There are billions of Earth-like planets in the Milky Way, study finds

[NightHawkSniper]

"that’s more Earth-like planets than there are people on Earth"

I want my own planet :D

2's better than 1

[Warhippy]

I totally understand what you mean.

The only reason I am skeptical is because other solar systems are really really far away....hell, even at lightspeed it may take a century to go somewhere, check it out, and come back.

No question, watch "Evacuate the Earth" on discovery sometime, amazing theoretical conversation about how we'd abandon earth in the event of a planetary catastrophe

Needless to say, once we start getting out there, we will start getting out there in ever faster ways. Scram jet tech is awesome, plasma engines are really looking promising. and the cluster bomb or bomblette theory (nuclear detonations every few moments behind a shield to promote propulsion) also looks good.

But as we get ever farther out into space for at least extraction in our area, we will be developing tech to get us ever farther out for ever more. We are a voracious species and the one thing that has caused us to move further faster is greed. Besides war, resource exploration and extraction has lead us to our greatest leaps forward

[theminister]

what if WE taste like bacon to them and they are faster?

We DO taste like bacon.

[NightHawkSniper]

Imagine all those other earth-like planets are just alternate time-lines to our earth...

[PlayStation]

[RockNroLLa.]

its nice to see someone post stuff like this, thanks

[Tortorella's Rant]

Not sure why when people see that Earth like planets can exist, automatically they are looking forward to advanced civilizations existing there. It's very likely that the big news will come in the form of microbes surviving, etc. not fancy space ships. This romantic idea needs to be ditched.

Drake's equation, although flawed, is a good theoretical exercise in exactly how many factors have to come into play for "advanced civilizations", it goes far past just the "Goldilock's zone".

N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible (i.e. which are on our current past light cone);

and

R_* = the average rate of star formation in our galaxy

f_p = the fraction of those stars that have planets

n_e = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets

f_l = the fraction of planets that could support life that actually develop life at some point

f_i = the fraction of planets with life that actually go on to develop intelligent life (civilizations)

f_c = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space

L = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space

You should just post the Sagan video. Much better listening to him than reading about this.

[Gustavo Fring]

Yah but....there's always a but....we need to learn to get along first before that will happen....

Nothing but truth. I can only see bad things happening once we start settling into planets.

Mankind can never learn from history.

[nuckin_futz]

So. Awesome.

There are two discoveries that I wish I get to experience before I die:

1) Scientists figure out how to live forever.

2) Scientists find life on another planet.

Praise Science!!!

I just want to see the Nucks lift the Cup.