48 replies to this topic

[Zhao]

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/...-right-for-life

is this serious or...?

[JJ]

Seems legit. Google agrees with me. It gave me a Wikipedia article.

Still, whether true or false, the sheer vastness of the universe basically guarantees that we are not the only things alive.

[Sgt. Rho]

Well, it Gliese 581g is tidally locked to Gliese 581, so one side will be scorched, probably even part-molten rock, while the other side will be freezing. So the only part where life as we know it would be possible, is the 'border' region between the bright and the dark side.

[SquigPie]

Wonder if it will contain the hot alien babes that we always have thought about?

[Sgt. Rho]

Probably not, it'd be very hard for a civilisation to be built on such a world. You'd essentially have the sun-facing uninhabitable burning side, and the 180 below zero side where life would insta-freeze, and a zone between them with very powerful winds raging across.

Edited by Sargeant Rho, 04 October 2010 - 13:06.

[Alias]

Even if it had a perfect earth-like environment it is highly unlikely that whatever life on there is at human-level intelligence, let alone even bipedal.

'Intelligent life' doesn't mean anything more than it thinks for itself (i.e. sentience). An oyster and snails are intelligent life. I wouldn't set the standards too high.

[Sgt. Rho]

Actually it's not that unlikely, the way it seems to me, life evolves toward intelligence all the time, we simply were the first ones to get that far.

[SquigPie]

When you say "us" do you mean humanity compared to other species or Earth compared to the rest of the Universe?

[Sgt. Rho]

I mean humans compared to the rest of the spiecies on Earth: None has reached a civilisation-level intelligence yet.

And yes I know that humans are the most brutal asshole-species on Earth, but I guess that's part of it.

[SquigPie]

Sargeant Rho, on 4 Oct 2010, 16:26, said:

I mean humans compared to the rest of the spiecies on Earth: None has reached a civilisation-level intelligence yet.

And yes I know that humans are the most brutal asshole-species on Earth, but I guess that's part of it.

I dislike the whole "Humans are the worst species ever!" thing, every other species on the planet are just as big assholes as we are, the difference is merely that our intellect allows us to do more damage.

[Sgt. Rho]

I can't think of any TBH.

[Chyros]

Even the most conservative models for predicting life outside of the Earth that are based on scientific hypotheses predict billions of planet where intelligent life will be. The odds of us being the only (intelligent) creatures in the universe is so small that it's willfully ignorant to believe so.

I think this isn't the first planet found so far that satisfies to these criteria, btw. But it's a relatively close one. Note that the guy's "100%" thing is kind of optimistic since there's never any guarantees, but it's a possibility, I think.

Still, note that even the closest planets hypothesised to be habitable would be a long ways away, so for all intents and purposes we are still alone in the universe in practice.

[SquigPie]

Sargeant Rho, on 4 Oct 2010, 18:29, said:

I can't think of any TBH.

Several races of cats enjoy playing with their food before they kill it, just because they enjoy watching them squirm with fear. Foxes kill several hens without eating one of them, just because they enjoy killing, 3/4 (I think, the number is very high, at least) Sexual activity for ducks is rape, I could go on all night, but I really need to go. See ya!

[Sgt. Rho]

But none of those spend their very existence with finding better and faster ways to kill each other.

[CJ]

Alias, on 4 Oct 2010, 14:18, said:

Even if it had a perfect earth-like environment it is highly unlikely that whatever life on there is at human-level intelligence, let alone even bipedal.

That's just silly, why would we be the only intelligent entities in the universe? How can you tell there actually aren't some aliens which are even more intelligent than humans?

[Alias]

I never said we were the only intelligent life. Quite the contrary. I'm almost certain there will be intelligent life, but as I said, that just means sentient. I was only through a series of highly unlikely events that humanity came to be. I wouldn't be surprised if the most intelligent things we find are space pigs.

[CJ]

There are possibly billions of planets which could host humanoids on their surface, and even more which could host other life forms which wouldn't survive on earth. Personally I think the odds of another specie which would've known a similar fate to humanity's is rather important... Oh well, I guess we'll never know about that, though

[BeefJeRKy]

This isn't the first planet described as such.

And I'm sure there is a good number of species with comparable intelligence/advancement to humans but as Chyros said, in practice we may never encounter.

[SquigPie]

Sargeant Rho, on 4 Oct 2010, 23:38, said:

But none of those spend their very existence with finding better and faster ways to kill each other.

Ever heard of evolution? It's a f*cking arms race out there!

[Mbob61]

As someone above has said, given the amount of planets we know about, it seems almost certain that some would have the perfect conditions.
But Hey, if we start now, it will only take a mere 200 years to get there with a theoretical craft

Mike

[Shirou]

Sargeant Rho, on 4 Oct 2010, 23:38, said:

But none of those spend their very existence with finding better and faster ways to kill each other.

If attaining ones goal involves finding a better way to kill the other, then yes, nature will find a better way to kill another through evolution.

Adding to squigpie's example is that of the chimp wars. These guys are so human that they do engage in wars over each others territory, and are extremely ruthless, killing their own kind and cannibalizing them afterwards if the battle has been won.

Anyway, on the planet, its quite interesting how they were only able to confirm this one now. I mean, they already found Gliese b and c around this new planet by the same method of star-wobbling. How could this one then have escaped their wobbling measurements until now, while the first thing they were expectedly looking for is a planet in the habitable zone.

On the other hand, this is probably a tidally locked planet with only habitable area being around the perpetual twilight zone. It could also still be some atmosphereless Mars like planet. Life could be there, but its not at all like a new Earth.

[Major Fuckup]

SquigPie, on 5 Oct 2010, 14:11, said:

Sargeant Rho, on 4 Oct 2010, 23:38, said:

But none of those spend their very existence with finding better and faster ways to kill each other.

Ever heard of evolution? It's a f*cking arms race out there!

Paranoia much?

[SquigPie]

Major Fuckup, on 5 Oct 2010, 13:30, said:

SquigPie, on 5 Oct 2010, 14:11, said:

Sargeant Rho, on 4 Oct 2010, 23:38, said:

But none of those spend their very existence with finding better and faster ways to kill each other.

Ever heard of evolution? It's a f*cking arms race out there!

Paranoia much?

And with good reasons!




Put more seriously: Evolution IS an arms race, predators evovle better ways to hunt down prey? Prey get's faster! Prey get's faster? Predators get sneakier. A good example was the dinosaurs, they kept getting bigger and bigger to keep up with the constant evolution.

Edited by SquigPie, 05 October 2010 - 12:51.

[Sgt. Rho]

Not what I ment. I mean we are the only species that spends thousands of years trying to find better ways to kill others of our very own species.

Edited by Sargeant Rho, 05 October 2010 - 14:13.

[Destiny]

From fists, then to rocks, then to spears, then arrows, then swords, then slingshots, firearms, tanks, fighter jets, battleships...








...and the nuclear missile.