I once read a book on this subject several years ago that gave a probability of how many planets in our Galaxy alone could support life as we know it (humans) based on spectrometer readings and other tests compared to Earth. At that time,the estimate was about 15,000 planets. Some of these might be more or less advanced than us.
It would take an astronaut about 56 years to get to Alpha Centari and back using current propulsion technology .If his ship doubled its speed on the way,he would reach about 99.9% the speed of light,but would have to start reducing speed at the same rate for the return trip. The earth would age about 400 million years while the astronaut was gone.
2006-11-21 16:56:49
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answer #1
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answered by Ralph T 7
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So far we've seen no verifiable evidence of other sentient species. That said, I believe with some certainty that somewhere in our galaxy at some past, present, or future time, a sentient species did/does/will exist.
Why haven't we heard from them?
Perhaps they are not technologically advanced enough to be heard. They may be mastering stone knives right now, or experiencing their own Rennaisance.
Perhaps they are here right now. Any species sufficiently advanced to travel interstellar distances would be able to hide or masquerade with ease. That Boeing 737 that just flew by may be a surveillance craft.
Perhaps they are so far away they will never notice us and vice versa.
Perhaps they existed a million years ago and died out.
Perhaps they will exist a million years from now.
It is really impossible to know for sure.
The Drake Equation suggests that there is sentient life out there. The Fermi Paradox casts doubt. Play around with the calculation form at the second link and see what you think.
2006-11-21 11:43:18
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answer #2
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answered by Otis F 7
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Very likely that life exists elsewhere in the universe and probably "relatively" close to us in our own galaxy.
It is very Unlikely that intelligent, technological lifeforms exist anywhere close to us, if they even exist at all.
99.99999% of the species on Earth are not intelligent or technological.
Assuming that life is relatively rare in the galaxy, say, 1 in a million stars have life on a planet or moon around them, then there are roughly 300 000 life sustaining planets.
Assume that intelligent life is a further million to 1 shot.
We would be lucky to EVER discover another civilization.
And odds are not good they are close by.
This seems reasonable since there is no sign of radio transmissions anywhere in our galaxy.
As far as dying and waking up on another world or in heaven, sure, whatever gets you through the night.
But I firmly believe that the discovery of any kind of alien life would be the most momentous discovery in the brief 200 000 year history of our species.
2006-11-21 11:50:48
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answer #3
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answered by aka DarthDad 5
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I maximum actual do. As many have pronounced, there is only too plenty 'area' for Earth to be the only planet to have existence.there substitute right into a mathmatical equation presented by utilising some scientists a pair of years in the past that confirmed interior the Milky way galaxy (our own) that out of all our galaxy, there must be style of one thousand worlds that should undergo existence equivalent to Earth. probability is we would on no account be attentive to, because of the fact we've no thought the thank you to truly commute outdoors of our image voltaic gadget, pheasibly it extremely is. This equation relies on the conservitive estimation that a international has a a million in 10,000 probability of bobbing up a technical civilization. I propose, no person extremely is usual with for beneficial.
2016-11-25 23:38:58
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answer #4
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answered by ? 4
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life (of any kind) on other planets seems very, very unlikely to me. even if every planet in each of the "trabillions" of galaxies were just like the early earth in their histories, we have very strong evidence that life starting would be quite unlikely.
consider this: all of life on earth is thought to have sprung from a singular event. that is to say that even on earth, life did not happen the day before that event or two seconds afterward or an
inch to the left or right. it happened only on that one occasion even though there were trabillions of trabillions of opportunities in all of the places and in all of the instances that earth was in this primordial condition.
even in the most ideal laboratory circumstances the event cannot be duplicated. it is so unlikely that one can say that it virtually never happened at all.
you might ask if it is so unlikely, how is it that it happened at all. i think of it this way. spill a teaspoon (or a truckload) of sugar on the floor and look at it. what are the odds that each tiny cube would have landed in just that position? with that side pointed upward and with that piece on top of that piece? it is so unlikely that you could spend a trabillion years spilling sugar and never duplicate the event, and yet you got it on the first try.
2006-11-21 10:59:45
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answer #5
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answered by karl k 6
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Intelligent life and a form of life are very much different. I believe the universe is full of life, but not in the sense of life like man or woman is. I believe the whole alien theory is a real thing, but it is not real in a physical sense as no flesh and blood creature like ourselves can pass through walls and disappear at will. God made one man and one woman and all intelligent life is from this basis.
2006-11-21 10:43:49
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answer #6
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answered by indianabones 1
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I'd say there's a good chance it exists somewhere else. The universe is a big place, and if life can happen once, it can happen again. I do not believe that any of them (if they do exist) have ever come here.
"Sometimes I think that the surest sign intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe, is that none of it has tried to contact us"
-Calvin 'Calvin and Hobbes'
2006-11-21 12:16:36
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answer #7
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answered by Diocletian 2
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Well, you maybe right. I believe that there are living things on other planets or galaxies or super clusters. If not, wouldn't it be an awful waste of space?
2006-11-21 16:52:48
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answer #8
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answered by Me'Shell 1
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Yes it would be possible in another Galaxy but it is almost impossible that we will ever even communicate.
2006-11-21 11:47:01
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answer #9
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answered by JOHNNIE B 7
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if we are the most intelegent(see i probably spelled that wrong) life forms, then that would be SAD. there HAS to be others.
2006-11-21 10:41:35
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answer #10
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answered by Krissi 4
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