This has to be good news ...

[fiat_knox]

BBC News - Galaxy has 'billions of Earths'​

'There could be one hundred billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy, a US conference has heard.

'Dr Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Science said many of these worlds could be inhabited by simple life forms.

'He was speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago.

'So far, telescopes have been able to detect just over 300 planets outside our Solar System.

'Very few of these would be capable of support life, however. Most are gas giants like our Jupiter; and many orbit so close to their parent that any microbes would have to survive roasting conditions.

'But, based on these early findings Dr Boss has estimated that each Sun-like star has on average one "Earth-like" planet.

'This simple calculation mean there would be huge numbers capable of supporting life.

'"Not only are they probably habitable but they probably are also going to be inhabited," Dr Boss told BBC News. "But I think that most likely the nearby "Earths" are going to be inhabited with things which are perhaps more common to what Earth was like three or four billion years ago." That means bacterial lifeforms.

'Dr Boss estimates that Nasa's Kepler mission, due for launch in March, should begin finding some of these Earth-like planets within the next few years.

'Recent work at Edinburgh University tried to quantify how many intelligent civilisations might be out there. The research suggested there could be thousands of them.'

 

[Fersboo]

Isn't that what the Drake theory (or is it equation) has stated?

 

[fiat_knox]

The Greenbank Equation was based entirely on theory.

Since that time, we've had a little more data.

 

[Spinward Scout]

It's only good news if none of those planets are inhabited by Klingons, Reavers, Tripods, Galactus, the Cloverfield Monster, the Borg, Nazis, or other assorted bad guys.

 

[Madarin Dude]

It's only good news if none of those planets are inhabited by Klingons, Reavers, Tripods, Galactus, the Cloverfield Monster, the Borg, Nazis, or other assorted bad guys.

Good news for us bad news for them.

 

[Icosahedron]

It's only good news if none of those planets are inhabited by Klingons, Reavers, Tripods, Galactus, the Cloverfield Monster, the Borg, Nazis, or other assorted bad guys.

Good news for us bad news for them.

Not sure if it's what you meant, but it's bad news for them no matter who they are: those poor SOBs are gonna get a visit from us sooner or later, and let's face it, we're about as bad as it gets!

 

[ShapeShifter]

Oh, and don't forget the Space Vikings!

 

[Maladominus]

Not sure if it's what you meant, but it's bad news for them no matter who they are: those poor SOBs are gonna get a visit from us sooner or later, and let's face it, we're about as bad as it gets!

Terrans always emerge victorious over [insert-galactic-alien-race-here]. In the long history of Science Fiction literature, we Terrans have never been defeated.

 

[fiat_knox]

hehehe Sure we've been defeated, countless times.

We've been trashed by the Body Snatchers, the Taelons, and (almost) by the Minbari and the Dominion.

Oh, and if the xenomorphs from Alien ever make it to Earth, there'd be (at the start) no shortage of useful hosts ...)

Though a number of races do post warnings about coming to Earth looking to start a fight. They now include the Sontarans, the Predators and any number of alien species (including the Lawlords) who have had the distinct pleasure of meeting a rather angry Judge Dredd and staring down the wrong end of his Lawgiver ...

 

[RandyT0001]

Terrans always emerge victorious over [insert-galactic-alien-race-here]. In the long history of Science Fiction literature, we Terrans have never been defeated.

All that is is an outgrowth of our faith in God (or insert your favorite religious diety) or God will protect us from aliens as well as evil. Reality might be horribly different so much so as to successfully challenge our religious beliefs of a protector being.

If one were to believe the stories commonly circulated about UFO's and 'real-life' alien visitors then we have to face up to the following. The aliens can fly vehicles in space and the atmosphere that travel at extreme speeds with fanatastic acceleration and turning ability. The world governments including the best militaries (US, British, French, Russian, Chinese, German, Japanese, etc.) have difficulty detecting them on radar and/or forcing them to land. When the aliens land they have the ability to move people out of their (locked) homes to their craft with 'blue' beams of levitation. The aliens can perform surgeries cutting off arms, etc. and reattaching them so well as to leave little evidence to the techniques as to how it was done. They can freely land at will and mutilate cattle. Etc.

Supposedly this type of activity has been going on for several decades and we still can't stop them. If aliens(1) were to 'publically and openly' land craft in the great nations' capitols to announce themselves to the general public we still would be just as helpless to defeat them. Just because we publically acknowledge their existance doesn't equate to instant (within a few months/years) understanding of their biology, weaknesses, and motives. And if they decide to 'take over' there will be very little we could do to stop them.

(1)IMO the 'aliens' and 'UFO's' some people have seen is a new different kind of religion. Instead of having God protect us and/or solve our problems these people look to aliens to help us.

 

[BlackBat242]

"Billiyuns and billiyuns"

Carl Sagan

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Some agreement.

All that is is an outgrowth of our faith in God (or insert your favorite religious diety) or God will protect us from aliens as well as evil. Reality might be horribly different so much so as to successfully challenge our religious beliefs of a protector being.

If one were to believe the stories commonly circulated about UFO's and 'real-life' alien visitors then we have to face up to the following. The aliens can fly vehicles in space and the atmosphere that travel at extreme speeds with fanatastic acceleration and turning ability. The world governments including the best militaries (US, British, French, Russian, Chinese, German, Japanese, etc.) have difficulty detecting them on radar and/or forcing them to land. When the aliens land they have the ability to move people out of their (locked) homes to their craft with 'blue' beams of levitation. The aliens can perform surgeries cutting off arms, etc. and reattaching them so well as to leave little evidence to the techniques as to how it was done. They can freely land at will and mutilate cattle. Etc.

Supposedly this type of activity has been going on for several decades and we still can't stop them. If aliens(1) were to 'publically and openly' land craft in the great nations' capitols to announce themselves to the general public we still would be just as helpless to defeat them. Just because we publically acknowledge their existance doesn't equate to instant (within a few months/years) understanding of their biology, weaknesses, and motives. And if they decide to 'take over' there will be very little we could do to stop them.

(1)IMO the 'aliens' and 'UFO's' some people have seen is a new different kind of religion. Instead of having God protect us and/or solve our problems these people look to aliens to help us.

I do get that we are the inferior culture and that they are totally exploiting us. I mean look at Terra's history. We'd best to be ready to fight one terrible and costly guerrilla war and we still might not win if we decide to take on a true extra-terrestrial, high-tech culture or species (meaning not of Terra, be it coming across space-time or through dimensional barrier(s).)

Magnus. ^[VR]