Posted on 02/22/2017 3:26:41 PM PST by Salman
In 1950, physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked, "Where are they?" as a kind of lament about the lack of observational evidence for alien intelligence in our universe. Today, the question is still asked in the context of the always-hoped-for discovery of other worlds like our own, with the thought that maybe, just maybe, we will finally find those aliens.
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The two most fruitful methods for discovering exoplanets (the "transit method" and the "radial velocity method") both give a straightforward way to determine the distance between a star and an exoplanet. That, together with our knowledge of how much heat is given off by the star, lets us calculate whether the planet is in the star's habitable zone. But, as we have seen, that is not the same thing as discovering a habitable planet.
Nevertheless, discoveries of planets in the habitable zones of other stars have been identified in the media and even in press releases of scientific institutions as discoveries of second Earths. Since we do not know the surface temperatures of any exoplanet, whether they are actual Earth analogues can only be guessed at using other lines of evidence.
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(Excerpt) Read more at spacedaily.com ...
But...but...but we saw something “wobble”.
Guillermo Gonzalez, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Grove City College
From: Gonzalez, Guillermo [mailto:G^2@GCC.EDU]
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2013 9:11 AM
To: Pizza Man
Subject: RE: “Perfect planets for life” – in the galactic habitable zone?
Hi [Pizza Man],
Size of a planet and its location around a star are only two out of over a dozen factors that determine whether a planet is habitable. They don’t consider in these news articles whether the system is within the Galactic Habitable Zone.
Best,
G^2
From: Pizza Man
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2013 12:01 PM
To: Gonzalez, Guillermo
Subject: “Perfect planets for life” – in the galactic habitable zone?
Hello, Professor Gonzalez, thank you for reading my e-mail, it’s a privilege, I have a fan page http://www.sacra-pizza-man.org/privilegedPlanet.html
May I inquire, does the science behind this page http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/04/18/perfect-planets-for-life-telescope-sees-distant-worlds-not-too-hot-not-too-cold/?intcmp=features include consideration whether or not the described stellar systems are within the galactic habitable zone?
All sorts of habitable planets out there. Once we get the hyperdrive fixed on the Millennial Falcon, we can go visit them.
They need to de-fund SETI. Total waste of money. ET is not out there. If he is, we’re all in a world of Sh!t and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Do scientists who assume that there’s no intelligent ‘life’ out there demand that the life be ‘like us’ or ‘like Earth’, to qualify as ‘life’, or ‘intelligent’?
I kind of agree with the, ‘let’s not call attention to ourselves’ theory!
They’d just kill and eat us, anyway. ;)
Agreed only educated guesses. I am not an expert but I would think that it is more than just a dozen factors that contributed to the success of the Earth.
Our position in the Universe and relative position to the center, the fact that we have a moon, Jupiter (a rather large planet sucking up all of the random stuff floating around in the universe that might hit the earth), a fairly young sun (not too large, not to small), Mars might have helped, etc. etc. etc.
A side note: maybe there is a reason why we cannot talk with others in the universe other than distance and time (timing). The likelihood of us actually communicating with another being is pretty nil.
I believe the available evidence favors life being extremely rare. Are you Pizza Man?
Maybe any signal containing intelligence may not necessarily be from extraterrestials as we “know” (envision) them.
There is a spiritual world.
From honest earth experience, a religious faith along the lines of Christianity is needed to get a society off the ground. I’d say that unless God wills there be an ET, there won’t be an ET. The bible is silent about it. But it doesn’t need to tell us everything. As C. S. Lewis said, it shows no signs of being a “systeme de la nature.” Will there be ETs in heaven, or in hell... nobody knows.
Chief says, “welcome white aliens from old world” and doesn’t live long enough to regret it.
Or just ignore us. See post #3.
I believe what we know about biology and evolution also support the rarity of life, especially life like modern humans.
an inhabitable planet.
Whatever shall we do with it?
And, no I am not referring to Scientology.
Not your problem since the funding of SETI does not come from government grants but rather private contributions..........
Agreed, pretty special and probably very unique.
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