I share the same opinion as Mitchell. ___ 1) The number of galaxies. An estimated 50 billion galaxies are visible with modern telescopes and the total number in the universe must surely exceed this number by a huge factor, but we will be conservative and simply double it. That's 100,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe. ___ 2) The number of stars in an average galaxy. As many as hundreds of billions in each galaxy. Lets call it just 100 billion. That's 100,000,000,000 stars per galaxy. ___ 3)The number of stars in the universe. So the total number of stars in the universe is roughly 100 billion x 100 billion. That's 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars, 10 thousand, billion, billion. Properly known as 10 sextillion. And that's a very conservative estimate. ___ 4) The number of stars that have planetary systems. The original extra-solar system planet hunting technology dictated that a star needed to be to close to us for a planet to be detected, usually by the stars 'wobble'. Better technology that allows us to measure the dimming of a stars brightness when a planet crosses its disk has now revolutionised planet hunting and new planets are being discovered at an ever increasing rate. So far (August 2003) around 100 have been discovered so we have very little data to work on for this estimate. Even so, most cosmologists believe that planetary formation around a star is quite common place. For the sake of argument let us say it's not and rate it at only one in a million and only one planet in each system, as we want a conservative estimate, not an exaggerated one. That calculation results in: 10,000,000,000,000,000 planets in the universe. Ten million, billion, as a conservative estimate. ___ 5) The number planets capable of supporting life. Let's assume that this is very rare among planets and rate it at only one in a million. Simple division results in: 10,000,000,000 planets in the universe capable of producing life. Ten billion! Thinking that we are alone is simply being egocentric! What do you think?
I have little doubt (considering the huge amount of stars in the universe) that there is intelligent life on other planets in the universe. What I do have doubts about is that they could ever reach us. Unless there's some way around that whole "can't go faster than the speed of light" thing, the universe is just too damn spread apart for them to reach us (or for us to reach them.)
My conclusions from this thread: Even astronauts are prune to the dangers of old age: talking a lot of crap
Finally someone who has been to space admits what many allready believe. Why are we arrogant enough to believe that we are the only intelligent life form in this universe. I guess he will just be labeled as a conspiracy theorist . I for one also believes what he believes.
Of course there's other life. It's ridiculous to believe there isn't. I'll have to find the article I read, but some people built a super computer that calculated how many planets may support life in just OUR Galaxy. They used all sorts of information to determine this number, and the number that came out was 500 something. That's 500 planets in the Milky Way that probably support life. There's at least 100 billion suns in the Milky Way alone. Now, think of the 100s of billions of other galaxies.
Could someone imagine going to space 200 years ago? He would of been considered mentally ill. Stop being so narrow minded.
Like I said, there's a very strong argument for there being other life in the universe - the argument is not as strong for how in the hell we would ever come into contact with other life forms (due to the huge distances between various solar systems even within our own galaxy.) Unless Einstein was wrong about not being able to travel faster than the speed of light - physical contact is next to impossible. But some kind of communication via radio signals seems somewhat possible... I don't know much about the science about how that would work.
There's no question there's intelligent life out there and some of it may be unimaginably more advanced than us. The question is do they know about us? Who knows. I'm a pretty staunch skeptic usually, but there are some UFO accounts that make me think that we may have been visited.
Tell anybody we can talk to people using stuff called phones 1,000 Years ago .. They would LAUGH @ You. Tell anybody we can talk to people without wires using stuff called cellphones 1,00 Years ago .. They would LAUGH @ You AGAIN. ....