Is it logical to spend a lot in search of life in other planets?
477298
What we are interested in, what drives us, what we enjoy and find important, are very rarely logical.  If we lived by logic alone, I doubt we would ever have made it down from the trees, let alone out of the caves.  Humans are driven to learn, for no really logical reason other than instinctive drive- Logic requires quantifiable results for definable problems.  Where is the logic in eating?  To stay alive?  Where is the logic in living?  There isnt any-we live because we want to, we have kids and love them because we want to, are driven to...we use logic to get us what we want-Logic is only one tool that slavishly serves our mindless and beautiful passions.  One of those passions is to learn and explore, so yes, its imminently logical.
381174
I'm not after the points as much as I'm want to give my views on the matter.\nAliens... I believe there must be life somewhere in the Universe other than Earth, given that it is so big. However I don't believe for a moment we are going to have visitors from other planets. The green men thing is all bullsh*t to me. If there is some other form of life somewhere in the Universe (very far, I expect), I expect it must be microbiotic or something of that sort. And I don't believe the "end of the world" will come from the space either, that's plain stupidity. \nThere you go.\n\nET phone home!
1152640
While I agree with other people here that we should take better care of our planet, eventually the Earth will be destroyed.  Even if all comets and planet-killing asteroids miss us, the sun will eventually expand into a red giant and engulf the Earth.   Though that isn't likely to happen for possibly another billion years, it will eventually happen.\n\nThat being said, the more planets that we as a species inhabit, the greater our chance of survival.  Especially when we consider the possibility of colonizing other worlds in distant solar systems.  The endeavor will not be an easy one, and is indeed not possible at our current level of technology.  However technology may eventually advance that allows us to traverse great distances of space in but a few moments, perhaps through the creation of artificial wormholes.  Maybe we'll be lucky enough to see it in our lifetime.
728914
We don't know for sure, but probably there is.  \n\nScientifically, think about it.  If there is a .001% (a random low number) chance of life living in a solar system, and .001% chance of life on a planet in the solar system, and a .001% chance of the life being intelligent, the chances are really good.\n\nIf the universe is unlimited in size, then then these figures will mount up and eventually the probably will get to 100% that intellegent life exists somewhere.  \n\nLet me clearify: you can say that if a galaxy has 10 planets and there is a .001% chance of life existing in that one galaxy, there's a .01% chance of life existing there.  However, the universe (as far as we know) is unlimited in size.  There is an unlimited amount of planets in the universe, therefore, you can speculate that there is a 100% chance of life existing in outer space (because there are unlimited number of planets).  I think that I clearified it, if not let me know.  ownager@sbcglobal.net
894625
No. Icy moons in the outer solar system may very well be teeming with life. Beyond our system there is definitely other intelligent life. \n\nHopefully a lot more intelligent.\n\nBeam me up, Scotty.
109852
No, I don't think it's a waste of money.  Imagine one day, whole colonies living and working on the moon and on Mars!  I think we need something to dream about.
1151168
The laws of probability makes it a yes to your question.  We are not alone.  In fact earth is just a speck in our own galaxy.  Our galaxy is just one of many galaxies.  Yes it would be amazing to find other beings....provided they were friendly...LOL
286
Answers to this question can vary greatly, but a good framework to think about it is the Drake Equation.  Developed by Frank Drake and Carl Sagan, it runs through some of the key factors that will effect the viability of life on other planets.  As we learn more about extrasolar planets and astrobiology, we are getting better limits on some of the parameters in the equation, but especially when it comes to the terms where we look for intelligent life that can last long enough to contact other species, we have very little data to go on.\n\nSo when it comes down to the last few terms you need to take it all with a grain of salt.\n\nIf you are simply talking about life, I think recent discoveries have made the likelihood very high.  The discovery of many extrasolar planets including some that are closer to Earth size means that there are specific places we can point to where life may have formed or be forming.  Even in stranger systems that feature planets several times Jupiter's mass, it is possible that a terrestrial satellite of such a large planet could harbor the right conditions for life.\n\nIt's a fun thing to work through the Drake equation yourself.  Since the last few terms are more subjective (at least until we get more data), it's fun to play with it and see where you stand.\n\nThe best guess that scientists have put forward right now is:\n\nN = 10 × 0.5 × 2 × 0.33 × 1×10-7 × 0.01 × 67 = 2.211×10-7 = 0.0000002211\n\nwhere N is the number of intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations that might come to communicate with us in a year.  \n\nTo get the number of planets that reach a point of harboring life (not intelligent) in a year, we just take the first 4 terms:\n\n10 × 0.5 × 2 × 0.33 = 3.3\n\nSo about 3.3 new planets reach the point where life forms per year.
88197
yes, I totally beleive that there is life on another planet somewhere? If I didn't beleive that would that be a little egocentric of me (this world)
969053
More than a decade after the first planets beyond our solar system were found, astronomers have discovered about 200 of these "extrasolar planets," as they're called. Using a common-sense definition of potentially habitable planets, coupled with extensive computer simulations, scientists have calculated how many potentially habitable planets might be detected around other stars by the SIM PlanetQuest mission. ("SIM" stands for Space Interferometry Mission.) \n\nThe mission, scheduled for a launch in the next decade, will target planets with specific traits in common with Earth: a similar mass and an orbit in the "habitable zone," not too close and not too far from its parent star. With this mass and location, it's believed a planet could have liquid water on its surface and an atmosphere -- conditions considered necessary for life to gain a foothold. \n\nThe science team has shown that, in a survey of the best 120 candidate stars for hosting such planets, SIM PlanetQuest would have the sensitivity to find: \n\n-- Planets smaller than Earth around six stars \n\n-- Planets smaller than twice Earth's mass around 24 stars
1071064
Absolutely not and I think it would be incredibly arrogant of us to think we are the only life in the entire universe, considering how many billions of planets, if not galaxies, there are.  There are more that can sustain life.
300783
When you sit back and look at the big picture, space exploration is a worthy investment.  Indeed, a number of the items we have today were spin offs of the research that went into space related industries.  The Plastics industry alone makes more money in one year than has ever been spent on the space budget.  \n\nAnyways, while we should always tend to our basic needs, we will eventually run low of resources and space on this planet.  Assuming that we don't have a great die-off of our population due to the scarcity of necessary items, we will need to colonize other planets to make room for everyone.  Hence, cities on the moon, mars, maybe terraforming venus may become options in the not so distant future.
367327
Yes.  Actually there is a mathmatical formula for finding the number of habital planets in the universe.  I remember that it is in three parts, but cannot for the life of me remember the exact formula.  It is based on number of stars (suns), how many planets would be orbiting the suns with the same life producing elements we have on earth, and the possibility of the same type of factors in evolution we had here on earth.  \nThe problem with the formula is that it represents only the type enviromental factors to produce "life" as we know it, not taking into regards other element based sources of life.  For instance, we are water based, whereas some other life forces may be silicon (Star Trek fans) based or based on an element we don't even know about.  \nYou may want to search the internet for the formula.  Sorry I can't remember it from my astronomy classes many years ago!
341926
There are theoretically countless planets, because there are countless stars, and a countless number of those will have a planet the same distance as ours. So there has to be countless other life forms out there.. the problem is, is that space is so bloody huge that the distance and time it takes to get anywhere far outways the task of actually doing it ( for other advanced lifeforms ).. And the chances that anything would choose to come our way is pretty bloody remote. But don't let religions lead you into believing we are the only lifeforms, that would be naive
983163
It's a lot cheaper to explore our planet, and the goal of most exploration was to find something of value, usually funded by royalty.\n\nRoyalty isn't what it used to be, and any government whose people believe that taxes are bad will never be able to sustain the costs of exploration of space. It's an expensive proposition.\n\nOur equivalent of royalty, celebrities, tend to spend their money on themselves or on things they can see the immediate results of. No long-term no-return (emotional, financial or career) causes for them.
118535
In theory it is absolutely possible. In reality, we haven't advanced science to the point where we can inhabit other planets. Currently there are plans to build an elevator that will allow people to enter space without spending months and months training their bodies to withstand the G's when exiting the atmosphere.\n\nThe current step to living on other planets is building a space station large enough to house multiple families, a small city or even refuel a ship. Currently right now travelling to Mars would take years and years. We would need a higher powered engine that uses less fuel and provides more thrust.
438713
your right. i also believe that life on another planet dosent need to have water present to sustain life.\n\nits just that they are trying to find life on other planets and if they find water there is a chance that there was or is life on other planets.