Scientists: 100 million worlds may have complex alien life in our galaxy

[pocaracas]

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/scientists-100...587962152/

A group of international astronomers and astrobiologists have published new research that assesses the possibility of complex life on other worlds. Their calculation in the Milky Way alone is staggering: 100 million worlds in our home galaxy may harbor complex alien life. One. Hundred. Million.

It is a lot—although maybe a bit disappointing when you consider that a) there are 17 billion Earth-sized worlds in our galaxy alone and b) these worlds are likely to be too far away from us (unless we can get a warp drive.) Also keep in mind that, according to the authors, "this study does not indicate that complex life exists on that many planets [...] only the conditions to support [complex alien] life."

But, even with those considerations in mind, I find their estimation impressive. Especially when you consider that this is only one galaxy—and there are 500 billion of them in the Universe.

Playing with probabilities is fun!

[ThePinsir]

I remember reading that a week or so ago. It actually made me really happy. I soooo hope that prediction is accurate...

...and I wonder if that estimate includes inhabitable moons!

[pocaracas]

I remember reading that a week or so ago. It actually made me really happy. I soooo hope that prediction is accurate...

...and I wonder if that estimate includes inhabitable moons!

There is a mention in the study about worlds similar to Jupiter's moon Europa, so it seems it's a yes to inhabitable moons.

[JesusHChrist]

But how will Jesus deliver salvation to all the sinful aliens?

Like Santy Claus, he's got a lot of ground to cover.

Oh that's right -- he's *timeless*! Poof! Problem solved.

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

What would be the probability of life elsewhere matching or exceeding our intelligence? Humans have existed for a very very short time relative to the rest of Earth's history and there aren't any other lifeforms that match us in intelligence on Earth (dolphins might come close though). That doesn't make me very confident that there are very many other intelligent beings out there in the universe.

[Welsh cake]

Only 100 million? That's relatively nothing compared to the vastness and magnitude of the cosmos. :C

But how will Jesus deliver salvation to all the sinful aliens?

He's well and truly stuffed if some of these aliens reproduce asexually, or are immune to disease and other aliments in general.

Its mighty difficult to demonstrate biological 'miracles' to the fallen if their anatomy doesn't require them.

[Minimalist]

What would be the probability of life elsewhere matching or exceeding our intelligence?

Exceeding?





Pretty damn good, I'd say.

[Tonus]

I'm wondering what the likelihood is of life of any kind developing at the same time as it did here. How long after the big bang were there planets that could host life? I wonder how many worlds out there already went through a cycle where they developed life, it evolved and filled every available ecological niche, and then it all died out either via resource-depletion, or a meteor strike, or their sun collapsing, etc. Or how many worlds are still in the process of getting started. How many planets out there are in the midst of their own Cambrian explosion?

[Jackalope]

What would be the probability of life elsewhere matching or exceeding our intelligence? Humans have existed for a very very short time relative to the rest of Earth's history and there aren't any other lifeforms that match us in intelligence on Earth (dolphins might come close though). That doesn't make me very confident that there are very many other intelligent beings out there in the universe.

Consider this - our solar system is relatively young. Metal-rich stars have been forming in our galaxy for billions of years longer than the sun's age. Terrestrial planets could also - and we are starting to find them. Hardly conclusive, of course.

What would life look like if it had a billion or more years head start on us (us being the entire collection of organisms on Earth)?

[Jackalope]

How long after the big bang were there planets that could host life?

That's an unknown - however, it *is* known that there are stars like(*) our own that are significantly in excess of ten billion years old.

(*) "like" is a very relative term. I'm speaking of main-sequence stars that are metal-rich enough to suggest that their system could support complex organic chemistry, that are neither too small/dim nor too large/bright/short-lived.