life on other planets?

NASA is planning the launch of the first mission capable of finding earth-size planets. The Kepler mission will focus on one point of the Milky Way galaxy for the duration of its function in search of planets that might sustain life. 
http://www.kepler.arc.nasa.gov/

Do you think there is life on other planets?

Edit:

The technology is impressive. It can detect an earth like planet passing in front of a star. By measuring the brightness of that star it will be able to detect the dim in brightness on a scale of 1 part per 10 thousand.  It uses a ccd like in a camera. A really good camera might have 10 megapixels. The Kepler has 96 million megapixels.

Life on other planets wouldn't conflict with anything I know or believe, so I don't see why there couldn't be.  That doesn't mean there is or isn't though, just that it's possible.

Of course, a planet's ability to sustain life doesn't imply that it contains life...  It's all so indefinite.

The Kepler has 96 million megapixels

PaoloM said:

*snip*

Well, a bit less actually... 84MP combined in a mosaic of 42 2MP sensors

Thanks PaoloM. I took the information on the 96 million MP from a video they had up on the NASA site. But your number sounds more realistic.

 but here is another link that sais it creates a 95million mp image. http://kepler.nasa.gov/pdf_files/95_Million_Pixel_FPA.pdf

I wonder what the algorithms are like for parsing and tracking the information for some 6 and a half million stars it will have in its view.

jason818_253.33 said:

PaoloM said:

*snip*

Thanks PaoloM. I took the information on the 96 million MP from a video they had up on the NASA site. But your number sounds more realistic.

 but here is another link that sais it creates a 95million mp image. http://kepler.nasa.gov/pdf_files/95_Million_Pixel_FPA.pdf

I wonder what the algorithms are like for parsing and tracking the information for some 6 and a half million stars it will have in its view.

Do I think there is life on other planets? 

Charles said:

Stunning technology, indeed. I hope they find that rocky planet formation is a typical byproduct of stellar evolution. That would be a welcome fact to support the notion of a universe brimming with life (at least life like ours, which may be the achilles heal of this thinking).

C

evildictaitor said:

Do I think there is life on other planets? 

  Almost certainly.

Do I think there is intelligent life on other planets?

  Probably.

Do I think the human race will come into contact with other life forms during its short time in the universe?

  Probably not.

Do I think the human race will come into contact with other intelligent life forms during its short time in the universe?

  Almost certainly not.

what an advert to see after a comedy show..  aack, bad bbc!

life on other planets? //sure why not

Charles said:

Harlequin said:

*snip*

Yes, but all life on Earth appears to be carbon based, with DNA.
C

I remember a book I read when I was < 12 years old say that the only possible candidate for another life element is silicon, another "carbon group" element.

Btw, had anyone heard about any new findings from the SETI project?

cheong said:

Charles said:

*snip*

I remember a book I read when I was < 12 years old say that the only possible candidate for another life element is silicon, another "carbon group" element.

Btw, had anyone heard about any new findings from the SETI project?

Minh said:

cheong said:

*snip*

Btw, had anyone heard about any new findings from the SETI project?

Yes, there has been a new development...

Late last year, the SETI guys found an interesting signal from nearby star Epsilon Eridani

 

The signal was so interesting that it was dubbed wow II



It was immediately disseminated for analysis and UC Berkley announced that it was a extra terrestrial TV broadcast... The decoded picture is below:



The broadcast seems to be some sort NASCAR like race.  Scientists universally agree this proves there is extra terrestrial life, but not necessarily intelligent life.

Eric Idle said:

Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving,
And revolving at 900 miles an hour,
That's orbiting at 19 miles a second, so it's reckoned
A sun that is the source of all our power.

The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see,
Are moving at a million miles a day
In an outer spiral arm, at 40,000 miles an hour
Of the Galaxy we call the Milky Way.

Our Galaxy itself contains 100 billion stars
It's 100,000 light years side to side
It bulges in the middle, 16,000 light years thick
But out by us it's just 3,000 light years wide

We're 30,000 light years from galactic central point,
We go round every 200 million years
And our Galaxy is only one of millions and billions
In this amazing and expanding Universe
As fast as it can go, at the speed of light you know,
12 million miles a minute, and that's the fastest speed there is.

So remember when you're feeling very small and insecure
How amazingly unlikely it is your birth
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
Because there's bugger all down here on Earth.

Dr Herbie said:

Minh said:

*snip*

Herbie

Dr Herbie said:

Minh said:

*snip*

Herbie

Sven Groot said:

Dr Herbie said:

*snip*

That reminded me of this: