34 replies to this topic

[Asakura]

Full article

A new potentially life-bearing "super-Earth" has been discovered orbiting a relatively nearby star. Described as the "best candidate" for supporting liquid water -- and therefore life -- the planet (GJ 667Cc) is believed to be about 4.5 times the size of Earth. The parent star (GJ 667C) is 22 light years away, and this is the second potentially Earth-like rock scientists have discovered orbiting the M-class dwarf. With a 28.15 day cycle, it's calculated to receive 90 percent as much light as Earth, and much of that is infrared (meaning the actual energy delivered is about equal) -- crucially hinting at similar temperatures and favorable conditions. Not enough is known about the atmosphere right now to fully nail the water prospects, but it's still our best hope of discovering life as we (don't) know it yet.

[Adina]

While this is really really interesting, the chances of getting to see changes implemented as in people actually moving to another planet because we've used up earth's resources are so slim that I don't feel I need to be concerned. Yes, possibly my great grandkids will have to deal with this, but I feel it isn't something I should be putting too much thought into.

We are killing the earth at a very rapid pace, but who honestly can predict exactly how long we have until we really need to evacuate? There are millions of questions connected to this concept, such as how will we transport 7 billion people (probably much higher than 7 depending on when this will need to be done) to another planet? What will happen to those who simply cannot afford that type of transportation? Before we can even think of those questions though, we need to wonder about how exactly we'd survive. What sources of food there are, water (if that planet has water, it is a step in the right direction as you stated), and even plants. The amount of effort needed to transport what we have here to another planet seems mind blowing to me. People, animals, and plants. Three things, one out of which is extremely over populated, and one that is clearly dying right before our eyes (forests, plants, basically the environment). I feel there are millions of things we need to consider before we even dream of leaving this used up planet.

I'm not sure where this train of thought is leading me but that is my 2 cents. It's nice to ponder once in a while, because it is a really neat thought, but it just doesn't seem to be such a great concern right now. I think poverty in third world countries and the drug wars are something we should be putting much more concern in as opposed to where we'll be in hundreds of years from now.

[Asakura]

Still it's interesting though. What if there is already intelligent life on that planet? New plants, animals, resources, energy. Anything is possible. I don't think that they're concerned with evacuating the entire planet as much as the possibilities of discovering a new one

[Irradium]

While this is really really interesting, the chances of getting to see changes implemented as in people actually moving to another planet because we've used up earth's resources are so slim that I don't feel I need to be concerned. Yes, possibly my great grandkids will have to deal with this, but I feel it isn't something I should be putting too much thought into.

We are killing the earth at a very rapid pace, but who honestly can predict exactly how long we have until we really need to evacuate? There are millions of questions connected to this concept, such as how will we transport 7 billion people (probably much higher than 7 depending on when this will need to be done) to another planet? What will happen to those who simply cannot afford that type of transportation? Before we can even think of those questions though, we need to wonder about how exactly we'd survive. What sources of food there are, water (if that planet has water, it is a step in the right direction as you stated), and even plants. The amount of effort needed to transport what we have here to another planet seems mind blowing to me. People, animals, and plants. Three things, one out of which is extremely over populated, and one that is clearly dying right before our eyes (forests, plants, basically the environment). I feel there are millions of things we need to consider before we even dream of leaving this used up planet.

I'm not sure where this train of thought is leading me but that is my 2 cents. It's nice to ponder once in a while, because it is a really neat thought, but it just doesn't seem to be such a great concern right now. I think poverty in third world countries and the drug wars are something we should be putting much more concern in as opposed to where we'll be in hundreds of years from now.

The logistics will all be handled by the smart people. Who's to not suppose that something was to happen before that generation comes along and effectively migrates to this new plant, assuming that we are allowed to and nothing holds us back. As far we know, that Mayan Calendar stuff could be right - and we, as a race, will have to rebuild at least. I don't understand the whole thing, but I can remember reading that 2 humans were able to survive the last of the few Baktuns/Ages/whatever else it may be. As far as I'm concerned, the preservation of life is most important to me. But what you said about affordability of this transport does bring about an interesting point - at which point I'd like to say that life isn't fair, especially with the fundamental problems surrounding our race. (see below) This is without mentioning our current societies are, etc.

Still it's interesting though. What if there is already intelligent life on that planet? New plants, animals, resources, energy. Anything is possible. I don't think that they're concerned with evacuating the entire planet as much as the possibilities of discovering a new one

If there is, once they (the sentient beings) take a look at our planet, I have little doubt they will not do their best to wipe us out. (see below)

And to add a bit of revelant backup to my replies, here is a quote from the Matrix, a fantastic movie:

 
(Office)

Agent Smith:
I'd like to share a revelation during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species.
I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed.
The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern.
Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet.
You are a plague, and we are the cure.

Edited by Russ, 03 February 2012 - 01:50 PM.

[Galadriel]

4.5 times more rape. That is all I want to contribute to this thread.

[Nymh]

While this is really really interesting, the chances of getting to see changes implemented as in people actually moving to another planet because we've used up earth's resources are so slim that I don't feel I need to be concerned. Yes, possibly my great grandkids will have to deal with this, but I feel it isn't something I should be putting too much thought into.

We are killing the earth at a very rapid pace, but who honestly can predict exactly how long we have until we really need to evacuate? There are millions of questions connected to this concept, such as how will we transport 7 billion people (probably much higher than 7 depending on when this will need to be done) to another planet? What will happen to those who simply cannot afford that type of transportation? Before we can even think of those questions though, we need to wonder about how exactly we'd survive. What sources of food there are, water (if that planet has water, it is a step in the right direction as you stated), and even plants. The amount of effort needed to transport what we have here to another planet seems mind blowing to me. People, animals, and plants. Three things, one out of which is extremely over populated, and one that is clearly dying right before our eyes (forests, plants, basically the environment). I feel there are millions of things we need to consider before we even dream of leaving this used up planet.

I'm not sure where this train of thought is leading me but that is my 2 cents. It's nice to ponder once in a while, because it is a really neat thought, but it just doesn't seem to be such a great concern right now. I think poverty in third world countries and the drug wars are something we should be putting much more concern in as opposed to where we'll be in hundreds of years from now.

Adina my dear, you are assuming that our only reason for finding earthlike planets is for our own escape planet. There are other reasons we are searching for intelligent life forms or planets that are habitable.

[iargue]

While this is really really interesting, the chances of getting to see changes implemented as in people actually moving to another planet because we've used up earth's resources are so slim that I don't feel I need to be concerned. Yes, possibly my great grandkids will have to deal with this, but I feel it isn't something I should be putting too much thought into.

We are killing the earth at a very rapid pace, but who honestly can predict exactly how long we have until we really need to evacuate? There are millions of questions connected to this concept, such as how will we transport 7 billion people (probably much higher than 7 depending on when this will need to be done) to another planet? What will happen to those who simply cannot afford that type of transportation? Before we can even think of those questions though, we need to wonder about how exactly we'd survive. What sources of food there are, water (if that planet has water, it is a step in the right direction as you stated), and even plants. The amount of effort needed to transport what we have here to another planet seems mind blowing to me. People, animals, and plants. Three things, one out of which is extremely over populated, and one that is clearly dying right before our eyes (forests, plants, basically the environment). I feel there are millions of things we need to consider before we even dream of leaving this used up planet.

I'm not sure where this train of thought is leading me but that is my 2 cents. It's nice to ponder once in a while, because it is a really neat thought, but it just doesn't seem to be such a great concern right now. I think poverty in third world countries and the drug wars are something we should be putting much more concern in as opposed to where we'll be in hundreds of years from now.

We ever said anything about relocating the entire earths population?

Only cool people are allowed on planet bob.... I mean, new earth.

[Adina]

Adina my dear, you are assuming that our only reason for finding earthlike planets is for our own escape planet. There are other reasons we are searching for intelligent life forms or planets that are habitable.

Oh I understand that much, what I don't understand is why. There are much bigger issues in the world right now that need immediate attention, and we are spending millions if not billions looking for life on other planets. Are those lives going to help feed the little African kids? D:

[Nymh]

Oh I understand that much, what I don't understand is why. There are much bigger issues in the world right now that need immediate attention, and we are spending millions if not billions looking for life on other planets. Are those lives going to help feed the little African kids? D:

Possibly, if we are able to trade intelligence and technology with them

[Adina]

Possibly, if we are able to trade intelligence and technology with them

I stand corrected.

[iargue]

Oh I understand that much, what I don't understand is why. There are much bigger issues in the world right now that need immediate attention, and we are spending millions if not billions looking for life on other planets. Are those lives going to help feed the little African kids? D:

We spend more money on pretty much everything else. Yes. We even spend more money on feeding poor people then we spend on going into space at this point...

[Waser Lave]

We spend more money on pretty much everything else. Yes. We even spend more money on feeding poor people then we spend on going into space at this point...

Yeah, we should just let them all starve and spend that money on something more worthwhile like colonising the Moon.

[Adina]

Yeah, we should just let them all starve and spend that money on something more worthwhile like colonising the Moon.

-snickers-

I think it is a waste of money. I don't see the point, and even if we were to find intelligent beings on other plants, who the hell says they are going to even be willing to share their technology with us?
I think we're living on hopes and dreams that are far too beyond us at the moment and we have MUCH bigger things to worry about.

[Electromanio]

Possibly, if we are able to trade intelligence and technology with them

I can't imagine being able to trade intelligence and technology with a planet that we discovered before they discovered us. I either imagine it being like a Columbus coming to America type of thing or a giant science experiment.

[Sweeney]

I can't imagine being able to trade intelligence and technology with a planet that we discovered before they discovered us. I either imagine it being like a Columbus coming to America type of thing or a giant science experiment.

You can't imagine? I'd say you're not trying hard enough.
I can fathom several reasons why a race with equal or superior technology may not have contacted us, and several more reasons my a race with inferior technology might still be able to contribute to the development of our species.

[Turnip]

Of course there's intelligent life on that planet - they just live underground! Duh~
And have known about us for years now probably :9

Are those lives going to help feed the little African kids? D:

Well, people have been donating millions upon millions to those African kids for ages, and it doesn't look like there has been much (if any) improvment to be completely honest >.> So it'd be better to move that money towards funding SPACE TRAVEL YEAH NEW UNEXPLORED AREAS THE VIDEO GAME and medicine~
Where does all that donation money go to anyways?

[Irradium]

Well, people have been donating millions upon millions to those African kids for ages, and it doesn't look like there has been much (if any) improvment to be completely honest >.> So it'd be better to move that money towards funding SPACE TRAVEL YEAH NEW UNEXPLORED AREAS THE VIDEO GAME and medicine~
Where does all that donation money go to anyways?

Exactly, what are they hiding...?

[MsRose]

it always makes me sad when I hear people call scientific research "a waste of money" *le sigh*

I don't suppose we could scrape a few dollars away from the military budget?

Edited by MsRose, 04 February 2012 - 08:36 AM.

[Jake]

While this is really really interesting, the chances of getting to see changes implemented as in people actually moving to another planet because we've used up earth's resources are so slim that I don't feel I need to be concerned. Yes, possibly my great grandkids will have to deal with this, but I feel it isn't something I should be putting too much thought into.

Although this may be an inevitable goal and one that we all dream of and wish for to happen one day, it doesn't necessarily mean that all space travel is based on us emigrating planets. Don't be so quick to assume that everyone instantly imagines this absurd thought. It teaches us, it excites us and makes someone's life out there a little more enjoyable with findings like these.

[Adina]

Although this may be an inevitable goal and one that we all dream of and wish for to happen one day, it doesn't necessarily mean that all space travel is based on us emigrating planets. Don't be so quick to assume that everyone instantly imagines this absurd thought. It teaches us, it excites us and makes someone's life out there a little more enjoyable with findings like these.

But I don't truly see the point of it unless the goal is to ultimately find a more suitable place to live for the inhabitants of earth.

Yes, it is somewhat exciting. I totally agree. It's really cool when we find interesting things on other planets that directly relate to us. But what is really the point, unless there is a bigger picture?

[MsRose]

But I don't truly see the point of it unless the goal is to ultimately find a more suitable place to live for the inhabitants of earth.

We'll never know what benefits can come of space exploration unless we pursue it. When we first started studying single-celled organisms we had no idea they were responsible for most of the disease in the world.

[iargue]

But I don't truly see the point of it unless the goal is to ultimately find a more suitable place to live for the inhabitants of earth.

Yes, it is somewhat exciting. I totally agree. It's really cool when we find interesting things on other planets that directly relate to us. But what is really the point, unless there is a bigger picture?

There a multiple reasons. This list isn't a complete example

1) Increase the number of natural resources available (Which means more food for the poor people)
2) Develop greater technologies
3) Prevent a nuclear war from eliminated the entire human race
4) Prevent the zombie Apocalypse.
5) Prevent any disease from wiping out the entire human race
6) Ease tension between nations, reducing the chance for war
7) Create more jobs
8) Search for other life

What people fail to understand is that at any point the entire human population could be eliminated. I say preventing that from happening is better then attempting to feed people in another country. Even if we do manage to feed them, they will die anyways.

[redlion]

What people fail to understand is that at any point the entire human population could be eliminated. I say preventing that from happening is better then attempting to feed people in another country.

More than anything else you said, this rings true.

I once told a Campus Crusader [4 Christ] that I thought the most significant event in the history of a description of God would be the exodus from Earth. When humans realize they don't need belief in a being larger than themselves to feel significant, I reasoned, the belief would die out.

The sole reason at present to research and explore space is to prevent a large scale catastrophe from wiping out the only known intelligent species in the universe. This is the sole reason. If you think we will make resource exploitation in space profitable in our lifetime you are sorely mistaken. Such a reason being used to justify space research is laughable.

[kittycat]

I think searching for other lifeforms is a waste of time also.

Money can be better spent in other things like education, efficiency, recycling programs, alternatives to fossil fuel burning engines, sustainable resource practices, etc.

We can all die at any second from a black hole, or one of those (or something similar to this) I think if a close dwarf star explodes, that's enough to eliminate life on earth, so who cares about that? Those threats exist to all life forms everywhere no matter where you're at in the universe: why not face immediate issues like improving the quality of life for those who are alive instead of chasing a pipe dream that some believe will fix all their problems. No. We're all going to die at some point, get over it. Improve the quality of life for every inhabitant on Earth so we can enjoy our existence while the universe lets us.

Edited by kittycat, 05 February 2012 - 06:55 AM.

[iargue]

More than anything else you said, this rings true.

I once told a Campus Crusader [4 Christ] that I thought the most significant event in the history of a description of God would be the exodus from Earth. When humans realize they don't need belief in a being larger than themselves to feel significant, I reasoned, the belief would die out.

The sole reason at present to research and explore space is to prevent a large scale catastrophe from wiping out the only known intelligent species in the universe. This is the sole reason. If you think we will make resource exploitation in space profitable in our lifetime you are sorely mistaken. Such a reason being used to justify space research is laughable.

Who said anything about our lifetime? If I'm lucky at the rate we are going, we may just put a new person in space by the time I die. Maybe.

Nothing that we do will be accomplished for a very very long time (At least, the long term goals). Like, saving the environment. The war on drugs. the war on terror. Eliminating poverty, etc. All of these things (Except the war on terror, we just invented that stupidity) have been going on for at least 50 years, and nothings really changed about it.

Atleast with space exploration we landed on the moon several times. That's more then I've heard in good news from any other category.

I think searching for other lifeforms is a waste of time also.

Money can be better spent in other things like education, efficiency, recycling programs, alternatives to fossil fuel burning engines, sustainable resource practices, etc.

We can all die at any second from a black hole, or one of those (or something similar to this) I think if a close dwarf star explodes, that's enough to eliminate life on earth, so who cares about that? Those threats exist to all life forms everywhere no matter where you're at in the universe: why not face immediate issues like improving the quality of life for those who are alive instead of chasing a pipe dream that some believe will fix all their problems. No. We're all going to die at some point, get over it. Improve the quality of life for every inhabitant on Earth so we can enjoy our existence while the universe lets us.

I honestly hate how everyone thinks we should just drop all of our money and put it on feeding the poor people. I'm not against helping those who are not as well off as me, but you can only do so much to help them. Given that over a billion dollars are spent a year, trying to help them, I think they might be at the point that they need to be to be helped. Past that, we are just supporting them being lazy. the more you try to help them, the less they will try to help themselves.

And for education. Again. There is only so much money that you can do before you are just wasting money. Everyone in my class who failed, did not want to succeed. I personally tried to help them, tried to sit down and study with them, talk to them about the tests before hand, etc. They didn't want to. They wanted to go off and smoke weed. Everyone who didn't want to do that, passed their test.

For efficiency/recycling programs. That will never improve until there is an actual demand for it. No matter how much government funding you pour into the research, it will not improve until the private sector says so. They will just take the money, claim they are doing research, and do something else it with. Look at how many companies abuse the retarded Carbon Credit system as it is. Putting money into efficiency is literally just paying off the corporations.