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comment by am_Unition
am_Unition  ·  3947 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How Many Earth-like Planets Exist?

To answer your question, I imagine there are several million Earth-like planets in the Milky Way, and that's a very conservative estimate.

Combine that with the fact that 100 billion other galaxies each harbor several million Earth-like planets, and you're left with that familiar feeling of overwhelming smallness that cosmology so typically imparts us with. This is in our observable universe alone; there are likely other galaxies and who-knows-whats outside of our visible horizon in the universe, not to mention the infinite multiverse hypothesis.

I like to say that when it comes to space-time and civilizations, there's too much space and not enough time... that is, the distances separating intelligent life are so daunting that it requires a species to reach a technologically mature level prior to their ability to make contact with other species. It's probably safe to assume that with technological maturity comes ethical maturity, which is why I find the beloved scenario of aliens attacking Earth for its resources pretty outlandish.

Great production, thanks for spreading the gospel of science!





theadvancedapes  ·  3947 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    which is why I find the beloved scenario of aliens attacking Earth for its resources pretty outlandish.

Couldn't agree more. Anthropologists call this tendency "Flinstoning" (i.e., projecting our past onto the future).

    Great production, thanks for spreading the gospel of science!

:-) nothing makes me happier!