If There's Life on Alien Planet Gliese 581g, How Do We Find It?

• EndlessDreams wrote on 2010-10-01 04:04

  Quote from Osayidan;172235:

  I don't like how mainstream science always assumes life requires the same basic stuff. We know relatively nothing of the universe, assuming such things is childish at best.

  
  
  "Mainstream" science is heavily dependent on evidence. When there is evidence that life requires something that isn't the "basic" stuff, science would just change to add that as part of possible life.
  
  Better to assume things where there is evidence for it then to assume things that there is no evidence for it. Science as a whole assumes well-tested theories are correct until there is some evidence to show otherwise.
  
  The planet is "only" 20 light years away, lol. We will need a really powerful telescope to see better details.
• Ruquion wrote on 2010-10-01 07:18
  Who gives a damn? Rather than wasting millions of dollars on things which might not even exist, it's much more pratical to solve the problems we have here on Earth.
• Time wrote on 2010-10-01 11:18

  Quote from Ruquion;172473:

  Who gives a damn? Rather than wasting millions of dollars on things which might not even exist, it's much more pratical to solve the problems we have here on Earth.

  
  
  Cool, go sell your computer and get to that.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-10-01 13:07

  Quote from Ruquion;172473:

  Who gives a damn? Rather than wasting millions of dollars on things which might not even exist, it's much more pratical to solve the problems we have here on Earth.

  
  
  What are you talking about?
  
  It does not take millions of dollars to receive or send signals through a machine that already exists.
  
  Nor does it take millions of dollars to see spectra through that same machine or radar.
  
  Theorizing is always fun. I don't see anywhere that we're sending an actual probe to this place, as that would be impractical-- it's 20 light years away and we might be wasting money and time. Though it's just interesting that this planet is so alike to us. That's what all the rage is about. Nothing else.
  
  Also, "who gives a damn?" Scientists do. It's what they research, it's what they work for.
  
  There's a whole new industry called "space weather" now which forecasts the Sun, its solar flares and even our own geomagnetic storms. A solar flare could potentially harm the satellites we have orbiting the Earth, so watching for these solar flares and "space storms" is definitely important, especially now that we've become so much more educated on the matter. But there's still active research on the Sun's magnetic fields and whatnot.
  
  Stuff like this affects us, just like biology affects us.
  
  Would you go up to a biologist and be like, "who gives a damn how cows are made?" Yeah sure, if you wanna get made a fool out of yourself with intelligent terms and concepts that you might not even understand.
  
  Small things are important. Knowledge is important. That's why we "give a damn."
• Mrlucky77 wrote on 2010-10-01 13:13

  Quote from Phunkie;172524:

  What are you talking about?
  
  It does not take millions of dollars to receive or send signals through a machine that already exists.
  
  Nor does it take millions of dollars to see spectra through that same machine or radar.
  
  Theorizing is always fun. I don't see anywhere that we're sending an actual probe to this place, as that would be impractical-- it's 20 light years away and we might be wasting money and time. Though it's just interesting that this planet is so alike to us. That's what all the rage is about. Nothing else.

  
  
  Even if we DID send a probe, it would take hundreds of years for it to get there, then 20 to 40 years just to get a possibly very weak signal of the probe's analysis and stuff once it's landed. Even then, the probe could have broken on the way or it could have a malfunction. By that time, there could be enough economic strength and resources and technological advances and stuff from exploring our own solar system and shiz that we could have found many other planets that can have life on it without the hassle of sending a probe, blah blah blah.
• Zid wrote on 2010-10-01 14:44
  I don't think it's a monetary waste if there are actually some researchers who are searching for life-able planets for resources.
  
  Yeah, you know. More of that resource war stuff.
• Ruquion wrote on 2010-10-01 15:58

  Quote from Phunkie;172524:

  What are you talking about?
  
  It does not take millions of dollars to receive or send signals through a machine that already exists.
  
  Nor does it take millions of dollars to see spectra through that same machine or radar.
  
  Theorizing is always fun. I don't see anywhere that we're sending an actual probe to this place, as that would be impractical-- it's 20 light years away and we might be wasting money and time. Though it's just interesting that this planet is so alike to us. That's what all the rage is about. Nothing else.
  
  Also, "who gives a damn?" Scientists do. It's what they research, it's what they work for.
  
  There's a whole new industry called "space weather" now which forecasts the Sun, its solar flares and even our own geomagnetic storms. A solar flare could potentially harm the satellites we have orbiting the Earth, so watching for these solar flares and "space storms" is definitely important, especially now that we've become so much more educated on the matter. But there's still active research on the Sun's magnetic fields and whatnot.
  
  Stuff like this affects us, just like biology affects us.
  
  Would you go up to a biologist and be like, "who gives a damn how cows are made?" Yeah sure, if you wanna get made a fool out of yourself with intelligent terms and concepts that you might not even understand.
  
  Small things are important. Knowledge is important. That's why we "give a damn."

  
  Building the TPF itself would cost money, the TPF itself is just a proposed project right now and doesn't actually exist.
  Paying the researchers cost money. We're paying people to theorize about existences which might not even exist.
  
  Space weather and cows actually benefit our dailiy lives, therefore it is worth the cost. Theorizing about aliens doesn't.
  
  This is by no means a 'small thing'.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-10-01 16:59
  But astronomy is important, just like genetics.
  
  It helps us understand how our Solar System and even how the Universe came to be. People used to believe in a geocentric model of the Universe a long time ago, but studying the cosmos proved them wrong.
  
  Why do we send all these probes to Pluto and to asteroids and whatnot? Because we as humans want to understand this Universe we live in and learn more from it. Also, technology improves everyday, so why not push our limits and send stuff out there? It demonstrates how far we've come and allows us to evolve even more.
  
  Landing on the Moon, sending the Voyagers out past Jupiter, the probe that's heading towards Pluto right now, the future manned-mission to an asteroid... it's all about learning, it's all about getting creative and pushing the limits.
  
  We're humans. We have an unsatiated hunger for knowledge and understanding things. Spending money on research is always good, IMO. Good research, that is.
  
  I rather do that than spend it on wars and silly things.
• Ruquion wrote on 2010-10-01 17:23

  Quote from Phunkie;172660:

  I rather do that than spend it on wars and silly things.

  
  Understanding the origin of life and the universe is important, but should not be a high priority.
  Considering the current state of the economy, money would probably be better spent helping those who are unemployed and are in need.
  
  

  Quote from Phunkie;172660:

  Also, technology improves everyday, so why not push our limits and send stuff out there? It demonstrates how far we've come and allows us to evolve even more.

  The constant evolution would eventually lead to an uncontrolable level of spiral energy, which would lead to the Spiral Nemesis.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-10-01 17:56

  Quote from Ruquion;172689:

  Understanding the origin of life and the universe is important, but should not be a high priority.
  Considering the current state of the economy, money would probably be better spent helping those who are unemployed and are in need.

  
  
  I agree. Not a high priority, but definitely an issue of important interest.
  
  Though you should tell the latter to the United States government. Research does not take much away, I would assume. It's wars and unnecessary spending that does.
• Osayidan wrote on 2010-10-01 22:18
  1 day of war in the middle east probably costs more than any research department (except military funded research) costs for 6 months.
  

  Quote from Ruquion;172636:

  Building the TPF itself would cost money, the TPF itself is just a proposed project right now and doesn't actually exist.
  Paying the researchers cost money. We're paying people to theorize about existences which might not even exist.
  
  Space weather and cows actually benefit our dailiy lives, therefore it is worth the cost. Theorizing about aliens doesn't.
  
  This is by no means a 'small thing'.

  
  Theorizing about aliens and the universe is definitely important on many levels. Just to name a few, socialy, economically, theologically and of course militarily in case they want to suck our brains out.
  I just wish they would not place any limits on the scope of their theories. It pisses me off to no end when the scientific community shuns some independant researcher(s) because they don't conform to currently accepted scientific facts, only to kiss their asses and hand them a Nobel prize 20 years later when they're proven right. Just like people should be open minded socially, people should be open minded scientifically.
  
  For example I wonder how far along we could have been if Tesla wasn't ridiculed when he tried to propose exotic ideas about electricity and ways to deliver it.