Discovery of potentially Earth-like planet Proxima b raises hopes for life

[Boydy]

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/aug/24/earth-like-planet-found-orbiting-our-suns-nearest-star-raises-hopes-for-life-proxima-b

Cool.

[Shindig]

There's probably life already there and it wants to kill us.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I was reading about the likelihood of extraterrestrial life the other day (my job gets quiet mid-month). There are so many scientific hurdles that have to be jumped over before you get to complex life that it really must be very rare indeed.

[Giggles]

Why is it always so narrowly assumed that 'life' needs liquid water?

[Reg]

I was reading about the likelihood of extraterrestrial life the other day (my job gets quiet mid-month). There are so many scientific hurdles that have to be jumped over before you get to complex life that it really must be very rare indeed.
The waitbutwhy article that somebody on here posted is great, and a little scary.

[mugbull]

Why is it always so narrowly assumed that 'life' needs liquid water?

Yeah, i always think discussion of life is so narrowly framed as to be totally meaningless

[Lewis]

Based on spacecraft today, a probe launched now would take around 70,000 years to reach the new planet.

Then it's irrelevant. Fuck off, alien dickheads.

[Pepe]

Maybe they have faster ones than us and can come visit.

[Shindig]

I was reading about the likelihood of extraterrestrial life the other day (my job gets quiet mid-month). There are so many scientific hurdles that have to be jumped over before you get to complex life that it really must be very rare indeed.

Now imagine that we're one of a million failed attempts.

[Lewis]

We should send a Voyager 3 out just emitting 'PISS OFF WE'RE FULL' in slow, loud English.

[Magic]

Why is it always so narrowly assumed that 'life' needs liquid water?

That's pretty much defined in the laws of this universe. Now in another universe, the laws could be totally fucked. :drool:

[ItalAussie]

I was reading about the likelihood of extraterrestrial life the other day (my job gets quiet mid-month). There are so many scientific hurdles that have to be jumped over before you get to complex life that it really must be very rare indeed.

There are lots of hurdles, but on the other hand there's lots of time and lots of space in which to overcome them.

The truth is that we honestly don't have a clue what the probabilities of life developing actually are, and we don't know how tailored and specific the environment has to be in order to sustain it. Occasionally scientists take guesses, but it's pretty much an open question.

[Chrissy]

Manc has hoping of making a friend yet.

[Spoonsky]

The waitbutwhy article that somebody on here posted is great, and a little scary.

http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/fermi-paradox.html