If there is so much life on earth, why isn't the universe teeming with life?

Answer 1

Odds are that the universe IS teeming with life. We haven't been to the universe -- it's very big and most of it is too far away.

Answer 2

Perhaps it IS teeming with life. If you take a step back and look at the fact that it is generally accepted that humans can only percieve 4 dimensions (length, width, height and time--the standards for our world) and that physicists now believe there to be possibly 13 or more dimensions in the universe, who's to say there isn't a new type of life (consciousness) that exists in different dimensions? Is our definition of life totally correct?

This is VERY theoretical, but you asked a question about the universe, which not only opens the door for theoretical discussion, but welcomes it with a red carpet.

As far as life as we know it, though, I agree with the previous answer that our atmospheric conditions are unique. There may very well be planets elsewhere in the universe with the same conditions as ours.

Answer 3

We have yet to have stepped even a couple of paces into our own back yard our solar system consists of many planets and moons of which only a small percentage have been explored in the least amount some of the moons of Jupiter may contain liquid water under the surface , even mars may still have liquid water, there may be or or may have been life all though we have yet to find it but again consider how little time we have actually spent there, I suspect that within 100 years we will find that there either is or has been life on many of our nearest neighbors, not meaning little green men but not all life will be multi-celled organisms but if there are single cell organisms that occur more than once in our solar system, odds are that our galaxy IS teeming with life; a lesson we have learned by studying our own planet is that these single celled organisms can live and even thrive in environments once thought to be far too hostile for life to withstand. Even with all the talk of mars rovers , missions to the moon, and voyager probes we have only been able to gather and infinitesimal amt of information about our solar system.

Answer 4

planets can teem with life, but the conditions have to be absolutely perfect. If we moved a foot from our orbit, the earth would be to cold or to hot. Not to mention the way the earth's atmoshpere formed. Basically, the chances of finding a planet that is suitable for life is pretty much 1 to One Quadrillion

Answer 5

Yes, there is the 42 theory XD But I ssuppose we are just at that sweet spot, Mercury and Venus are too hot to support any life known to man, while Mars is currently questionable. Jupiter, Uranis, and Neptune are all Gas giants, there isnt much to live on, and I would immagine Pluto is way too cold. Personally, we have the pictures taken by sattalites but most answers about space are our best guesses...Who knows, maybe it is teeming with life, just not in a way we would have ever imagined or can comprhend....

Answer 6

The universe may indeed be teeming with life. It's an awful large place and we know very little about it.

Answer 7

It may be, we just don't know it yet.
We are lucky enough to live on a rock that has the perfect distance from a star, a vital life force (water), and consumable air that keeps us alive. Though other planets may not be as abundant in these things, there are bound to be others out there similar to earth carrying similar free-thinking beings. Now we do not have the technology to prove that yet, but hopefully we will and we will be able to explore new territory and beings.

Answer 8

Who says that the universe is NOT teeming with life? Just because we haven't found it yet, or it hasn't found us, doesn't mean that it's not out there.

Answer 9

So many diferent life forms here must mean that the universe is full of the "seeds of life" wondering thru space untill a habital planet is found and life may emerge as it did here.
"seeds of life" are the necesary ingredients to produce life on a habital planet.

Answer 10

It is.
They have found the basis for life on a moon of Jupiter with actual samples not just guessing with photos. Water on our Moon and water on Mars, all pointing towards life. This in our Solar system alone. The are a billion or more Solar systems in our Galaxy alone and billions of Galaxies in the known Universe. Go figure. ;-)