Earth-like planet found. Whoop-de-doo
I saw a little buzz about an article today announcing scientists have discovered the first “Earth-like” planet outside our solar system.
An Earth-like planet spotted outside our solar system is the first found that could support liquid water and harbor life, scientists announced today.
Liquid water is a key ingredient for life as we know it. The newfound planet is located at the “Goldilocks” distance—not too close and not too far from its star to keep water on its surface from freezing or vaporizing away.
Oh yes. Life as we know it. I’m hoping someone can correct me here, but isn’t a bit egotistical to think that “life as we know it” is the only way life can evolve at all? Is water really the only thing that can lead to life? Considering the infinite possibilities available in the infinite timeline of the Universe, it really seems a bit naive to think that there could be one magic “key ingredient”.
I guess this particularly caught my eye because just two or three nights ago, Jason and I were trying to decide what will happen to our own blue sphere. I asked him if he thought we’d totally wipe ourselves and everything else out, or if perhaps we’d just wipe almost everything out and maybe something else would evolve and surpass us. He liked the first option; I’m pushing for the second. I like the imagine a world where the number of humans dramatically decrease, opening a possibility for a better life form to evolve and maybe even rule over us. Of course, once I start daydreaming that far, I can’t help but picture Jay and Silent Bob. “In this world gone mad, we won’t spank the monkey! The monkey will spank us!” But, yanno, I think it’d be an interesting way to curb our human ego.
Which brings us full circle to the discovery today. Human ego - telling you how life is made since 8000 BC!
I prefer to think that we’ll evolve into something better. Perhaps this evolution will be more cultural than genetic, and sooner rather than later. Your cynicism is warranted but I hope you haven’t given up on us completely.
Re: the planet. I’m a little more annoyed by the fact that the only thing special about the planet is it’s proximity to the star, we don’t actually have any idea whether it has water on it or not. I don’t think anyone doubted that planets could be a certain distance from a star. It’s just not as big of a deal as the media is making out.
I agree that we shouldn’t hedge our bets too far into the water category, but all life as we know it has arisen from water so that’s a good place to start.
Termy said this on April 28th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
I’m surprised that you have enough faith in humanity that you think we really will be able to evolve. I can’t help but absolutely and fundamentally disagree with you about that. All you have to look at who’s breeding and who’s not to see where I’m getting my POV. Lots of studies have shown that there is a marked inverse relationship between educational attainment and number of children. Not to mention in a more global level which countries have the highest birth rates and which are below maintenance level reproduction. And then we get into the genetics aspect of keeping people alive who shouldn’t be and allowing them to pass on their disfunctional genes. And people “falling in love” and thus overlooking serious flaws in their mate that, in a real Darwinian situation, would’ve excluded them from the gene pool.
Based on humanity’s performance so far, though, I’m definitely not complaining. Not only have I given up on us, I’m rooting against us.
I agree that the distance of the planet really isn’t all that big of a deal. I guess all they’re saying is that with the distance, the temperatures would support liquid water if it does in fact exist. Apparently, all of our other discoveries were not in that proximity.
As far as whether water is enough to make a stink about at all, I suppose that my issue is more at the idea of “life as we know it” rather than the fact that we’re looking for water. Yes, if water is there, it’s a great sign. However, I highly doubt that “life as we know it” is very representative of life as a whole. So, I don’t think that the ability to have water is any special indication of anything.
brandie said this on April 30th, 2007 at 10:47 am