There is definitely life in the universe. It is us! Is there other life in the universe, though? And if so, are "they" like "us"? The Drake Equation allows us to consider some of the variables that would influence the development of advanced, technological, intelligent life around the galaxy. Some others, including Dr. Michio Kaku of City University of New York, have speculated about the nature of advanced life based on the idea that the laws of physics are universal, and they place limits on the development of life. Some of his speculation focuses on the need for advanced civilizations to harness vast amounts of energy just to avoid being wiped out by natural disasters. And of course the biggest natural disaster of them all is the end of the universe- current theories suggest that the universe has an open structure, which means that the ultimate fate of the universe is ever accelerating expansion and cooling, a "Big Chill". If civilizations become advanced enough, they may be more interested in escaping this universe by manipulating space and time itself rather than contacting their neighbors...
But enough about physics. From what we k now about the evolution of advanced civilization on earth, which of the following statements would you think is most likely to be as universal as gravity itself? Write your answer as a blog comment below.
· Life will inevitably emerge when conditions are suitable
· When life emerges, it will lead to advanced intelligent civilizations
· When life emerges, it will be based on cells
· When life emerges, it will be subject to natural selection
For more information about Dr. Kaku visit http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=939&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
Posts
