Kepler 22-b

The Kepler program has identified a planet "like" Earth which is orbiting a star some 600 light years away. Apparently the distance from the star and the surface temperature means that there is a likelihood of surface water.....meaning that life could be present.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16040655

If life (however small) is one day discovered either on 22-b or elsewhere the ramifications would be huge.

What impact would it have on our World and our self perception?

What impact would there be on religion?

Would dune be happy to offer intelligent life forms a visa?

So many questions but maybe the answer will come sooner rather than later........

Well, the old geek boner perked up at this when I read the Beeb article, and had some of the same questions running through my head.

Depends on what sort of life we find.

Discovering microscopic organisms is one thing. Intelligent species like our own are something else. Both possibilities are profound, but the latter would be a game changer for self perception, especially if it challenged our assumptions about being at the top of the newly expanded natural order.

Religion would survive the discovery of an extra-terrestrial microbe, but would have a much harder time in the intelligent life scenario. It wouldn't be the first time that religion has been trumped by science, but I feel that discovery of an intelligent species would shatter most religions, leaving only the most pious as believers.

Good to see that science has at last found the "2nd Earth" that God put somewhere else in the universe she created. What took you so long fellas?

Good to see that science has at last found the "2nd Earth" that God put somewhere else in the universe she created. What took you so long fellas?

And er, failed to write down

Glad no-one has mentioned 'colonisation' yet. Especially as the gravity there would be far too high for us to survive.

Glad no-one has mentioned 'colonisation' yet. Especially as the gravity there would be far too high for us to survive.

Not necessarily, twice as large doesn't mean twice the gravity.

Depends what it's made of.

As i understand it, what we are seeing is a 600 year old image of this planet being 600 light years away.

So if they, the inhabitants of this planet are gazing through their telescope at us they will be seeing an England at odds with Europe, christians and Muslims not getting along and a corrupt bloke in charge of Italy....oh!

"Life could be present...". Speculation that is not very useful. Think about it. To get accurate information would require travel to that solar system. The fastest manned rocket so far has been Apollo 10, travelling back from the Moon at about 40,000 km/h. The fastest unmanned probe, New Horizons, travels at about 57,600 km/h. To travel to a star-system that is 600 light years away (18,921,600,000 km) would take 473,040 years (manned), or 328,500 years (unmanned). Even travelling at the speed of light (!) would take 600 years!

"Life could be present...". Speculation that is not very useful. Think about it. To get accurate information would require travel to that solar system. The fastest manned rocket so far has been Apollo 10, travelling back from the Moon at about 40,000 km/h. The fastest unmanned probe, New Horizons, travels at about 57,600 km/h. To travel to a star-system that is 600 light years away (18,921,600,000 km) would take 473,040 years (manned), or 328,500 years (unmanned). Even travelling at the speed of light (!) would take 600 years!

Yea it would be quite a road trip! However, if we can learn enough about the composition of the planet you could at least confirm that the elements which support life (or at least as we know it) are present. In which case, why wouldn't there be life?

"Life could be present...". Speculation that is not very useful. Think about it. To get accurate information would require travel to that solar system. The fastest manned rocket so far has been Apollo 10, travelling back from the Moon at about 40,000 km/h. The fastest unmanned probe, New Horizons, travels at about 57,600 km/h. To travel to a star-system that is 600 light years away (18,921,600,000 km) would take 473,040 years (manned), or 328,500 years (unmanned). Even travelling at the speed of light (!) would take 600 years!

Potentially...... All we would need to do is develop a craft that could travel at the speed of light! That way time would stand still and we wouldn't age on our 600 year voyage. Of course, someone would need to tell the physical bodies on the craft that.....

All a bit mind boggling really! Still, our lad is convinced that this planet could be listening to the radio signals Earth has been broadcasting since the 70s and seemed a little nonplussed when I tried to explain that they wouldn't have travelled even 1% of the way there yet!

As i understand it, what we are seeing is a 600 year old image of this planet being 600 light years away.

 

So if they, the inhabitants of this planet are gazing through their telescope at us they will be seeing an England at odds with Europe, christians and Muslims not getting along and a corrupt bloke in charge of Italy....oh!

Potentially...... All we would need to do is develop a craft that could travel at the speed of light! That way time would stand still and we wouldn't age on our 600 year voyage. Of course, someone would need to tell the physical bodies on the craft that.....

 

I've watched every episode of Star Trek every made, and I can assure you this never happens.

Potentially...... All we would need to do is develop a craft that could travel at the speed of light! That way time would stand still and we wouldn't age on our 600 year voyage. Of course, someone would need to tell the physical bodies on the craft that.....

 

All a bit mind boggling really! Still, our lad is convinced that this planet could be listening to the radio signals Earth has been broadcasting since the 70s and seemed a little nonplussed when I tried to explain that they wouldn't have travelled even 1% of the way there yet!

The speed of light is far too limited. We need hyperspace or artificial wormholes. I refer SaintsWeb to Babylon 5 or Deep Space Nine for specifics.

Not necessarily, twice as large doesn't mean twice the gravity.

 

Depends what it's made of.

Very true, I wonder what the anticipated planet's density is.

Can we be the first football fans up there we would then have universal appeal

And er, failed to write down

And were would the fun be if she'd written about the 2nd Earth? She left this one unwritten about to test mankind's ingenuity. Even kept it a secret from Jesus and Arthur C Clarke

Complently agree Adrian. Life and the way in which a combination of elements come together to start what is essentially a huge chain reaction is astounding. In terms of the bigger picture there are probably countless combinations of life producing elements which may produce "life" in a completely unrecognisable way to us. I can't really think about these things for too long because it starts messing with my head but for me, religion as an expanation for life and the meaning of it comes nowhere near to doing any of it justice.

Even travelling at the speed of light (!) would take 600 years!

Actually, for the astronauts/travellers, it wouldn't....

Actually, for the astronauts/travellers, it wouldn't....

Baj has been brushing up on his Von Daniken. I'm impressed.

Apparently a Man United fan has already been spotted on it.

Possible owner for the Skates? Should pass the FAPPT.

Fascinating read, just wish people would bring their antiquated and unfounded deity theories into otherwise sensible discussion.

Not necessarily, twice as large doesn't mean twice the gravity.

 

Depends what it's made of.

It could also mean 10times the gravity... apparently the guys who found it predict "super-Earth" classification exoplanets to have a gravity somewhere between 5times and 10times that of Earth.

I'm designing a ship made entirely out of neutrinos so we can get there by next Thursday.

I'm very excited about this, being a massive astronomy geek and astrophotographer. and it does make the possibility of life far more likely. Liquid water on Mars was also a massive finding as well and even if they oly find a microbe or 2 on Mars that has massive implications for life in the universe as a whole. If it has developed on 2 separate planets in one solar system then the universe must be teeming with life.

Exciting times. I remember having an argument with a chap in the 80's who maintained his religious view was proven by the fact that not one single planet had ever been discovered outside our solar system - amazing how many have been discovered in such a short period of time really, new ones nearly every day.

I know some will think it geeky and dull but if you have never had the chance try and geta look at Jupiter and/or Saturn through a decent home telescope it really is a rather wonderful sight to behold.

So forgot about being able to breathe in their atmosphere, is it even possible to stand up with 10 times our gravity?

Actually, for the astronauts/travellers, it wouldn't....

I think they like to be called Gypseys Baj.

So forgot about being able to breathe in their atmosphere, is it even possible to stand up with 10 times our gravity?

Very few oganisms actually "stand up". 25% of animals are beetles, for a start. Then there's all the aquatic creatures, plants, bacteria, single-celled organisms etc.

My guess has always been that life elsewhere in the universe would be fairly similar to the story of life on this planet ie. single-cell organisms morphing into complex life forms given the right conditions and just a smidgeon of luck. It would be awesome to see how other planets' life systems compare to our own, especially if their evolutionary processes are similar and in fact go beyond their equivalent of humans - how weird would that be!!

For those of you that say the universe must be teeming with life, I tend to agree and I want to agree but you should check out the lonely earth theory for balance - the presence of complex life structures on earth is due to many many variables being just right. But as Adrian says, if you buy an almost infinite number of lottery tickets....

I wonder what their women are like ...

Well, the old geek boner perked up at this when I read the Beeb article, and had some of the same questions running through my head.

 

Depends on what sort of life we find.

 

Discovering microscopic organisms is one thing. Intelligent species like our own are something else. Both possibilities are profound, but the latter would be a game changer for self perception, especially if it challenged our assumptions about being at the top of the newly expanded natural order.

 

Religion would survive the discovery of an extra-terrestrial microbe, but would have a much harder time in the intelligent life scenario. It wouldn't be the first time that religion has been trumped by science, but I feel that discovery of an intelligent species would shatter most religions, leaving only the most pious as believers.

Religious leaders would always make up some big load of garbage, and/or just ignore it. Look what the discovery of dinosaurs should have done to all faiths everywhere. The translation of the Rosetta Stone gave scholars the means to find out that parts of the bible were just wrong and/or made up. Carbon dating.....I could go on. People will just believe what they want to believe, despite the facts that are presented to them.