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Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

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Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#151

Post by cetalingua »

function_seven wrote: post #147
cetalingua wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why are we here, and are we alone How about we first at least try to understand life on Earth? We are definitely not alone, there are other conscious beings on this planet. After decades of studies we still have no idea what a humpback whale's song means. Bottlenose dolphins have at least 2 if not 3, sound generating mechanisms that could work simultaneously. The amount of information that can be encoded is enormous…

I'd rather not have astronomers working on decoding dolphin calls. You imply there's a shortage of biologists, and if we just suspend space exploration and divert those minds to marine biology, things will get better.

No,not exactly. There is a shortage of funding and also of creative approach. We cannot ask a question "are we alone" unless we know exactly what a whale sings about (if anything) or what crazy complicated dolphin or beluga chatter means. Besides, if we are ever to encounter any sort of alien life, how can we decode any signals or messages if we cannot even decode our own earthlings signals?

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#152

Post by pizza »

svachalek wrote: post #33
h4l0 wrote: post #2

Hearing distances like 12 light years makes you think if it is ever possible to travel there. However, when you start to think about it, nihilist thoughts start to kick in.

12 light years is actually very close as interstellar distances go. Such a mission could probably be launched in our lifetimes if the whole world got together behind it (which they won't but still...)

Developing lifetime extension & stasis technology is a way to significantly increase the amount of space we can have access to.

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#153

Post by redthrowaway »

hueving wrote: post #128
ExactoKnight wrote: post #101

I am flabbergasted that as a society we aren't rushing to build a 100 metre wide telescope mirror large enough for us to directly image the spectra of the potentially habitable exoplanets around us. A telescope this large could tell us whether any of these potentially habitable planets contain oxygen, and thus, biological processes. Yet thanks to funding cuts in science the biggest telescope we have in the pipeline r…

>I am flabbergasted that as a society we aren't rushing to build a 100 metre wide telescope mirror large enough for us to directly image the spectra of the potentially habitable exoplanets around us. This is because most of society is still struggling with day-to-day tasks like getting housing, clean water, reliable food, healthcare and dealing with physical conflicts. Even people rich enough to not be stuck in the s…

>This is because most of society is still struggling with day-to-day tasks like getting housing, clean water, reliable food, healthcare and dealing with physical conflicts.

It's been nearly 100 years since anyone struggled with that in the West. Nobody's expecting Eritrea to put a satellite in orbit.

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#154

Post by simonebrunozzi »

ExactoKnight wrote: post #101

I am flabbergasted that as a society we aren't rushing to build a 100 metre wide telescope mirror large enough for us to directly image the spectra of the potentially habitable exoplanets around us. A telescope this large could tell us whether any of these potentially habitable planets contain oxygen, and thus, biological processes. Yet thanks to funding cuts in science the biggest telescope we have in the pipeline r…

What would be the cost for it? Just curious if you or others have a ballpark estimate.

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#155

Post by [deleted] »

ExactoKnight wrote: post #101

I am flabbergasted that as a society we aren't rushing to build a 100 metre wide telescope mirror large enough for us to directly image the spectra of the potentially habitable exoplanets around us. A telescope this large could tell us whether any of these potentially habitable planets contain oxygen, and thus, biological processes. Yet thanks to funding cuts in science the biggest telescope we have in the pipeline r…

[deleted]

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#156

Post by avip »

ExactoKnight wrote: post #101

I am flabbergasted that as a society we aren't rushing to build a 100 metre wide telescope mirror large enough for us to directly image the spectra of the potentially habitable exoplanets around us. A telescope this large could tell us whether any of these potentially habitable planets contain oxygen, and thus, biological processes. Yet thanks to funding cuts in science the biggest telescope we have in the pipeline r…

Not sure the gigantic telescope could deliver on its promise to answer "Why we are here".

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#157

Post by meric »

redthrowaway wrote: post #153
hueving wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I am flabbergasted that as a society we aren't rushing to build a 100 metre wide telescope mirror large enough for us to directly image the spectra of the potentially habitable exoplanets around us. This is because most of society is still struggling with day-to-day tasks like getting housing, clean water, reliable food, healthcare and dealing with physical conflicts. Even people rich enough to not be stuck in the s…

>This is because most of society is still struggling with day-to-day tasks like getting housing, clean water, reliable food, healthcare and dealing with physical conflicts. It's been nearly 100 years since anyone struggled with that in the West. Nobody's expecting Eritrea to put a satellite in orbit.

Yes even most people in Pakistan/India have access to those, plus broadband internet. Yes I've been there.

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#158

Post by kiliantics »

ExactoKnight wrote: post #101

I am flabbergasted that as a society we aren't rushing to build a 100 metre wide telescope mirror large enough for us to directly image the spectra of the potentially habitable exoplanets around us. A telescope this large could tell us whether any of these potentially habitable planets contain oxygen, and thus, biological processes. Yet thanks to funding cuts in science the biggest telescope we have in the pipeline r…

Europe is building one that's 40m:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremely_Large_Telescope

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#159

Post by meric »

ExactoKnight wrote: post #131
2845197541 wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why are we here? What do you mean by this?

Finding the existence of life on another planet holds MAJOR implications for many organized and unorganized religions. It would tell us whether abiogenesis and life is common, or something truly unique. So while discovering life on another planet wouldn't answer exactly "why we are here", it would go a hell of a long way in shaping our answers to that question.

I can't believe you like the idea of discovering alien life so you can use the discovery to troll religions. Surely there's other reasons why this is exciting?!

Re: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

#160

Post by ryanx435 »

jandrese wrote: post #122
abecedarius wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a bunch of ideas that the rocket equation doesn't apply to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_travel#Non-rocket... Yes, it's hard at our current tech level. But not nearly hard enough to explain the Fermi thing. I mean, take your scenario of solar system development: it'd be natural to exploit the Kuiper Belt and then the Oort, and the Oort blends into interstellar travel, as Freeman Dyson pointed ou…

The problem with thinking about it on geologic timescales is that humans (and civilizations!) don't exist on geologic timescales. It's going to be a tough sell to tell people "You need to pay an extra tax for your entire life so we can fund construction of an interstellar ship that your great grandchildren might witness the launch of, but won't arrive at its destination for a thousand years after that." It's hard to…

There is precedent: look at the funding and construction of European cathedrals. Often times the people who started on then where dead by the time they were finished
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