biologically unfit for space travel? If you could answer this.
And the size of the universe is irrelevant.
Irrelevant? Really?
It would seem to me that great distances would present the largest problems to any life forms.
If the distances of the vastness of the universe are irrelevant, what are the big obstacles for interstellar travel throughout the universe? And why haven't we had manned missions to Mars and bases on the lunar surface?
We've been around 2000-3000 years and the universe is about 12 billion years old. If there was any "intelligent" life out there, don't you think they would have solved the problem by now?
What problem would that be?
And why haven't we had manned missions to Mars and bases on the lunar surface?
For what purpose? Space exploration is a waste of taxpayers' money. If you want to explore - you pay.
Why does it take so much money? Is it because the distances of interstellar travel are irrelevant? Since our life forms have restrictions, do you think other possible intelligent, or even the most intelligent life in the universe don't?
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