The Case for a Creator
question
Do Other Planets Contain Life?
Frank
(last edited
Jan 27, 2012 09:17PM
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Jan 27, 2012 09:03PM
What are your thoughts about scientists' attempts to find other planets that may contain life? How likely to you think they are to locate other habitable worlds?
Here's my take on it based on re-visiting Chapters 6 & 7 of A Case For A Creator supplemented by several on line articles and newspaper stories:
Earth is a rare planet in the universe. It's in the right type of galaxy, the right location in the galaxy, revolves around the right type of sun with the right composition, is the right size of planet with the right size of moon -- all necessary factors to make Earth hospitable to life. Huge planets like Jupiter and Saturn protect Earth from colisions with comets and asteroids.
Scientists have so far discovered over 700 different planets outside our solar system. They've found an orb that has two suns. A planet in another star system may be literally made from diamond. They've even located a miniature solar system with a sun a little larger than Jupiter and planets that are much smaller than Earth. But they have not yet found another planet likely to contain life. The candidates so far have been either too hot or too cold to be likely to have liquid water, which is considered necessary for life.
Much of our universe and much of our galaxy offers harsh conditions that are hostile to living beings: the intense, crushing gravity of black holes, the severity of cosmic radiation and gamma ray bursts, the danger from supernovae, stars that explode unleasing massive energy.
A number of conditions need to be "just right" in order for life to exist on a planet.
Here's my take on it based on re-visiting Chapters 6 & 7 of A Case For A Creator supplemented by several on line articles and newspaper stories:
Earth is a rare planet in the universe. It's in the right type of galaxy, the right location in the galaxy, revolves around the right type of sun with the right composition, is the right size of planet with the right size of moon -- all necessary factors to make Earth hospitable to life. Huge planets like Jupiter and Saturn protect Earth from colisions with comets and asteroids.
Scientists have so far discovered over 700 different planets outside our solar system. They've found an orb that has two suns. A planet in another star system may be literally made from diamond. They've even located a miniature solar system with a sun a little larger than Jupiter and planets that are much smaller than Earth. But they have not yet found another planet likely to contain life. The candidates so far have been either too hot or too cold to be likely to have liquid water, which is considered necessary for life.
Much of our universe and much of our galaxy offers harsh conditions that are hostile to living beings: the intense, crushing gravity of black holes, the severity of cosmic radiation and gamma ray bursts, the danger from supernovae, stars that explode unleasing massive energy.
A number of conditions need to be "just right" in order for life to exist on a planet.
I believe god chose earth specifically for his creation beginning. I think he will use those planets some way at a later time and for now he is using them like the gears in back of wrist watch. Just my thoughts on it.
Our life is an organic one. Biochemistry of all creatures on earth is based on water and carbon so scientific search for life in space nowadays depends on trying to find water and carbon in another planet because according to our knowledge (and in author's words) water is necessary for life.
But I think that this should be only part of our search. Simply we think about different world using concepts and principles of ours. May be somewhere out there in the space there is life which has a totally different biochemistry and physiology, a life which does not need water or carbon, a life which gets energy not from a sun like us but from other sources.
when a space shuttle gets out of our atmosphere, it follows physics totally different from physics which control a commercial plane. I mean we should think in a different way. I believe that one day we will find life in space but it will be unique, not like any thing we may have considered either in science or in philosophy or even mythology.
One more thing, scientists say that we, with the latest technology, can see only a small part of universe. I don't think that this vast universe is simply calm with no life.
There is life out there but when we get to the edge of universe in search for it, we should think according to the rules of the edge of universe. As this discussion is about a book about God as a Creator, I believe that He is creative enough to create many forms of life in many places of the universe and each of them is unique such as we are.
But I think that this should be only part of our search. Simply we think about different world using concepts and principles of ours. May be somewhere out there in the space there is life which has a totally different biochemistry and physiology, a life which does not need water or carbon, a life which gets energy not from a sun like us but from other sources.
when a space shuttle gets out of our atmosphere, it follows physics totally different from physics which control a commercial plane. I mean we should think in a different way. I believe that one day we will find life in space but it will be unique, not like any thing we may have considered either in science or in philosophy or even mythology.
One more thing, scientists say that we, with the latest technology, can see only a small part of universe. I don't think that this vast universe is simply calm with no life.
There is life out there but when we get to the edge of universe in search for it, we should think according to the rules of the edge of universe. As this discussion is about a book about God as a Creator, I believe that He is creative enough to create many forms of life in many places of the universe and each of them is unique such as we are.
Not so much "just right" as "good enough." Some life can live just fine in the vacuum of space, in boiling water, under crushing pressure, or in frozen ice. Abiogenesis didn't happen in these places (well maybe near sea vents) but it does show that there is flexibility.
If life is found elsewhere, it'll most likely be cellular as single cells ruled this planet for billions of years just fine before multicells evolved. However, with extinction being the norm rather than the exception (at least on our planet), coming across any form of life is unlikely. If we were to discover life (or strong evidence of life once existing) elsewhere in our own solar system, that would be extremely encouraging as it would improve the odds that several other solar systems have, or once had, life. Thus far, as far as we know, we are alone in our solar system and possibly hundreds of thousands of light years away from any other life in the universe.
Though it is possible that humans are the only intelligent life in the vast vast universe, it wouldn't prove a deity, anymore than a universe teaming with life would necessarily disprove existence of deities.
If life is found elsewhere, it'll most likely be cellular as single cells ruled this planet for billions of years just fine before multicells evolved. However, with extinction being the norm rather than the exception (at least on our planet), coming across any form of life is unlikely. If we were to discover life (or strong evidence of life once existing) elsewhere in our own solar system, that would be extremely encouraging as it would improve the odds that several other solar systems have, or once had, life. Thus far, as far as we know, we are alone in our solar system and possibly hundreds of thousands of light years away from any other life in the universe.
Though it is possible that humans are the only intelligent life in the vast vast universe, it wouldn't prove a deity, anymore than a universe teaming with life would necessarily disprove existence of deities.
This is one of my all time favorite non-fiction books. I've reread it multiple times.
How precious is life! If you've ever spent any time in the desert, you know how precious life, water, etc. can be... I liked your take on it Frank. Ultimately, it will be one of those things that we probably won't know on this side of life...
How precious is life! If you've ever spent any time in the desert, you know how precious life, water, etc. can be... I liked your take on it Frank. Ultimately, it will be one of those things that we probably won't know on this side of life...
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Jan 28, 2012 03:36PM · flag