Earth-like planet!

[zaixionito]

news.discovery.com/space/earth-like-planet-life.html


Looks awesome, yes?

Though, it is really far away to be of use...


Maybe, in the future or something, when we have faster propulsion.

Or, when people build generation ships.

[Qwerty]

I find it awesome that your name is Xen.

It seems to be relatively close to us, when you consider it.

[~Memzak~]

There seems to be two threads about this? Which one do we keep?

[Rock]

This isn't a debate. You can't debate against fact. If it were up to me, this thread would be locked.

[Qwerty]

This isn't all fact. There's all sorts of debate that can be done here. We can discuss whether life is likely, what forms of life are likely, stuff like that.

Plus, we try to refrain from locking threads whenever possible.

[~Memzak~]

Yea, to maintain activity.

---

So who thinks there is going to be life on this planet? If there is, will it also be carbon based?

[Qwerty]

Most likely not life on the first one we find, if there is, most likely carbon based.

[~Memzak~]

BUT, if there is... life will prove to actually be a common thing and sentient life in our quadrant of the galaxy is even more likely.

Besides, life adapts to survive as best possible in the situations.

And what would silicone based life look like?

[Qwerty]

Meatloaf monster!

...No. I doubt it would be possible, but who knows? We'd just have to adapt our phasers to deal with the issue.

[~Memzak~]

Hehe, there could be such thing as life so obscure that we don't even recognize it as life.

[malde37]

Thing is, we have no idea.

[Qwerty]

Well, with silicon life it would have to be capable of breathing quartz. AKA Silicon Dioxide.

[speedyclock]

Why is this is the debate board?

It isn't much of an option to attempt to colonize this world. What is easier, Terra-Forming Mars and making it have a colony. Or going 20 light years across space. And trying to Colonize a world after traveling those distances?

Of course going to Mars is a better idea!

[Qwerty]

Yes, but ultimately Mars is still local. Eventually the sun will die and Mars will also be unsuitable. What then?

[Rock]

But hopefully by the time our sun perishes, we will have obtained the technology to move the race to a new home.

[Qwerty]

...And that would be what we are discussing, at present. We could also discuss possible lifeforms, but we already did that, too.

Of course, there's most likely not life on that one. But there's a chance there is.

[speedyclock]

I really believe that there is life on other planets. It is foolish to not believe so. The chances are... very high? *shrug*

[Qwerty]

Yes, on other planets, but that's for a different thread. This is about this planet.

[RubiksMaster123]

there could be life anywhere. it doesn't need water or whatever scientists think life needs. that's only based on the observation of animals on earth...

life anywhere else could have different requirements, like different languages have different requirements for grammar.

[Qwerty]

That depends on what you consider life. Our current definition very much requires water.

[Rabidbadger]

Silica based lifeforms would be more likely in colder areas, as silicon works worse in warm conditions.
The question is, if a planet had silica-based life, would it be able to advance as far technologically? Hydrocarbons are a major factor in human advancement, and Hydrosilicates as such wouldn't work as fuel, I would thing. I guess if they had enough hydrogen they could run machines on hydrogen fuels, but oh well.
Shame the planet is 20 light years away.

[Qwerty]

As I said earlier, it would need to breathe a crystal. That doesn't sound likely, but I'm sure there's a workaround.

[blarg]

This isn't a new find. IIRC this was on MSN about a year ago. Also, colonizing on a tidally-locked planet would hardly be beneficial, but here's an interesting theory: Any lifeforms formed on earth-like planets would look almost exactly like us.