At least 17 billion Earth-size planets are in Milky Way, new estimate says Read more

[Crabtownboy]

Most interesting information.

Our Milky Way is home to at least 17 billion planets that are similar in size to Earth, a new estimate suggests. That's more than two Earth-size planets for every person on the globe.

Just how many are located in the sweet spot where water could exist is "simply too early to call," said Francois Fressin of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who presented his work at an astronomy meeting Monday.

It's the first reliable tally of the number of worlds outside the solar system that are the size of Earth, but the hunt for our twin is far from over.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013...in-milky-way-new-estimate-says/#ixzz2HTmakB2B

 

[poncho]

If there's an earth like planet out there devoid of globalists and liberals I'll be booking passage there.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

If there's an earth like planet out there devoid of globalists and liberals I'll be booking passage there.

Promise? :wavey:

 

[poncho]

Promise? :wavey:

I wanna stick around long enough to see the reactions on the liberal's faces when they figure out the government they helped their globalist handlers create is about to devour them too.

That should be well worth the extra risk in my book. :smilewinkgrin:

 

[saturneptune]

Most interesting information.

IMO, it is the height of arrogance and ignorance to think we are the only life in the universe. There is nothing in the Scripture that suggests such.

 

[preachinjesus]

The statement is the OP is an example of runaway scientific pseudo-claims. There is simply no way of knowing this for sure. The estimate is so broad (17,000,000,000) that it cannot be taken seriously. One of the challenges of our era is that scientists have assumed a priestly status where they are the unchallengeable authorities on whatever they say. Nietzsche warned about this.

Regardless if there are in fact this number. Two truths remain:

1. Just because there is a planet doesn't mean it (a) still exists or (b) sustains/is capable of sustaining life.

2. The closest planets that might contain life are so far away that they are unreachable. Frankly I am unconvinced that interstellar travel will ever be possible (definitely not within the grasp of the next four generations.) If we left today, using existing technology it would be 3500 years before we reached the closest possible planet that might contain life.

We need to be careful of scientism. It is a dangerous exploitation of proper inquiry.

 

[Revmitchell]

The statement is the OP is an example of runaway scientific pseudo-claims. There is simply no way of knowing this for sure. The estimate is so broad (17,000,000,000) that it cannot be taken seriously. One of the challenges of our era is that scientists have assumed a priestly status where they are the unchallengeable authorities on whatever they say. Nietzsche warned about this.

Regardless if there are in fact this number. Two truths remain:

1. Just because there is a planet doesn't mean it (a) still exists or (b) sustains/is capable of sustaining life.

2. The closest planets that might contain life are so far away that they are unreachable. Frankly I am unconvinced that interstellar travel will ever be possible (definitely not within the grasp of the next four generations.) If we left today, using existing technology it would be 3500 years before we reached the closest possible planet that might contain life.

We need to be careful of scientism. It is a dangerous exploitation of proper inquiry.

Very nicely put!

 

[Streetsweeper]

The statement is the OP is an example of runaway scientific pseudo-claims. There is simply no way of knowing this for sure. The estimate is so broad (17,000,000,000) that it cannot be taken seriously. One of the challenges of our era is that scientists have assumed a priestly status where they are the unchallengeable authorities on whatever they say. Nietzsche warned about this.

Regardless if there are in fact this number. Two truths remain:

1. Just because there is a planet doesn't mean it (a) still exists or (b) sustains/is capable of sustaining life.

2. The closest planets that might contain life are so far away that they are unreachable. Frankly I am unconvinced that interstellar travel will ever be possible (definitely not within the grasp of the next four generations.) If we left today, using existing technology it would be 3500 years before we reached the closest possible planet that might contain life.

We need to be careful of scientism. It is a dangerous exploitation of proper inquiry.

Skepticism is good. It's the basis for the scientific philosophy of learning.
Skepticism can also be the basis of ignorant persecution - Psalm 104:5 (Galileo)

The work being done by organisations like CERN into the nature of matter and mass, may result in technology which resolves the distant travel problem. But you could be right about the time needed to develop the technology

I find it facinating that astronomical and computing technology has advanced to the point that researchers can even make such estimates.

Exciting times, and of course - watch this 'space'.

 

[Aaron]

IMO, it is the height of arrogance and ignorance to think we are the only life in the universe. There is nothing in the Scripture that suggests such.

Let's get this straight. To NOT go where the evidence does not lead is the height of arrogance and ignorance?

So one must have faith that ET exists or he is in the snare of the Devil.

Got it.