For every grain of sand there is on Earth, there are a million stars in our known universe, do you not think?

Question

that it would be virtually impossible for there not to be other life out there?

Answer 1

Remember when you're feeling very small and insecure
How amazingly unlikely is your birth,
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space,
because there's bugger all down here on Earth.

Answer 2

.. last two guys, pag & duir .. question guys - should we not try to find out if there is other life? Would we be risking bringing the rath of other civilizations down on us - wiping out the human race? And pag, I already forgot what you said - I guess that's how much it impressed me.

We don't know if there is life out there - and we definitely don't know if it's carbon based like us. There could be intelligent life out there - but it could be in a form we can not or never will be able to comprehend. If there is life - and they've traveled to study Earth - they probably have greater technology than us - and - either longer life spans or much, MUCH greater patience than we do. Their whole perception of life cycles and generations may be completely unlike our own.
Now I remember what pag was saying -- yes, the circumstances for life have to be right - whether it's carbon-based or some other form of life (on Star Trek they used to use "silicon based" life forms in the stories.) But pag, despite being no expert, I have to disagree with you. I don't believe there absolutely has to be a 'moon' nor a gas giant planet like Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus/Neptune (I think U & N are gas planets?) Nor do I believe there has to be an asteroid belt in between. Seems to me - as long as the balance is maintained by some combination of forces - a similar global ecosystem could be achieved in time (millions or billions of years from start to - well not 'finish' - but until life springs up.) Our planet is slighly oblong and wobbles (correct me if I'm wrong) - that doesn't mean some other planet, for whatever reason, can't be nearly perfectly spherical. Anyway - you all get my point.

As for the question - for every grain of sand on Earth are there a million stars in our known universe?

In our "known universe" - yes, I believe that is possible ... each grain of sand x 1,000,000 might even be a larger number than the number of stars in the "known" universe. But that's the operative word, "known." Technology is allowing us to see further and further all the time - but there is still a limit to how far we can "see." And remember "see" doesn't just mean with the naked eye looking in to a telescope. "See" means - what we can detect with instruments that measure data most of us can not comprehend or in some cases even imagine. We 'see' things by measuring how different wavelengths of light bounces off things, how it's bent or curved by space, and so many more factors I can't even imagine.
Still - we can only see so far - so don't try to guess how many stars exist.(period) Try to guess if the grains x 1mil = the number of stars we can currently see.

That leads to a logical question - to me the only question deeper than "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" And that would be - what are the boundaries of "the Universe?" (And the question we can't even ask until we answer the seemingly impossible preceding question ... if we can identify measurable boundaries of "the Universe" - what is on the other side of the boundaries? Pure white nothingness perhaps? ... and how far does that exten..... ok - I'll stop there.) Actually - I'll post that question myself.

Thanks everyone - have a terrific New Year !

Answer 3

There must be other life in the universe. What would be really scary is that we are alone in this vast cosmos.

Three things are needed for life.

1. A planet in the 'goldilocks zone'. Neither too far away (cold) or too near (hot) the sun. Thereby an atmosphere will not only form but will stay and allow water to develop.

2. A moon orbitting the planet as near as our moon (and also the same size) as the gravitational pull of the moon will stop the planet tilting too much which would lead to great fluctuations in temperature (making life impossible).

3. A very large planet being in the same solar system (Jupiter in our case) which would pull meteorites and comets into its path by virtue of its massive gravitational pull. Thereby saving the planet (earth) from being bombarded.

Answer 4

I doubt there are as many known stars as a million times the grains of sand on Earth, There are huge limits on how much is actually known with todays technology.

However I not only believe there is other forms of life out there, I believe space goes on forever, the Universe is but a fraction of an atom in a different dimension, and so I believe any possible form of life exists, and anything we imagine also exists, that is how big infinity in all directions is.

Answer 5

Of course... I agree with you. You know something ? I read that it is even more vast than you have just said. I think the GREAT Carl Sagan said in that fascinating serious TV "Cosmos" :

"There are MORE GALAXIES in the Universe than there are grains of sand on this planet."

Did you know that there are CLOUDS of CLUSTERS of Galaxies !!????? I mean... CLOUDS of GALAXIES. If we are the only 'intelligent' things in the whole universe then we are pretty special. And we can't be that special since we kill our own kind for petrol, LOL. So there must be other civilisations HOPEFULLY a bit better than we are.

The mind REALLY boggles !! Mine does anyway !! What in the world is really going on... what has been going on since the big band !!!

Did you know that I read that the BIG BANG is just ONE of many BANGS.... that the Universe is in a continuing BANG... expand.... stop expanding, retract, BANG again.... HUH????? Merry Christmas.... a bit easier to deal with !!

Answer 6

It's hard to say without knowing how unlikely it is for a set of molecules to all coexist which have the ability to self-replicate but with a sufficient error level in the copying for evolution to also be possible.

Answer 7

Watched this compelling programme on the earth and how it came to be, the scientist seemed to believe that its more than likely we are totally unique. In other words no living people on other planets, though the technology is getting more and more advanced so you never know.

Answer 8

I think it is possible.
because no one knows where universe end.
Universe is expanding day by day.
In Universe earth is like a partical of sand.

Answer 9

I agree, but it may not be very nice, so perhaps we ought to keep ourselves to ourselves.
Not everything is cute and cuddly!
Mind u we aren't either so perhaps we ought to stay put.

Answer 10

We can't be arrogant to believe we are the only ones.....of course there has to be other life forms......