Newfound planet could support life

steve smyth lynn ma — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:11:38 GMT

Gaia Two would be right at home in the Goldilock's Zone...maybe that's what we should name this new planet...Gaia Two...Earth Two...same...same...

Newfound planet could support life

kitty courts — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:23:05 GMT

We must keep searching for earthlike planets, because one day in the not too distant future, only a handfull of us, earthlings, will have to make an escape to this other world to continue the cycle of life forwards, as our very ancient ancestors did for us.

Newfound planet could support life

Jethris — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:59:16 GMT

Kitty, are you suggesting that life on Earth originated from outer space? Do you have any research or sources, outside of the Sci-Fi channel, to state that?

Newfound planet could support life

RobbS, DeSoto, TX — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:31:34 GMT

This is all very interesting, but, how would we get there. I don't see us having the Enterprise any time soon. Anyway, do we even belong out there? Us and our wicked ways?

Newfound planet could support life

Laura in Los Angeles — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:36:12 GMT

I love astromomy..can't wait for this one.

Newfound planet could support life

Kevin, Lincoln, NE — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:56:16 GMT

Kitty, are you suggesting that life on Earth originated from outer space? Do you have any research or sources, outside of the Sci-Fi channel, to state that?

Jethris (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:59 PM)

I was thinking the same thing...

Newfound planet could support life

Patrick Wood Casper Wyoming — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:00:08 GMT

If our conception of chemical physics is correct, it would be stupid to think that earth is the only place life is. Organic and inorganic is the basis of all things, according to the table of elements to date.

Newfound planet could support life

Stacy Fife, Baton Rouge, LA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:07:39 GMT

Sci-fi channel? About as reliable as Sunday School.....

Newfound planet could support life

Seth — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:09:01 GMT

make it so number 1.

Newfound planet could support life

mike — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:13:50 GMT

with Humanity's luck the first planet we find will be the one our ancestors left.if Kitty is right

Newfound planet could support life

sodom and gommorah tampa fl — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:14:01 GMT

this is my theory i think we were put here by an alien race much more advanced than us, like kitty courts said our ancestors , we are still evolving ang growing with science , our ancestors the ones that visit us are already advanced they seeded us here and are wacthingus develop.we are still so far behind.

Newfound planet could support life

Jerry, Chicago IL — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:14:55 GMT

I think Kitty must have gotten into the catnip...

Newfound planet could support life

bubba — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:15:39 GMT

too bad that finding another inhabitable planet does not disprove god

Newfound planet could support life

Zen — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:16:07 GMT

Maybe. It's no more unusual than the idea that some trascendent being called "god" breathed life into us. There's truly a lot we will never know. Origins may be one of them.

Newfound planet could support life

Reverend Billy Bob Gisher — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:16:23 GMT

Jethris: No she has inadequate proof from a peer review standpoint to confirm this. She does however have all she needs to form a new religion, and start attempting to force everyone else to live by her beliefs.

We might want to get her to understand the difference between an idea and a confirmed fact now, well before the party she forms starts stuffing the justice department with those of like minds.

Newfound planet could support life

Galen, Yucaipa, Ca — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:16:26 GMT

Jethris, in defense of Kitty, and in no way endorsing her perspective, I think your manner of questioning borders on the offensive with your reference to the Sci-Fi channel. There actually is a large contingency of very qualified scientists that have also proposed such an origin of mankind. They are not necessarily saying that a civilized race came to earth and started life, but that possibly organisms carried on meteors might have helped along the process by which life began.

No one has the answers and no one should put down others because they think differently.

Newfound planet could support life

Michael — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:16:54 GMT

Jethris, Do you think that it's not possible? Nothing says that it's true or isn't true. Everyone knows people will believe what they want, nothing short of death will change that.

Newfound planet could support life

Stephen Smith, Arlington, Tx — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:16:56 GMT

dude... just watch the movie Titan A.E. ... very credible.. will explain everything..

Newfound planet could support life

Doug Slepicka, Traverse City, Mi — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:17:11 GMT

Hopefully, in the next hundred years, we can launch a long range probe that would give us a closer look at these newly discoverd planets. Wouldn't it be great to recieve actual video from these places !
I'm not going to hold my breath, 41 light-years, but it would be exciting.

Newfound planet could support life

K.S. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:17:28 GMT

Please, Jeth, keep your theology out of my astronomy.

Newfound planet could support life

Lucy, Buford, GA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:18:06 GMT

Jethris...are you curious or does that scare you?

Newfound planet could support life

amber, MI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:18:21 GMT

i like your statement kitty. kind of how i feel too.

Newfound planet could support life

Dutch, St. Louis, MO — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:18:22 GMT

I took Kitty's comments to mean our far distant ancestors moved from continent to continent but I may be wrong there. The search for extraterrestrial life, intelligent or not, has always fascinated me. Are we alone?

Newfound planet could support life

Kenneth Hargens, Rapid City, South Dakota — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:18:37 GMT

As a romantic, I have sometimes thought that living during the 1800's and those times of the 'wild west' and booming technology, would have ideally suited me. Now, I am saddened that I will never experience the thrills of our future pioneers who will be able to journey to distant solar systems and explore planets and investigate other amazing forms of life. I guess I will just stare at the stars and wonder!!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Rudy — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:18:53 GMT

Kitty, you must be in outer space to suggest such a comical situation and an unproven methical theory.
Does not any one believe in Creation??

Newfound planet could support life

big steve — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:19:31 GMT

I belive that is called scientology - 0ne who belives life came from outerspace

Newfound planet could support life

Todd, Billerica, MA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:19:59 GMT

I can't wait for a space based interferometer to get real pictures of these planets. Hopefully within the next 10-20 years NASA and it's international partners can get TPF funded as it is currently "deferred indefinitely". :( oh well

Still cool news that astronomers have detected this new world.

Newfound planet could support life

Allen Campbell Lapeer michigan — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:20:23 GMT

We are not alone. Just play the odds and some where there will be intelligent life. Intelligent life on earth ( sometimes debatable ) is not the only thing around.

Newfound planet could support life

Mr. Fractal — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:20:28 GMT

Jethris: you might want to go online and view all the depictions of UFO's from Egyptian times to 16th century painters to aboriginal drawings. You think EVERYONE is making this up? Please.There ARE advanced beings out there, way ahead of us.

Newfound planet could support life

Michael, Richmond Va — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:20:43 GMT

How about you Jethris... do you have any research or sources to the opposite, other than an insignifigant piece of misinterpreted fiction left behind by people less intelligent than us?

Newfound planet could support life

jean seul colgate wisconsin — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:20:46 GMT

Don't get your hopes up. We will never get to these planets, as far away as they are. So that means we need to take care of our own planet and control our overpopulation.

Newfound planet could support life

cjcfreedom — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:22:37 GMT

I think this is a particularly interesting piece of scifi news. I just love the possibility that we may not be the only intelligent life forms in the Universe. Maybe some of them could come here and straighten men out. Not women, we're fine!

Newfound planet could support life

Mark, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:23:02 GMT

Jethris,

I believe what Kitty was trying to say was that life, in its simplest forms could have come from outer space. In the early stages of Earth's life it was a hot, motlen rock being bombarded with asteroids and comets from all directions, each one bringing a variety of chemicals and elements. I hope you're not trying to suggest that an invisible man that no one has seen or heard from magically created us.... This is a webpage of science not theology. If its theology you're looking for I suggest visiting the Creationism museum located in Kentucky.

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:23:05 GMT

Battlestar Galactica was cool and all that, but SHEESH! Have at least SOME originality. Like we came from....Galactic toads or something even MORE convincing!!

Newfound planet could support life

Crober, W. Boylston, Ma — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:23:06 GMT

I would love to hear more on Kitty's theory of our earthling's beginning

Newfound planet could support life

Corey, St. Pt., WI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:23:30 GMT

I don't know about our previous ancestors being from another planet, what with the cavemen and evolution and all, but I can see how we would be the first of conceivably many 'cycles' of our race that might have to spread out amoungst the galaxy. Not only because of war and famine or the such, but because we will have simply overstayed our welcome here on Earth. Life will become impossible here for us, and after we leave, the Earth will renew it's resources, possibly starting over completely, and the cycle continues. It is an intreging thought

Newfound planet could support life

Alan Sheets, Loveland CO — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:23:42 GMT

I assume that the "life zone" being discussed is the liquid water life zone. Or are these researchers also considering the possibilities of life on worlds with liquid ammonia, methane, or hydrogen fluoride?

Newfound planet could support life

Gene Lee, Auburn, Washington — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:23:43 GMT

Locating earth-type planets is critical to our uniting as a species on this planet; that we are not alone in the universe gives us perspective in being human to each other, finally respecting one another as star dust.

Newfound planet could support life

john scott north lauderdale,florida — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:23:56 GMT

As we vacated MARS millions of years ago after destroying it, future generations will have a new place to go when we discard the earth!!!!!!!

Newfound planet could support life

BlackJack — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:24:03 GMT

Jethris, Now don't slap around kitty. She's just stating that before all the world goes to hell in a hand basket we (the one's that have the desire to continue on) need an escape plan, and don't you think that we need to start the next earth with people who already have evolved intelegently like. Not that Jerry Springer isn't entertaining, but who want's to start over with monkeys.

Newfound planet could support life

Jerry L, Houston, TX — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:24:10 GMT

I don't know about the rest of you, but I find this mildly exciting. Super earth-like planets in outer space...this is just speculation/borderline fantasy but what if there are already living organisms there? Who knows, it may be other humans like us living in their own world...probably exploring space just like us. Haha.

I can see it now...in a couple of centuries/millenia there could be intergalactic networks, REAL space travel & all that good stuff.

Who wants to go Cancri? I do!

Newfound planet could support life

Alias — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:24:42 GMT

It stands to reason that we will need to expand our horizons if we're to remain a viable species for any length of time to come. Good hunting!

Newfound planet could support life

joe — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:25:42 GMT

This is were the aliens live that visit our earth time to time. We need to try to visit one day to meet them.

Newfound planet could support life

HM, SA, TX — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:25:59 GMT

Jethris, it's unlikely that life on earth came from outer space. There's no Oxygen out there. Kitty, I think Venus is a likely suspect for our origin since it now suffers from destructive global warming effects and Earth is on it's way there. Human kind will never learn.

Newfound planet could support life

dee haber — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:26:12 GMT

Kitty can state what she wants to, it's her opinion.

Newfound planet could support life

Noel Garcia, Springdale Maryland — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:27:22 GMT

Question:
How do you see 41 light years away? I do not understand how you get the information back before 41 years. I did not understand relativity very well in school. Please help.

Thank You

Newfound planet could support life

John Doe, Seattle, Wash — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:27:38 GMT

seems more plausible than the bible

Newfound planet could support life

Kim, New York NY — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:27:47 GMT

I think we will destoy this planet for the human race way before we make an outpost on some other planet. That is not to say other forms of life will not continue to live here...just not human.

Newfound planet could support life

Colin, Milwaukee WI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:27:49 GMT

Jethris, do you have any proof that God created man from the earth and the female from his rib?

Yup, didn't think so.

Newfound planet could support life

Geoff, Scottsdale, AZ — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:28:24 GMT

Captain Picard and his mentor, the foremost preeminent archeologist already proved it. It is a fact. Life did originate from outside of our solar system!

Newfound planet could support life

Chase Des Moines, IA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:28:45 GMT

It's a very strong possibility that life originated here from a meteor striking earth that contained biological organisms.

Newfound planet could support life

B G, Chicopee MA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:30:00 GMT

Jethris, are you suggesting that it did not. Do you have any reasearch to prove otherwise?

Newfound planet could support life

jmamos — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:30:00 GMT

"the quest could answer humanity's deepest questions about life, the universe and everything."

Kudos for the Douglas Adams reference.

Newfound planet could support life

Don Petrosino — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:30:09 GMT

Good luck getting there. We have only been able to send manned missions 300-400 miles into space!!! Apollo missions were hoaxes unfortunately...sorry naive old folks!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Scotty — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:30:51 GMT

Ummm...Yeah, well then. Beam us up, I guess. Escape to Gaia II. Flee from Xenu and the Thetans, they have control over you, Kitty.

Newfound planet could support life

Dennis, Scappoose OR. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:31:02 GMT

Jethris, life DID originate in outer space. Every piece of matter consisting of our bodys, CAN be found in outer space. SO. IF there is intelligent life outthere, somewhere, WE are related to it. This from Dennis in Scappoose.

Newfound planet could support life

R2D2, C3PO and friends — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:31:06 GMT

That sounds like an awesome future.

Newfound planet could support life

Rocky, West Palm Beach Florida — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:33:10 GMT

Jethris I agree with you Kitty seems to be suggesting something of a sci fi theory. But this planet may have been populated with the building blocks of life from comets slamming into our earth before life existed. A theory made popular by Carl Sagan. Kitty should be more worried about how we can correct any damage we may have done on Earth today. Plus I don't think she realizes that 41 light years will be an unacheivable distance to travel.

Newfound planet could support life

John Doe — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:33:26 GMT

I don't believe that life as we understand it exists elsewhere. I am not a religious person, far from it. I am more of a sceptic. In order for another planet to *sustain* life, an astronomical number of parameters at the right time must be present and interact the exact in order to create life.

Newfound planet could support life

sk — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:33:29 GMT

Jethris, don't you read the enquirer?

Newfound planet could support life

Collin, San Jose, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:33:29 GMT

Jethris, do you have any research or sources to prove them wrong?

Newfound planet could support life

sini — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:33:30 GMT

who knows the truth anyway, research or not... of course we are curious and that's fine.

On the other hand, who made us responsible to propagate life in the universe anyway?

Newfound planet could support life

me — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:33:36 GMT

Ever heard of primordial soup?

Newfound planet could support life

Dan — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:34:03 GMT

Uh....yeah....duh....just watch the movie Stargate...it's a documentary.

Newfound planet could support life

John, Cherryhill, NJ — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:34:30 GMT

Kitty's comments are for lack of other words: "Out there", but she's right on target with her believe that Earthlings will one day develope the capability to inhabit other planets. That might be a distant reality but a reality nonetheless.

Newfound planet could support life

Colin Nelson, Newbury, NH — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:34:48 GMT

I agree we need to find a new place soon. If you think about it, this planet will not be able to provide for us forever. We as humans are just the "most recent" inhabitants of the planet and have grown more intelligent than the previous habitants of the planet.
Our only chance of future survival means we need to know what the next step is for future growth... be it 4 years as the mayans predict, or hopefully 1 million more.

Newfound planet could support life

Tournstone, Houston, Texas — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:35:10 GMT

Jethris, I can't speak for Kitty, but what I got from that comment is that our ancient ancestors, in an effort to continue the cycle of life forward, had to constantly push beyond the boundaries of their home, finding new places, new lands and new ways to live. That process can never cease, or our species will not survive. And that's not sci-fi.

Newfound planet could support life

Cathy Reed, Tulsa, OK — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:35:48 GMT

I've always believed that other planets capable of life existed. It's such a vast universe, it was so unlikely that we would be the only inhabitants. I think this is very exciting news.

Newfound planet could support life

biskit 707 bay area — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:36:43 GMT

Its really not that impossible we came from someplace outisde our solar system. We may not have come as humans but there is a chance life started from meteorites had the building blocks of life in em. Even now we have found meteorites with all the things needed to start life. Maybe life on other planets is alot more common than we think.

Newfound planet could support life

Jim Palmer — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:37:08 GMT

This is the place where scientists are safe to let their imagination go. Who is going to say 10 thousand years from now that that Joe Blow "scientist" was full of it? Let's face it, who is to prove or disprove any of this "story"?

Newfound planet could support life

KG, ohio — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:37:12 GMT

I think Kitty's theory is just as believable as God creating man out of dust, and woman from Adam's rib.

Newfound planet could support life

mdavis fort Worth, Texas — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:38:23 GMT

There are distinct lines on Mars that used to be water canals. In Peru there are ancient landing sites. Also in South America, there are ancient cave drawings depicting spacemen. I think that the beings from Mars (probably human or close to it) flew here and landed in South America. They had "used up Mars" and came here just to survive. Geez, now we are using up and ruining earth. I am not a nut. I really believe that this happened long ago.

Newfound planet could support life

Zach — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:38:55 GMT

It's possible, but not likely. And even if life came from out there, it's likely that it arrived in a microbial form back when life was first getting started on Earth. Very very slim odds of that happening!

However, I do believe that as the only species in Earth's history capable of reaching out beyond the confines of our parent planet, it is our destiny, if not our specific purpose, to spread life throughout the cosmos!

Newfound planet could support life

Jedidiah, Xenox, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:39:09 GMT

Jethris, can you definetley prove that we did not originate from space? This planet is merely a vessel in our galactic travel as an interspace nomadic species.

Newfound planet could support life

Matthew F. Clough — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:39:25 GMT

Awesome read Alan - thank you!

We'll have all the answers we seek in good time.

Hell - maybe sooner than later considering the state of the world. ;)

Fingers crossed and eyes to the sky!

Newfound planet could support life

emmanuel agbor, Houston, Tx — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:39:29 GMT

This does not surprise me. With the number of stars in the universe, it is only a matter of time before life and even other humans like us will be discovered. There is nothing in the nature and composition of the universe that eliminates that possibility.

Newfound planet could support life

Norm — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:40:01 GMT

I think what Kitty is trying to say is that the propagation of life be it deinged to have originated with Adam and Eve (a hipothesis the appears on the face to be something originated to address the UNKNOWN beginnnings of man versus the true beginnings of man. Darwinism is another example of theoretical ascention of man however an equally plausible theory is that our DNA was extraterrestrial in nature and although I am a person of Christian beliefs there is the possibility that God in his wisdomsaw fit to perpetuate the species of man in another way other than what is written in the bible. Kitty's assertion then holds as much merrit as any other so please do not patronise anyones point of view. The discussions warrant a more open mind in the possibilities that truly are endless. To assume that God in his devine wisdom saw fit to only have life here onb earth is arrogant presumption at best.

Newfound planet could support life

Gabe Campbell — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:40:06 GMT

me, made by Cambell Soup? :))

Newfound planet could support life

TAT MIAMI , FL — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:40:10 GMT

this is old stuff better believed this!!!!! da rich may have already concord this new planets and the poor are stuck here in planet earth $$$$$ no cashhhh !!!!!!!!! with all of the other things that are going to happen be prepare all I can say !!!!!!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Chris, Austin, TX — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:40:42 GMT

Newfound planet could support life

Mike McNelis jackson, MS — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:40:50 GMT

Life did come from outside the Earth. I think that is stated plainly in the Bible. A force beyond our understanding made all we seen, sense and that force only ask that we believe. Call it God or whatever but it is not of this World.

Newfound planet could support life

Brian, Libby, MT. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:41:07 GMT

To think that Earth is the only planet in the entire universe is naive at best. I am not saying that there are little green men probing us here, but maybe millions of light years away there are inteligent beings watching the sky wondering if there is more than them out there also? I personally beleive we cannot be the only planet that grew moss and sprouted life...

Newfound planet could support life

Lou — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:41:21 GMT

Do you have any research or sources to the contrary? The fact is we don't know yet. I hope that one way or the other some day we'll have proof of weather or not life was spawned here or if it migrated. There are many forms of life that could survive the trip as well as the theory that the primordial goup here on earth was exposed to remnants of extraterrestrial biological material.

On the flip side if life is home based what other life forms do we take with us to the next world?

Also, do we have the capability to "see" earth sized planets or do those structures not release enough data to detect? Thanks for any anwsers/

Newfound planet could support life

LA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:41:21 GMT

A lot of us tend to be exquisitely egocentrical when it comes to the possibility of life on other planets. Its a huge universe but ok sure, we're on the only planet with life. Yeah right.

Newfound planet could support life

Skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:41:27 GMT

Jethris,

Why not? It's not such a far-fetched theory. Science is starting to embrace the possibility that
life on earth may have gotten an extra-terrestrial jump start from an asteroid impact. What if the original "Ark" story was an allegory about a dying world and the colonization of this planet? Sorry Allan, but I find the possibilities very entertaining.
And NO I'm not a Scientologist.

Newfound planet could support life

Mike Ferrell — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:42:24 GMT

I think Kitty watched too many episodes of the original Battlestar Galactica....we're the thrteenth tribe, don't you know?

Newfound planet could support life

Goose — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:42:35 GMT

41 light years, let's plan now for retirement(>:

Newfound planet could support life

Dewey Jones,Largo,Florida — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:42:58 GMT

This is good news,at a time when our planet seems to have water and air pollution,this actully means our eco system is failing,polar caps melting at an alarming rate,and our own race is constantly figuring new ways to continue destroying the planets last remaining resources.Thank you for the likely possibility that some billionaire might survive and do it all again is just mind tingling!

Newfound planet could support life

Countryman — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:43:23 GMT

Is it so hard to contemplate the possibility Jethris? After all, modern science still speculates on our own true origins. It's not too far a stretch to theorize that perhaps an older non terrestrial civilazation may have had a hand in our own development. Just look at the age of our human race, what we know of it compared to the age of the known universe. We have developed to this point we are at in just a few tens of thousands of years, while other species on this planet have remained unchanged (excepting a few minor differences) over several millions of years. The universe, what we know of it, is hundreds of billions of years old, just to put things in perspective.

Newfound planet could support life

Chris, Austin, TX — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:43:35 GMT

If the universe is truly as infinite as postulated, then it only stands to reason that there are also an infinite number of planetoids with the requisite properties capable of sustaining life as we know it.

The only thing that's hindering us is our ability to reach them. And THAT particular problem won't be resolved unless we can stop killing each other and our planet long enough to discover a solution.

Newfound planet could support life

Smartness — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:43:38 GMT

OMG, Jethris...I think Kitty IS suggesting that...creepy. Do these astrobiologists think that the moons may be inhabited right now, or are they saying that they could possibly be inhabitable in the future?

Newfound planet could support life

Ben Lookin — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:44:11 GMT

Findings such as these provide hope that other earthlike planets are out there. This can help explain some of the holes in the time-space continuum and solidify some peoples experiences with alternate realities and parallel universes.

I just hope that when we finally achieve the sofitication neccessary to truly observe such earthlike planets we don't see billboards that read...

For Sale! Huge Lakefront Property within Cancri 55! Charming areas suitable for development or oil drilling! CASH IN NOWWWW!

Newfound planet could support life

Mitchell — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:44:46 GMT

Jethris, are you able to prove 100% that it didn't?
It is very possible that life on earth has been affected by alien life forms. Though not in the sense of a UFO droping you on your head when you were young. Meteorites have impacted our world since its creation, and could easily carry microbiotic life forms that could easily change earth as we know it. Just because Kitty may believe in the extreme, doesn't mean there is not a possibility. Some of the
strangest creatures on our world look like something right out of the "sci-fi" channel. In fact... the entire world once believed the earth revolved around the sun! So any common belief can easily be shattered with a simple discovery. Religion has constantly had human beings believe idiotic scenario's that centers man in the universe. Perhaps one day when religion finally kicks the planetary bucket mankind will be able to embrace a simpler idea of our place in the universe. It seems easier to believe that life outside earth has impacted our world then a giant man clad in white dictating our choices and sending us to a giant cave of fire when we sin.

Newfound planet could support life

Carl Cortez,North Bruns, New Jersey — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:44:48 GMT

We should try to take care of this world, for the incoming generations instead of wasting money and time out there.

Newfound planet could support life

Larry Pontiac Michigan — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:45:02 GMT

I agree with Kitty,if not on her veiled alien references at least with the notion that our time on Earth is seriously finite. We are explores by nature and are compelled to reach out for the unknown Possiblity.

Newfound planet could support life

Todd, Billerica, MA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:45:19 GMT

Oh my. These comments have gotten interesting. From the origins of life to conspiracy theories. What fun. :)

Newfound planet could support life

Don — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:46:00 GMT

Naming the newfound planet Gaia sounds pretty Gai to me.

Newfound planet could support life

GARRETT SPENCER,SPOKANE,WA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:46:25 GMT

HEY,I THINK IT'S GREAT TO DREAM AND HAVE A FAINT GLEAM OF FACT TO BACK UP THE DEBATE ABOUT HUMAN SUPPORTING PLANETS. BOOK ME THE FIRST FLIGHT.

Newfound planet could support life

Guy S. Newell — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:47:15 GMT

This latest discovery changes the statistics. It means that there are probably tens of thousands of rocky, earth-like planets in the habitable zone within our galaxy. The question is: How can we keep the pilots sober long enough to get to one of them?

Newfound planet could support life

Astra Meili — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:48:18 GMT

Jethris, have a little imagination, would you? The outer-space ancestors she mentions might be molecular, or any other, not entirely a developed organism. For the future, we can strive to make it a reality to travel to these distant worlds and why not, migrate.

Newfound planet could support life

Gail San francisco, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:48:54 GMT

i hope they don't have oil on this planet

Newfound planet could support life

Jim P. , Chouteau, Ok. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:49:10 GMT

Sounds like a cool place, but it seams a bit far to take a vacation. Can you imagion the kids saying "are we there yet" for 41 years?

Newfound planet could support life

Bak Fitty, Centash — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:49:12 GMT

This is why I hate the CIA. They have all the latest cameras to give us close up pictures of those "people" on this new planet, and what they do? They say nothing, keep us in suspense. :-)Maybe I'll tell the MERSH to help. via 007. :DD

Newfound planet could support life

Eric — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:50:00 GMT

IF-you read the origin of earth described in the Book of Genesis, there is certainly a lot unsaid. I have always been intrigued by the concept of God creating earth(in 6 days or 6,000 human years),other planets and life forms, perhaps just as an experiment? Certainly an eternal being might get bored. As the complexities of the Universe and life are unfolded, the possibility of evolution causing it all becomes more doubtful. The existence of another planet that may support life makes the total picture very complex,intriguing, and a door for another round of debate.

Newfound planet could support life

Crober, W. Boylston, Ma — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:50:09 GMT

I have no problem with life existing on other planets, perhaps in other galaxy's, I do however have a problem with limiting life to "life as we know it". There are perhaps uncountable life forms existing in some form that is presently unknow to us.

Newfound planet could support life

Steven Martin, Highlands Ranch, Colorado — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:50:11 GMT

How can there not be life (as we know it or as we don't) out there? It's pretty naive AND conceited to think we are not alone. Out of the hundreds of millions of stars that we CAN SEE and the hundreds of billions (potentially) that we can't can't see, it is pretty much unfathomable that life does not exist other than here on this tiny planet on the edge of nowhere.

Newfound planet could support life

Dark Helmet — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:52:44 GMT

No no, Lightspeed's too slow... We're gonna have to go right to... LUDICROUS SPEED!!! GO!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Astra Meili — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:52:49 GMT

And Carl Cortez, (North Bruns, New Jersey).. yes, we can surely attempt to correct this world, but as the fate of each in the cosmos, it all comes to an end. To keep the evolution of our intelligence, we must migrate, just like within the countries of our planet, we must move forward. If we are content and satisfied with life as is, we will not evolve as a human race.

Newfound planet could support life

M. Hines — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:53:18 GMT

How many of you geeks are dressed up like Captain Kirk right now?

Newfound planet could support life

Twin, Ft. Pierce,Fl. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:53:54 GMT

Studies done on the human sleep cycle indicate a 25 hr daily cycle.(Individuals were deprived of the ability to tell time and fell in to a 25 hr. sleep wake cycle). Mars daily cycle. 25hrs.

Newfound planet could support life

C. David, Cincinnati, OH — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:54:06 GMT

Wow...all this venom & sillness over the discovery of something that might be there, or not. "There could be 10 Earthlike planets there, but we've just not detected them yet," Fischer said.
Calm down people...if this is how agitated y'all get over the possibility of a class M planet, imagine what we'll be like if one is reliably confirmed, let alone has life...we'd no longer be "alone" in the universe, and no longer "unique".
Some people can't handle driving, being without Britney 24/7, or living life w/o drugs...I don't think humanity is mature enough to understand something like this yet, as evidenced by some of the comments here.
While I agree with Carl Sagan: "We are star-stuff", it doesn't mean we're intelligent enough to handle it: “Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used”.

Newfound planet could support life

Jane Doe, HereandThere, Earth — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:55:07 GMT

Unfortunately, the human race is a damaging parasite to the our current world. Why not try to focus on saving our Earth now as oppose to finding a planet to dump more people to descrate? You can't expect the human race to have any more self control on a new planet when it comes to abusing natural resources, over populating fragile ecosystems, etc. especially on a planet we know so little about.
Great scientific discovery though, kudos!

Newfound planet could support life

Solaratov, Potosi, MO — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:55:33 GMT

The odds of life spontaneously appearing and evolving into humans is about the same as a tornado passing through a junkyard and assembling a complete 747.

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:55:46 GMT

Maybe if we built a REALLY tall ladder........

Newfound planet could support life

Chris — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:55:48 GMT

Are we talking sci-fi channel or actual collected data?

Or did you see that movie with the big face and the race of aliens that "Seeded Earth". HAHAHAHAHA

Newfound planet could support life

bloz, sylmar, ca. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:58:50 GMT

It takes more faith to believe in what a lot of you are presenting, then it does to believe in God

Newfound planet could support life

Reverend Billy Bob Gisher — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:59:17 GMT

Noel: light that is coming from an object 41 light years away takes 41 light years to get here, not less. This is the problem with those who say the universe has only been here for 5000-7000 years. We have light traveling to your eye tonight that set out from it's source billions of years ago. Big problem to explain away if you think the universe is only 5000 years old.

Newfound planet could support life

Todd, Billerica, MA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:59:28 GMT

Let's work on learning more about these planets before anyone books any flights there. hehe

We not only do not have the technology to get there, but we are no where near creating the technology.

Newfound planet could support life

jim — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:00:35 GMT

I think Kim has got it right. I just don't believe ten, twenty or more billion people can live here in anything like the way we do now. I think we'll starve or destroy our way of life. Some of us will likely survive in some primitive way, but our civilization is done for unless something changes drastically, and soon.

Newfound planet could support life

twentyfour7wv, Beckley, WV — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:01:22 GMT

Let's try fixing this planet before being in such a rush to go ruin another. The potential for life on other planets is interesting but is still in the realm of the fantastic. What is real is that we humans live on a planet that is in trouble, environmentally and socially and we have the obligation to to come together and work to find solutions through research in sustainable resources and through tolerance of one anothers beliefs, customs, and cultural mores. The clock is ticking and the time for responsiblity is now.

Newfound planet could support life

Dave, Little Rock, AR — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:01:30 GMT

Relativity for Noel -

I think you understand it OK. What we observe now is what is happening on the planet 41 years ago. If the planet was destroyed by a giant astroid 20 years ago, we'll see it in about 21 years!

Newfound planet could support life

Brad, Ramsey, NJ — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:02:02 GMT

I am excited. We will need a place like this when Cylons try to wipe out humanity... Nice!

Newfound planet could support life

Jim Spreidel, Yorba Linda, Ca — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:04:12 GMT

Osa Tan Se Qua. I believe Reily Martin explained that we are decendants of Nitonians and Reptilians brought to us by the mothership which is hidind behind Neptune awaiting to take us "believers" to Tarksitian.

Newfound planet could support life

Rich Mazure — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:04:58 GMT

Seriously, is all of this real? I thought you were all figments of my imagination!

Newfound planet could support life

Mike Pratt, Omaha, NE — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:05:06 GMT

Who was one of the first people that insisted the Earth was round ? Who collectively condemned such blasphemy and threatened the theorist with death ? Kitty may be on to something. Nothing wrong with creative thought. It was the Arabs who kept creative thought alive while the Middle Ages took us slowly and inexoribly back towards the Stone Age.
Go Kitty go.

Newfound planet could support life

Frank Glover Rochester, NY — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:06:13 GMT

"Don't get your hopes up. We will never get to these planets, as far away as they are."

Wrong. Some people insist we didn't even reach the Mooon, for that very reason. The answer to 'far away' is, as always, 'go faster.' (life-extension, suspension, relativistic time-dilation and patience will all help, too)

True, it won't be any time soon, but that's no excuse to not want to know. and every reason to do the best Earth (and near-Earth) based observations we can, until interstellar flight *is* a viable option.

"So that means we need to take care of our own planet and control our overpopulation."

No, it means we explore *and* take care of home. Humanity can walk and chew gum at the same time. There's nothing inherently mutually exclusive here.

Newfound planet could support life

Kalvin Kobra, Arizona — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:06:33 GMT

Jim P.

I wouldn't call it a story. Anyone with a knowledge of physics and a $500 telescope can find these planets themselves. Quite a few of the 300+ planets that have been discovered were found by ordinary guys like you and me. I just have better things to do with my time. I like astronomy and love my telescope, but I prefer just looking. These guys have to find a star and measure how it moves for days and days and days before they can be certain if any planets are orbiting around it. It's actually not that complicated if you read up on the subject a bit. The planets in our solar system causes our sun to "wobble" as it moves through our galaxy. They are just looking for other stars that do the same thing. No wobble, no planets. It's really that simple.

Newfound planet could support life

MDH, Sacramento California — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:06:38 GMT

All of you freaks need to put down the bong; move out of your parent's basement and pull your heads out of your arses! We did not come from outer space! Star Trek is not real-life! Barring some staggering breakthrough in propulsion (not to mention circumventing Einstein and Newton) we are going nowhere near these worlds anytime soon. Why go nuts over someplace you will never see? If you want to leave Earth so badly, kill yourselves! That's one way to reduce your carbon footprint you hippie nutjobs! Grow up!

Newfound planet could support life

Alex, Venice, Fl — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:08:50 GMT

Hey good comments so far, the fact that the universe is so vast out there it only leads me to think that there is intelligent life out there, how would we deal with it or it deal with us it could be the answer to our future existence.

Newfound planet could support life

Brent W Bremerton, WA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:09:17 GMT

41 light years is a distance measurement. Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles per SECOND (That's fast). For a comparisson, sound travels at about 770 MPH in our atmosphere, 4800 feet per second in the ocean. When we say "41 light years", we mean a distance equal to travelling at the speed of light for 41 years-a long way.
One thing to keep in mind, when you view something at a distance of 41 light years, you are seeing immages from 41 years ago, that is it took the light 41 years to reach your eyes. ust like when you watch a baseball game at a distance- you see the bat hit the ball and after a delay, you hear it. You are hearing something that happend one or so seconds ago.

Newfound planet could support life

twentyfour7wv, Beckley, WV — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:10:12 GMT

Most modern Christians believe in the evolutionary history of the creation of the physical world and of our animal, carbonic bodies, but we do accept of the existence of a spiritual component of the self, which cannot be scientifically proven or unproven. Most people who do not, often do so out of a desire to rid themselves of a sense of moral responsibility, and to justify a life of self centered indulgence without fear of consequence.

Newfound planet could support life

Joel, Houston Texas — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:10:32 GMT

If the big bang theory is correct, we are all made of stars. I refuse to believe that religion and science cant coexist. Just depends on how literally you translate the bible...

Newfound planet could support life

Harrisburg, PA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:10:57 GMT

Did you ever look around and wonder how we are all possible? How someone thought to give us all the body parts we have. How in the world did we create all this stuff we have? Someone very smart created us. Maybe it is "God" maybe "Alien". Maybe they are the same. Apparently God said he created us in his image. What would happen if an Alien came in a space ship and said here I am your Lord. No one would believe it because people have this fantasy vision of God and how he will look like a man.
Either way we have not met either. So I'm not going to make fun of anyone. I won't claim to have the answers. But I am full of questions. How do so many people believe in a God they have never seen and yet are not opened minded enough to believe that there is life on other planets? Why wouldn't there be life on other planets? What a waist of the universe.
It's time to wonder why we are really here and what the heck is going on outside our world. And stop mocking people because they haven't let the media, religion and the government keep them in the box.

Shell

Newfound planet could support life

Ed, Phoenix, AZ — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:11:55 GMT

Can anyone disprove Kitty?

Newfound planet could support life

Minky Wesley chapel, Fl — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:12:40 GMT

Even if there is possible life on these planets its impossible for us to travel there it would take more than a life time to get there and They couldnt provide enough food to get there and back, you could send a Robot or such but besides that theres no way to get there unless NASA Magically Created A Ship that could travel more than a lightyear and hour

Newfound planet could support life

C. Fitzgerald, Seattle, Wash — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:13:18 GMT

Assuming that you don't believe that the Earth was magically created, every element in your body comes from a collapsed star. So, at the most basic level, life originated from space.

Newfound planet could support life

Rod, Elkton MD. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:14:34 GMT

Responses:

Alan> They were referring to the "habitable zone", which could support Human life (in particular), and have ruled out (so far) the possibility that life could exist without the ability for water to exist continuously in a liquid form.

Noel> You don't need to see 41 light years away. Light is traveling towards us at the speed of light, and so when we look at a distant star we are seeing the light that left there, 41 years ago.

All> we would probably need to develop warp technology in order to travel to these planets, but based upon some research... this might not be entirely out of the question.... Venus doesn't only resemble the "future" of a "gobally warmed Earth"... it also resembles its greenhouse past... it could be... that it cools off... and we could live THERE in the future.

Primordial Soup... that's the next variety that Campbells Chunky is coming out with...

Newfound planet could support life

Timi, Seville, ohio — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:14:41 GMT

well... All the many technological advancements that appeared over night in ancient egypt might be a sign... or the fact that the ancient egyptions worship'd Ra, the powerful sun god that came down from the sky... many things in life are coincidental.. but when there are that many coincidence's one after another, something just seems out of place.

People are like sheep... they like to blindly be herded.

Newfound planet could support life

bubble, pasadena, texas — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:15:00 GMT

Hey MIND BOGGLE--a real tall ladder is a good idea but only if you are directly below the planet--i guess the guy in China would need a real long bunge cord--would be faster getting there & really faster getting back !!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Doc Morrison Oyster Bay NY — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:15:07 GMT

feeling that I am the result of millions of years of chemical refinement along with the influence of my planets climate changes to become the creature that is me. I can only conclude it is possible and very probable that life similar to me may exist on other planets like mine!

Newfound planet could support life

Mike N — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:15:48 GMT

What if we managed to get all the way there one day, just to discover the planet has an eternal summer with an average temperature of 120, or an eternal winter where it's only 36. We'd never last. It's one thing to discover a planet that will harbor "life", but it's far bigger longshot that it could harbor "us".

Plus, no Starbucks. Yet.

Mike N.

Newfound planet could support life

MTBigHead, Long Beach California — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:16:26 GMT

Anybody thinking of jumping on this new comet? :O)

Newfound planet could support life

Bible State (NC) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:16:52 GMT

Here's something to think about....! Everyone on this post will be DEAD including your children and their children children and their children children children.... Anyone here ever heard of facts. These are all assumptions. Scientist can't figure out what causes CANCER yet. And most of you believe there stories on another solar system. Geez...I'm glad I didn't go to your college. WAKE-UP...! And have these great scienctist to tell (US) if chocolate is bad or good for us. Or any other kind of food. These are all assumptions and not fact. At least there's evidence that Moses split the RED sea. Jesus walked on water. Prove to me with FACT that scientist created a human being from an oraganism on a metour. They can do cloning...they surely should be able to create a human out of organism.

Wake Up People!

Newfound planet could support life

Brent W Bremerton, WA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:17:37 GMT

Before we start getting too self important, remember that the "Singularity", the actual start of the big bang theory does not compute even to our own astronomers who believe in the big bang.
To me, it seems impossible to have a random explosion from nothing that created a seemingly infinite amount of matter.
I believe creation for that reason.

We just do not know.

Newfound planet could support life

Rich, Albuquerque, NM — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:18:56 GMT

This discovery may be a first step on the long road to colonization of other planets. I happen to agree with Stephen Hawking. He states that the destruction of our world, on a long enough timeline, is inevitable, be it through disease, war, pollution, etc. The only assurance for continued viability of the human race is colonization of another earthlike planet. Even if it takes generations to reach the planet, with existing technology, it will still be worth the trip.

Newfound planet could support life

dee haber — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:19:04 GMT

Jethris opened up a can of worms...

Newfound planet could support life

mike, DeRidder, Louisiana — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:19:20 GMT

Great point MDH from Sacramento.
But the entertainment value of this discussion has been great, better than comedy central. We'll certainly never get to another planet with these non-spelling fools here.
I personally like the idea of a really tall ladder, except I think it will need to be really, really, REALLY tall.

Newfound planet could support life

Don, Denver, CO — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:22:53 GMT

Now that we're finding planets regularly, and finding actual planetary systems, just the sheer odds of finding inhabitable planets seems extremely likely. I wonder if radio telescopes could be focused more precisely to detect any EMF signals on these identified planets?

Newfound planet could support life

Dennis A, Beaverton, Oregon — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:23:59 GMT

Why are some of you jumping on Jethris? I didn't see where he mentioned God or creationism. He just inferred he didn't think life on earth came from outer space.

Newfound planet could support life

thinkwithyourhead, Ottawa, Canada — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:25:53 GMT

ok for one... "out there" IS WHERE EARTH IS.. you just happen to be standing on THIS planet saying "out there"

second.. are we saying that we need to go to this other planet NOW?... or can we have some time to prepare ourselves first (i beleive it took several thousand years for people to get up the guts to travel to the "new world") ... this one is jsut farther away... if we were to begin a journey now.. we could get there in a generation or two.. and if your going to live there.. does it matter if it takes two generations of non earth births to finally get to a place that will ALSO be a place of non earth (and ALIEN) births?

and third ...
is not TRANSPERMIA" (seeding of life from another [planet or space)is a perfectly viable mode of "creating life" and in fact is quite an accepted THEORY ( stress on that word)

And finally my FINAL .. and most mind-opening point..

a. space is EVERYWHERE>. we are IN SPACE. OUT THERE is HERE.
b.there is no life in space... funny.. arent WE life in space? (ie on earth in space.. if your standing on mars than we are "out there"

and heres a doozy.... couldnt an alien species be so technologicly advanced that thier tech woudl seem liek magic (ie Godly powers).. (Think cargo cult theory)

Newfound planet could support life

Joe, Denver, CO — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:26:47 GMT

I have an idea... Let fix the Plannet that we are messing up in the first place! I think we need to start thinking about resale value befor we start gettgin excited about new real estate. Seriously, Another 50 trillion dollars wasted that could have gone to something worthwild.

Newfound planet could support life

Don, Denver, CO — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:26:48 GMT

Brent from Bremerton writes: "To me, it seems impossible to have a random explosion from nothing that created a seemingly infinite amount of matter. I believe creation for that reason."

So believing that GOD created a seemingly infinite amount of matter from nothing is OK?

Brother.

Newfound planet could support life

Jethris — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:26:49 GMT

Wow, I got alot of responses...

I did not include any religious ideas. I didn't say that a supreme being created the earth, or breathed life into man (Adam), or that we evolved from some primordial soup. However, those are the two most popular beliefs. The idea that life came from an asteriod is beyond most people's ideas of the origin of life on this planet.

I simply asked if that's what Kitty was stating.

Why did everyone else jump to attack creationism, while supporting something that goes against what is taught in schools across America??

Newfound planet could support life

SFJenna — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:28:08 GMT

I hope NASA will start to build a craft that will carry us there to colonize. Someday we will need another planet to live on to continue the human force.
May the force be with us all!

Newfound planet could support life

Crawdaddy, Houston, TX — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:31:42 GMT

Unbelievable! A simple wow or I can't wait to go there, turn into this :( .

Newfound planet could support life

Stainless, North, Idaho — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:31:55 GMT

Yes. I think that's exactly what she's saying. It very well could be true. It's all speculation for the most part, but isn't that what religion is also? The belief in something that can't be proven?

Newfound planet could support life

Tom Hamilton — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:32:47 GMT

As far as seeing back 41 light years, astronomers measure the INCOMING light in a variety of ways---dont ask me, ask them !!!!! We know for instance that our own sun's rays take about 8 minutes of travel through space to reach our eyes. Even light takes awhile when travelling 93 million miles !!!!! Here is a great plug for Astronomy Magazine, which I subscribe to. Get it !!!!! 50 billion galaxies in the observable universe and we are just getting underway !!!!!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Linda, Platte, South Dakota. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:33:10 GMT

I think that this is a definite possibility.
There probably arent alien life forms, but we can't be the center of the universe...
there are bound to be other universes just like ours.

Newfound planet could support life

Don, Denver, CO — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:33:11 GMT

"Why go nuts over someplace you will never see? If you want to leave Earth so badly, kill yourselves! That's one way to reduce your carbon footprint you hippie nutjobs! Grow up!"

Jeez, MDH, who peed in your Wheaties? What's wrong with a little harmless speculation and wonder?

Newfound planet could support life

Brian Thompson, Panama city, Florida — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:35:24 GMT

Amazing they can find a planet tell you if its a gas giant or not also its size and how far it is from its own sun. Yet they can't find 1 bearded guy hiding in the mountains on the same planet they live on.

Newfound planet could support life

SFJenna, San francisco, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:36:07 GMT

Beam me up Scotty!

Newfound planet could support life

Jen Milwaukee, WI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:38:24 GMT

Science should be pure of religion. When you start adding it in, it mucks up any new discovery. Next thing you know, the new planet will have a creation story and mythology to support it. A new planet does give a little hope for the existence of life outside our planet, but we need to focus on saving our planet before we get all giddy about a new one.

Newfound planet could support life

awesomeGod :] — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:38:39 GMT

this is my theory i think we were put here by an alien race much more advanced than us, like kitty courts said our ancestors , we are still evolving and growing with science , our ancestors the ones that visit us are already advanced they seeded us here and are watching us develop. we are still so far behind.
sodom and gommorah tampa fl (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 4:14 PM)

well, sodom, not to put religion into this, but we were created by God. I'm christian, you should look into the religion. It explains everything about science, and answers all of your questions about evolution. [...]

Newfound planet could support life

Jefro3000 — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:39:20 GMT

Noel,

You don't get the information before 41 years. The light we are seeing is 41 years old (give or take some gravitational effects along the way).

Newfound planet could support life

SFJenna, San francisco, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:39:29 GMT

I bet Starbucks will get in the deal somehow to go to this new planet!

Newfound planet could support life

MrZ, Sedona, AZ — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:39:48 GMT

Faster than light travel is possible, we just haven't figured it out yet. To base all physical theory on one man (Einstein) is a little rediculous. I'm sure in the next 50 years we'll figure something out. As to the aliens, well...that's a whole other ball of wax. Aren't they supposed to be making a "house call" in 2012?

Newfound planet could support life

jim taylor,benton,il. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:42:18 GMT

Billy Bob Gisher,you also have no adequate proof that she is mistaken. All beliefs are just that without solid proof, a belief.

Newfound planet could support life

SFJenna, San francisco, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:45:05 GMT

MrZ, who knows if it is aliens coming in 2012 or a big asteroid! It's interesting that the Mayan calendar and Nostradomus come up with that same year....

Newfound planet could support life

Wayne, Alamogordo, NM — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:45:09 GMT

Allen, I thoroughly enjoy your column for what it's intended for, to stimulate the mind. I don't appreciate the nasty tone a lot of people use however when they blog. Having different opinions and beliefs is what makes the human race so great. It would be pretty boring if we didn't. Having said that, the prospect on life on other planets in far away solar systems is really something to ponder about. It's the what ifs in life that make life so interesting.

Newfound planet could support life

JC — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:45:22 GMT

Noel Garcia asks "How do you see 41 light years away? I do not understand how you get the information back before 41 years. I did not understand relativity very well in school. Please help."
Answer: We don't have to wait 41 years to get information back, because we didn't send the light there to begin with. Howerver, what we are seeing is actually light that began its journey 41 years ago, so we are looking at that solar system's "past", as it were. Hope this makes sense :)

Newfound planet could support life

Brandon Grove, Fargo ND — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:46:01 GMT

I know that there is a GOD. So this is for people who don't believe and who do. Don't be alarmed. God never, and i repeat NEVER said the earth would EXPLODE so (if) we think that is true then great. God will take us out intime. The RAPTURE. and then 14 yrs after that, then he can make the earth explode. So there will be no reason why we should have to know that there is another planet out there, I know that it is fun to think that the earth will explode. So think as you will. Ok back to the main subject. I love astronomy and i think it would be cool to know there is other (peopleish things) somewhere in this universe. But how big is the universe? If we can tell that there is another planet that can support life, why can't we tell how big this universe is? If u have any ideas feel free to email me at...

sportsrock116@hotmail.com
but wait. so i know what you are talking about have the subject box say Newfound planet support life? something like that thanks for the advise.

i hope people will emailme to talk about it.

and by the way my birthday is today!!!!

tell me happy birthday Nov. 6th thanks

Newfound planet could support life

Rolfe Hunt, Bainbridge, GA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:47:48 GMT

Fundamentally, life requires self-replication and sustainable thermodynamics. "Earthlike" is not the only possibility for life to exist.

Newfound planet could support life

JD — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:48:25 GMT

I wouldn't jump to conclusions as to whether this planet would support life or not. We really aren't sure as to how life originated on the earth let alone a planet that is far away. There is more needed to SUSTAIN life on a planet than just water; you need a magnetosphere, enormous amounts of various elements, etc. There is nothing earthshattering here.

Newfound planet could support life

jim taylor,benton,il. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:48:52 GMT

PLEASE UNDRESTAND A LIGHT YEAR IS NOT ONE YEAR. A LIGHT YEAR IS THE DISTANCE LIGHT TRAVELS IN ONE YEAR.

Newfound planet could support life

Ripley Ridley, Lunar Module, Nevada — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:49:16 GMT

I think the aliens that "seeded" our race probably looked like the ones in the "Alien" series of movies. This explains the viciousness and wars that exist today.
I wish we could have been seeded by pacifists.

Newfound planet could support life

Da — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:49:28 GMT

Life came from somewhere, most likely. There is a lot we just don't understand about life. That's OK though.
Where did we come from, what is the purpose, why do we exist.
I guess some things you don't need to question too critically all the time.
I agree with some of the previous posters that we were seeded here be another civilization.
Some times I think we are just advanced organics computers!

Newfound planet could support life

Cory,Ogden Utah — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:53:02 GMT

What kitty is refering to is writings of Sumerians. And their understanding of the universe long before we explored the unknown with telescopes. Books written by "Zecharia Sitchin" will help. Kitty also makes a hidden point of a tribe in Africa the Gondons, who scientist and other various reasearchers have discovered wrote about an alien race that came here 3,600 years ago from the planet Nibiru. The Gondons wrote about all of our planets, and ones we are only discovering do to the Gondons precise measurments of where they should be. see youtube video "Nibiru approaching" or google "NSD 42" video. These will bring you further into what kitty is saying, that the Anunnaki, from the planet Nibiru, will return in the year 2012. The Gondons wrote these texts thousands of years ago. see for yourself. Also discover through google and youtube why the Vatican built thier own observatory. Also if you search Vatican observatory, the NSG 42 video pops up. Hmmm? A memo wich I won't refer to here is floating around. In the memo an individual within the church is putting together a plan to help tell the world, that we have been in contact with other races for some time. Read "The Sirus Mystery" by Robert Temple, All one has to do is check.
'for those who know'

Newfound planet could support life

balula, San Diego, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:53:24 GMT

Interesting that a story on the discovery of a planet believed to be in a similar orbit to our own planet turns into an argument about religion...

Religion and science can co-exist quite peacefully is people got over the extremist views on either side. If you can get yourself to think about God as something more than some half-naked dude floating in the clouds, then you can start to realize that God is in everything, including the creation of the universe.

In that sense, life on Earth did originate from outer space because Earth itself was created from that outer space, and was continually bombarded by meteors which brought in both water and the components of life. That means God did create life on Earth, just as it's likely God created life on other planets as well. Science merely explains how God's design works.

Newfound planet could support life

Demitri, Gilbert, AZZ — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:53:34 GMT

I've lived in ScoZdale...the only form of life there is silicon based (I kid, I kid). Remember, the obvious is always true. We can't comprehend "God", there are other forms of life in all enormity, and reality TV does suck.

Newfound planet could support life

Paul N., Manchester, CT — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:54:12 GMT

I think what Kitty's very pertinent statement specifically implied is not speaking about E.T. life elsewhere at all. She is talking about theoretical colonization. Say, if a few volunteers (volunteered), albeit making sure there were both males and females and these folks committed to traveling to a (new Earth) then this could guarantee "humanity" survives in case something happens to our own Earth. It would be a huge commitment by these folks since even with the fastest future space travel vehicles it still would take one of us way past our lifetimes just to reach the closest Star to Earth in our own Galaxy....a full 4 Light years, traveling at the speed of light for 4 years. How many human years would that take even at 100K miles an hour? A million years, give or take? Just to reach our closest neighboring "star's" solar system?
Maybe if we were frozen for a long nap.
But Kitty's thought is intriguing nonetheless.

Newfound planet could support life

Dennis A, Beaverton, Oregon — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:54:34 GMT

Reverand Billy Bob
A light year is the distance light travels in a vacuum in one year. If light takes 41 years to get from point A to Point B (earth), then it is 41 light years away, meaning the light left point A 41 years ago and has nothing to do with the age of the universe except that it indicates the universe is at least 41 years old. Other data would suggest that the universe is billions of years old.

Newfound planet could support life

SFJenna, San Francisco, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:59:46 GMT

who knows... There may even be an alien from another planet on these comments somewhere!

Newfound planet could support life

brandon, Fargo ND — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:59:46 GMT

I don't think we have the technology to really know if the other world can contain life

email if u have any different
sportsrock116@hotmail.com
Thanks

Newfound planet could support life

Sally Sue, San Diego, CA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:59:50 GMT

This is great and all, but it's not a viable option. Assuming we created a spacecraft that could travel at the speed of light (which I find highly unlikely, the travelers would be long dead before they arrived 41 years later. If you gave birth on the rocket, your child would be 41 when you arrived. Also, would you really want to give up 41 years of your life on a rocket, for the remote chance of someday making it? No thanks.

Newfound planet could support life

Kenneth Wilhelmy B.C. Nv. 89005 — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:00:29 GMT

What a special discovery! To believe that one day we'll be saying "earth one - earth two, acknowledge please!! We'll be needing of you some of your natural resources. As you realize, we're damn near out!!

Newfound planet could support life

justthefacts — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:00:37 GMT

Look up the Drake equation in Wikipedia - you can calculate the chances of life elsewhere in the universe by plugging in your own numbers....from very conservative to very generous. Of course, intelligent/advanced life forms are going to be fewer and further between. Still and all, with a calculated diameter of 151 billion light years and more than 100 billion galaxies (each with hundreds of billions of stars) you're going to find other intelligent life out there somewhere in the known universe. And then there's the added possibility of other dimensions and multiple universes. All in all, pretty mind-boggling. Imagine what we might know in 100 years if we manage to survive ourselves!!

Newfound planet could support life

Jim Martin, Oklahoma City, OK — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:02:46 GMT

The most current 'multiple-universe' theories allow travel back and forth from areas with different physics from ours, possibly, or better, theoretically, diffent types of life that could just put us here. Don't believe it myself, but it is possible.

Newfound planet could support life

Dave,Las Cruces,NM — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:03:07 GMT

Don't any of you wonder about how big the universe is? Just imagine if you could fly around like the crew of the starship Enterprise and never see the horizon. WOW! Maybe that is what happens to our energy when we die? Maybe we are able to travel at the speed of light forever. That would be heaven to me, not living in some imaginary world with the likes of Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, et al, bowing down to some great and powerful deity. Energy never disappears, it just converts.

Newfound planet could support life

Brank, New York, New York — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:03:11 GMT

Noel, 41 light years means that the light left the planet 41 years ago and just arrived here on earth. What we're seeing happened on that or to that particular planet 41 years ago. Whatever is happening now, we will see in 2048. Maybe the the planet will be destroyed by aliens or a vicious spiteful God. Who knows, only time will tell.

Newfound planet could support life

Janet — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:03:33 GMT

wow everyone is getting way too excited over kitty... yes that is a strange comment she made... but I'm more laughing at all of your comments.

Newfound planet could support life

Laura, Cary, NC — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:04:59 GMT

I'm with the guy that thinks defining life as simply an oxygen breathing, carbon based life forms is simplistic. They are growing the sulphur "breathing" life-forms in high pressure reactors now. This is probably what's happening out there, making the pressence of water and an atmosphere of oxygen based air unneccesary for "life".

Newfound planet could support life

Mike Hillhouse, Oceanside, Ca. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:08:45 GMT

It makes me laugh out loud, when I read the comically ignorant comments of folks who believe only in theology, and not the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. Why is it so far-fetched to thik that evolution here on earth started with microorganisms from meteors? Why is it easier to believe that a man can walk on water, but not come from another planet? Where's the proof of God? We need to keep our minds open, and keep on exploring.

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:10:19 GMT

Maybe I could "Launch" my ladder from Area 51.... THAT would be fitting....no?

Newfound planet could support life

Dave,Las Cruces,NM — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:10:20 GMT

A light year is one year that nothing heavy happens to you.

Newfound planet could support life

Eamonn, Canada — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:11:28 GMT

To Noel.

When we look at an object that is 41 light years away, we are actually seeing the light that left the object 41 years ago. Light travels at a speed of 299,792 Km/sec, so, over great distances, it actually takes a while to get there.

Think of when you see someone fire a gun at a distance. You see the smoke first, then you hear the bang. Because sound travels slower. When you are talking to someone face-to-face it appears that sounds move instantaneously, but in fact over a larger distance you can see that it has a travel time. Over a much larger distance you can see that light also has a travel time.

Newfound planet could support life

Astrochronic — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:11:48 GMT

wow why does this kind of science bring out all the nut jobs?

Life on Earth originated on Earth. Evolution IS Intellegent Design. God is energy and Causality is God's Will. End of story.

To answer the question about 41 light years posed by Noel: 41 light years just means it took 41 years for the light we can see to have gotten here. If you want to see light that is further back in time from that source, you would have to travel by worm hole to a distance equal to the number of light years you want to look back to. If you could effectively keep the worm hole open while extending its length you could concievably look further and further back in time, and by manipulating the length, you could "focus" on a moment or fast forward or reverse the imagery.

Newfound planet could support life

Irate in the USA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:12:11 GMT

I think we ought to send an unmanned probe with a message saying "Come and get us (Save Us!). But our luck, it'll probably be populated with clones of of Bush & Chenneys, heaven help us!!

Newfound planet could support life

Ruby — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:12:52 GMT

poor kitty... everyone is picking on her. (not that I don't think her comment was a little odd but that's her kick not mine. I personally believe in God and him creating us but that's my opinion not everyone else's. And no I don't have proof so don't get all huffy about it.)

If we could EVER get there (maybe my great great grandkids) whose to say that we won't treat the same horrible way we are treating our own planet. Why don't we just try to save what we have... what's left of it.

Newfound planet could support life

Sirius Jim, Vero Beach, FL — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:13:02 GMT

Noel -
Very good question - and you already arrived at the right answer.

The light that we see from the 55 Cancri system today, left there 41 years ago.

According to Einstein, you CAN'T exchange any information with any hypothetical beings inhabiting this newly discovered planet in less than 82 years: 41 years for the outbound message and 41 years for the response (assuming that there's anyone there listening)

This doesn't make communication impossible, just very tedious. Worth trying, though, I think.

Newfound planet could support life

Charles, Detroit, MI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:14:10 GMT

Reading these comments is very depressing. Not the news of the newly discovered planet, but the complete lack of science knowledge found here. For example, the science evidence, as it develops, points more and more toward a creator. Spend about four hours out of your life researching the subject and it will save you from typing hundreds of embarrassingly naive comments such as above.

Newfound planet could support life

Jake ,Flint ,MI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:14:30 GMT

FASCINATING

Newfound planet could support life

Jim, Farmington, NM — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:15:06 GMT

Just read an article on how we are populating space with microbes that are on our explorers and probes we are sending out there. Maybe some other species sent a probe to earth long ago and that is how life here started?

Newfound planet could support life

Astrochronic — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:18:05 GMT

Alan asked: "I assume that the "life zone" being discussed is the liquid water life zone. Or are these researchers also considering the possibilities of life on worlds with liquid ammonia, methane, or hydrogen fluoride?"

Good question. They are only talking about liquid water. Scientists are characteristicly lacking in imagination. I was a little kid when I assumed galaxies all had black holes in the center. It was years later when "scientists" finally figured it out. I was dumbfounded. I already knew that somehow. What a big surprize it was... They need imperical data to construct their theories from. As of yet it seems imaginable that life might not require only liquid water. But so far scientists only have one example so thats what they build from.

Newfound planet could support life

Rich, Madison WI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:19:37 GMT

"Question:
How do you see 41 light years away? I do not understand how you get the information back before 41 years. I did not understand relativity very well in school. Please help.

Thank You"

The images People are measuring are 41 years old by the time they hit the instruments.

The light was generated in the other solar system, and it took 41 years to get to earth. We are measuring those wobbles on the back end.

Anything happening in that solar system as you read this will not reach our solar system (to be measured) for another 41 years.

The 18 years of measurements they took from 1989--2007 are measurements of what was happening in that system during 1948--1966.

Hope that explains it.

Newfound planet could support life

John Doe, Gias, Cancri — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:21:29 GMT

Talk about a bunch of armchair astrophysicists...I wonder if any of the commentors even has a science degree??

Newfound planet could support life

Space_tyrant — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:28:50 GMT

WOW, you folks are catty. Especially the quick on the offensive religious types. Kinda gotta wonder though...if god did create earth, why didn't his little instruction manual mention it's 2400 times bigger cousin, or any other planets not visible to the naked eye, or the other galaxies, or anything else RELEVANT to astronomy? Morals do not require religioun to be validated. Though religioun seems to require morals to validate itself...cut out the middleman. TAKE BACK YOUR BRAINS YOU HOPELESS SHEEP!

Newfound planet could support life

mdavistx, Fort Worth, Texas — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:29:57 GMT

C. David said it best. You that think that we are unique are arrogant idiots. As far a you Bible folks go, realize once and for all that the Bible was written by men and what they wrote was based on their perceptions of what was the truth. Some of the truths way back 2000 years ago may not be the truths today. Geez.

Newfound planet could support life

Kent, Tacoma, WA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:30:04 GMT

Barring some staggering breakthrough in propulsion (not to mention circumventing Einstein and Newton) we are going nowhere near these worlds anytime soon.

I would suggest putting down the high school text book and learn what Einstien's theory states and has been proven out so far. The bending or "Warping" of space time is a given in relitivity. We have yet to figure it out in a useful application for travel, however its effects are observable every day.

Newfound planet could support life

Al — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:30:39 GMT

I really don't care about it. Just enough to tell you that I will not see it in my lifetime, and that I care more about potato chips and pencils. It's nice to know though...like the earth will not blow up in 2 but 4 billion years kind of news. Useless but intriguing.

Newfound planet could support life

Anthony, Florida — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:34:02 GMT

Everyone needs to remember this though, if we do ever make contact with other life forms, and we are confronted with an opportunity to prevail the word of Jesus. You must pray and ask at that very moment to GOD; did Jesus die for there sins too? We are guarded here for a reason people, and no matter how bad the world is, we as one coming together are all born innocent, and do have the holy spirit...Do they?????

Newfound planet could support life

Wil Kerain, Milwaukee, WI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:34:02 GMT

Regardless of the topic, I always enjoy reading the comments of self-assured, true believers.

So many comments here are full of absolutes that are only absolute given the current level of understanding we, as a species, have acquired.

Man will never go to space: proven wrong in the 1960's
Man will never fly faster than sound: proven wrong in the 1950's
Man will never fly, period: proven wrong in the 1910's
The Earth is the center of the universe: proven wrong hundred' of years ago
The Earth is flat and the stars are pin holes in the curtain of night: proven wrong hundreds of years ago.
Ug lug nook (Man will never control fire): proven wrong 1,000s of years ago

P.S. The only empirical difference between Religion and Mythology is the number of current practitioners!

Newfound planet could support life

John T. Mendocino California — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:35:08 GMT

Has everyone forgot the Big Bang theory? it is in Genesis 1 vs.3

Newfound planet could support life

Anthony, Florida — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:36:52 GMT

Everyone needs to remember this though, if we do ever make contact with other life forms, and we are confronted with an opportunity to prevail the word of Jesus. You must pray and ask at that very moment to GOD; did Jesus die for their sins too? We are guarded here for a reason people, and no matter how bad the world is, we as one coming together are all born innocent, and do have the holy spirit...Do they?????

Newfound planet could support life

Keith Mesa,AZ — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:37:15 GMT

Such a bunch of nonsense! You Christians who don't read your own bible and you science believers who don't think you are a religion! Let's kick this into gear.

Christians - the bible says in the old testament "Worlds without number have I created" and in the new testament "other sheep I have" If you truly believe in god and the bible being true then by that simple virtue there has to be life on other planets. To say there is no life on other planets is like the europeans of old saying the world is flat. If you are so conceited in your beliefs to think that god could only love those of us on this one insignificant speck of dirt in the wide universe then you have some major issues that really need to be reexamined. Go talk to your pastor and get some clarification if he doesn't think there is life on other worlds then find somewhere else to worship cause he's wrong too.

Scientists- by the very nature of what you hold dear that science has all the answers and questions. If you for one instant actually believe Darwin and every other person who has speculated that we come from evolution then it would be completely inconceivable to think that ours is the only system in the universe that has been able to support life as we now know it to be. If science is just now finding that there is another planet which may be able to have life on it then all they are doing is confirming the theory and proving that evolution was right all along.

[...] It is very plain and simple, either way you look at it there is life out there. The only way would be if you were so naive to think that there are no other planets out there (proven) or any other stars out there (proven again) that could have a system of worlds revolving around them. That kind of thinking belongs in the dark ages where all the rest of those theories belong.

Personally I do believe in God and no I don't know exactly how this earth or the universe for that matter were created. If I'm right I will have one long question and answer session with him when I get there. If I am wrong then may the rot from my decomposing body spawn off the next species that can live in space and get to the other planets that so assuredly exist and they can end this pointless debate. Who knows, maybe God was the finger in the swamp stirring things up so that life would exist and Adam and Eve were just the first two cave people with conscious thought (I think therefore I am) We unfortunately will not know for 100% until/unless we get to talk to someone who was there for the whole thing.

Newfound planet could support life

donnie cincinnati Ohio — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:37:36 GMT

Wow, I find it amazing how many people made comments about what Kitty had to say. Its as if they have the answers to the orgin of human life and the truth of the matter is no theory can be confirmed or denied. If you are one to believe in God, heaven and hell you would have to agree that the most common believe is that not even heaven is on earth therefore Kitty's theory isn't as far off from your own.

Newfound planet could support life

Shawn Hyde, Rochester, MN — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:37:51 GMT

To bad it's so far away... Never in our lifetime will we be able to travel that far.

Newfound planet could support life

kenneth tyler tx — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:38:13 GMT

speaking from a christian's point of view.some of you are right. life did come from outer space so to speak. asteroids hitting one another over a period of time and the cosmic boom. what would you say 100 or 200 trillion years. god is always and will be. he is the beginning and the end.alpha and omega. CAN ANY OF YOU TELL ME HOW LONG GODS DAYS AND NIGHTS WERE. NO U CANT. JOHN 3:16

Newfound planet could support life

Derek, Honolulu, HI — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:39:48 GMT

Noel, to answer your question-When you look up at the night sky and see all of those stars, the light you are seeing is actually several years old. A light year (as a measurement of distance) is the distance light will travel in one year. So if you were looking at a star one night that was 50 light years away, and suddenly you saw it explode, that explosion would have actually happened 50 years ago. I hope that helps. And by the way, the light from our sun is about 8 minutes old when it reaches the Earth.

Newfound planet could support life

Draco, Post Falls, ID — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:39:57 GMT

Sad thing is that you all are arguing about something that is so much bigger than EVERYTHING WE KNOW NOW. We have solid proof of nothing. People used to think the world was flat.. They were wrong. Then they thought we were the center of the universe.. They were wrong.. They have predicted Ice ages and the end of the world at 2000. Only ignorant fools create limits when there is endless possiblities!!

Newfound planet could support life

Bob Smith — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:41:56 GMT

As soon as NASA and the publicly funded telescope people identify every...EVERY...potential earth crossing orbit....then I want to hear about all the other interesting projects. Otherwise...they'll discover another potential life giving planet....just as ours is being destroyed...

Newfound planet could support life

Kevin, Morganton, North Carolina — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:43:39 GMT

Everyone is entitled to his or her own beliefs. Who are we to ridicule those beliefs, whether in Creationism or Genesis or even the seeding of life on Earth by alien visitors. We must all keep an open mind in this situation. Right now all the evidence for any of these beliefs are circumstantial. The only way to get positive proof is to go out among the stars and seek it for ourselves or sit on our buts and wait for it to come to us. As far as I am concerned, my curiosity wins out; I opt for going out and searching for the proof. Unfortunatly we are not technoligically advanced enough (YET!) for that. So for now, "To each his own", "Live and let live", and so forth and so on.

Newfound planet could support life

Zog — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:44:01 GMT

*NEWS FLASH*..."habitable planet found in 'Goldilocks Zone'. Everyone is so excited, at last a new eden to call our own after buggering this one up." (Now, lets zip ahead 41 light years.) *NEWS FLASH*....."Exodus has now reached 'Earth Two' and it's lovely just like home, shall set up shop and send for y'all in a few weeks. Just gotta spring clean the planet of some space flotsum we call 'Earthling Pancake'.....it is a nuisance that sticks to the bottom of our shoes, it sure don't look like no life so no worries there. Another small step for Zogkind......Kirk out" PS....Bring more fishing poles.....

Newfound planet could support life

Chris, vernon, BC — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:44:32 GMT

im going to verify some questions for some of you. while yes in space it would be most difficult for one of us to survive, barring that you had a space suit, it is entirely different for microbial life as they have shown that they can go to the moon and come back and then thrive, and are definition of life is a little too narrow , who's to say that there are no space living life forms who we can't see dye to technological limitations. and even the way of getting to these places has been solved by... you guessed it. ___STARTREK___ and the warp drive. while yes it is impossible to currently travel faster than light it is possible to move faster than light relatively without actualy moving, have i lost you? well, i'll explain . if you are able to shrink the space in front of you as well as expand the space behind you the natural course of event will push the space that you ocuppy forward till the difference is negated. now if you can do this for more than a second you have warp travel , the only problem at the moment is the only machine capable of doing this resides in a football stadium sized building and can only do it on a very small scale , so it's not very spaceworthy

Newfound planet could support life

T. Adams — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:44:37 GMT

First of al if there is life somewhere, it is likely to be more like bacteria or fungis... The right conditions or "mix" for life alone is daunting not alone to assume a similar complex evolution (if you absorb such things). Expecting to see ET anytime soon, well try tossing in some mathmatics with your biology every now and then.

Newfound planet could support life

John, Idaho Falls, ID — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:45:12 GMT

I love it. Postulation backed up with hypothesis. Suggestions to the theory that we began as accidental bugs on a frozen, atmosphereless rock flying through space being either more or less plausible than God creating us. This is a great cartoon!

Newfound planet could support life

T. Adams — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:46:57 GMT

Noel, What we see 41 light years away is really how it looked 41 years ago.... It is like looking into the past, only, it is like a delayed sound from a loud noise far away....

Newfound planet could support life

John Turner — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:47:40 GMT

The Search for Earth-like planets - Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like we have about five million years to figure all this out, which is the predicted end-of-life for our sun. Someone said in here that we will never get there, it's too far. I think somehow we will. I do not see the end of man just because autumn has arrived in our solar system.

Kitty - Someone said that they took her comments to be in reference to the early ancestral explorers moving from continent to continent. This is how I took it as well.

Alone? - I agree that it seems improbable that given the known possibilities with the elemental building blocks of our universe, that in all the vastness of space there were no other life forms. I have difficulty envisioning intelligent life from another planet though. I look at all of the known forms of life now, and that quality that is unique for us, intelligence, seems to be an abberation. Will we be able to "communicate" with the aliens? Do deer communicate in the forest, or fish in the sea? How about the trees? Will we have ears for an alien tounge? Ego alone could blind and deafen man to alien art and song. We are merely a part of a greater whole.

Did we come from outer space? Yes. We live there.

Newfound planet could support life

Bob Smith — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:49:03 GMT

...that's asteroids,etc...of course. Every tax paying or concerned citizen should insist that once these scientists...the ones who need our dollars have eliminated the potential danger...eat their vegetables...then they can have dessert. Just my opinion.

Newfound planet could support life

T. Adams — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:51:17 GMT

Colin, no proof of all 100% events, however, there is enough historical evidence supporting the Bible from historical events to give credibility to the source… You cannot say the Bible is a story as if written by one man. If you do not believe the supernatural part, you must accept that much of the bible is historically accurate. At the very least you must concede it is a mix of fact and fiction. It is a remarkable book whether or not you believe.

Newfound planet could support life

John Doe, Seattle, Wash. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:51:20 GMT

The Bible is a "guide" to biblical times after Creation by God.

Newfound planet could support life

Justin, Alamogordo, NM — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:55:22 GMT

We could have come as a virus to Earth, or even a prison colony. Maybe even a germ or microbe that was on a ship exploring the universe. Somewhat, how Earth microbes may have contaminated parts of the moon and space when the Apollo missions were going on.

Just a thought I've had for a while.

Newfound planet could support life

RunningBull, Successville, IA — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:55:44 GMT

It's turtles, all the way down.

Newfound planet could support life

justthefacts — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:57:46 GMT

Actually Charles, as cosmology develops, creationism & the concept of Intelligent Design diminishes, and is replaced by more logical explanations - see Occam's Razor.

An idea ironically discovered by an English monk with a scientific (inquiring) mind in the 14th century, this postulates that the simplest explanation is almost invariably the best and most complete explanation to any problem. Intelligent Design is not the simplest or most logical explanation as to why the Big Bang occurred for example .... and is in fact an explanation of cosmic emergence that was devised to support the contention that the presence of life, or more specifically, human life, is central to that creation.

According to astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, attributing purpose to the creation of the universe, eg. as a way of making the 'end goal' of human life possible - reveals that Intelligent Design is a teleology (an explanation after the fact that bolsters certain beliefs) and therefore suspect as a valid explanation as to why and how we may be here asking the question!!

Naturally it also has religious overtones, which most scientists try to avoid in the course of developing theoretical paradigms and experimental designs that can be replicated by other scientists.

Religion is based on faith rather than scientific proofs.

Newfound planet could support life

DH Rockford, IL — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:59:39 GMT

Does anyone else think that when we envision other intelligent species we automatically jump to the conclusion that they are somehow better or more moral than we are? It seems we have a really bad self image. I think it would be something if we found other beings and they were more screwed up than us. Then we could stop hating ourselves.

Newfound planet could support life

snoreboy — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:22 GMT

Prove it.
If you wish to make a statement, either for or against the idea of where the human race came from; prove it.
Until it can be proven 100% one way or another, there is nothing wrong with having an open mind.
After all, it isn't like science hasn't been wrong in the past. Yeh the Earth is totally the centre of the universe... NOT!
I love science and I love Astronomy, but one must have an open mind. Science is about making an observation on a pattern and thinking what this could mean. However, we are only observing that one pattern under a set situation. What if there is a different pattern under a different situation? Is it the same or is it different. Instead of closing one self to what is, open one self to what maybe.

Newfound planet could support life

Keith Mesa,AZ — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:30 GMT

"That's it Screw you guys I'm going home"-Eric Cartmen
"NO KITTY my pot pie" - Eric Cartmen
Why don't we talk about something more important like how in the world are the Cardnals ever going to get to the super bowl except thru buying tickets to see it while sitting in the stadium?
I believe John Turner has the answer "Did we come from outer space? Yes. We live there." End of story thanks John

Newfound planet could support life

Snoreoy — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:04:44 GMT

In regards to:
How do you see 41 light years away? I do not understand how you get the information back before 41 years. I did not understand relativity very well in school. Please help.

We are not getting the information back before 41 years. We are seeing the light of what happened 41 years ago. Astronomy is looking at what occurred years ago, not what is occurring right now. :) What we are seeing now, occurred 41 years ago when our parents where younger. :) It just takes 41 years before it reaches us to see it. :)

Newfound planet could support life

Aztec, San Antonio, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:05:16 GMT

It's interesting to note that Mormons believe that God was once a man who lived on another planet, became exalted to godhood, and now creates spirit beings who exist in the heavens before being born here on earth; Mormons can do the same thing if they also become exalted, i.e., populate other planets. Mitt Romney would ascribe to that type of thinking. Just some interesting info (I was born in Utah but am not Mormon).

Newfound planet could support life

John Great Falls Montana — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:06:40 GMT

We need to stop wasting our time, money and resources trying to discover other planets, solar systems, life, etc... We need to discover our own planet and get out and explore the world in which you and I live on. Most people don't even know their next door neighbors. What makes you think people are interested in all this space stuff anyway...very few people are because they know too that it's a big waste of time. We won't even be here in 20 years!

Newfound planet could support life

David in Hesperia, Calif. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:06:47 GMT

It's about time they found an earth-like planet out there. This is one small planet in a small solar system of millions in this galaxy. This Galaxy, the Milky Way, is one of millions and millions in this universe...
Anybody ever think in terms of mathematical odds? There should be quite a few out there that are habitable for humans. Sheesh....

Newfound planet could support life

brian T. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:07:16 GMT

Warm up the warp drive and beam me the heck up Scotty!

Newfound planet could support life

Running Fart, San Francisco, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:07:29 GMT

Thought is instantaneous. So if there is any life out there, we can communicate with them telepathically. As a matter of fact, I've been talking to Jebus, Son of Dog, who resides on the planet Heart in the Alpha Centauri general area. He said to tell you all hello.

Newfound planet could support life

Mike — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:07:42 GMT

Have none of you people picking on Kitty ever read any books by Zachariah Sitchin or the Celestine Prophecy? There are plenty of books out there that speak specifically about what she is saying. Don't put down ones beleifs and ideas just because they are not your own. These are books that, no matter what you beleive, will make you sit back and go hmm.....what if?

Newfound planet could support life

FishOutofWater — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:12:21 GMT

The title of this article is misleading.

The surface temperature of this massive planet at Venus's orbital position would likely be more like Venus than the earth. Yes, a large moon, if it exists, might support life, but the tidal effects of a massive planet near to its parent star could lock it into a very long day, like the earth's moon. This planetary situation is not at all like earth's. There is little reason provided to support the proposition that this planetary system would support life.

Newfound planet could support life

Alex — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:18:09 GMT

The entire universe is a program processed by hundreds of computers in a large room; exactly like our Earth Simulator.

Newfound planet could support life

Kokomo, Grand Rapids MI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:18:49 GMT

Noel Garcia:

You're right, you don't get the visual information from the present. Because it's a star they're looking at, they're seeing the light that left the star 41 years ago. The light that's leaving the surface of the star right now will take 41 years from now to reach us.

Newfound planet could support life

DH Rockford, IL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:19:53 GMT

Mike,

I read a lot of those books and they are very interesting. The ancient writings of the Sumarians and the Assyrians are compelling yet unfortunately no proof yet. It'd be nice to prove Sitchin right just because the outcome would be so interesting.

Newfound planet could support life

Sara, Huston, TX — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:20:45 GMT

I hope theres no oil on the planet. Becuase we would try to build a gazillion dollar pipeline from Earth to the planet.

Newfound planet could support life

Mushroom man, spokane wa — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:22:58 GMT

Perhaps we just found our new penal colony. That is how we started, I believe. The Bible was given to us as a set of rules to aspire to. We are checked upon regularly by our ancestors (UFO Sightings) yet to no avail we are set on self destruction. That is why the Mothership has not come forth yet

Newfound planet could support life

don kacalek, laurie, missouri — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:24:47 GMT

After reading these post,,, I guess all I can say is you folks spend to much time watching TV or going to church,,,,try reading books (some of you have) and get some brains. Just a note I have been working on a math problem for the last eight yrs, my findings lead me to believe that the next time the magnetic poles switch it may cause a emp over the whole earth, has anyone else been working on this? Now that would be a hoot. luv ya all

Newfound planet could support life

Frank M, Chandler, Arizona — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:29:58 GMT

From where did we come, and to where are we headed? What is our purpose, and why do we exist? Why am I aware enough to ask such questions? Why do I even care to ask?

Science does not answer the most profound questions we have about life. Cosmology tries to, but cosmology is no more of a science than Christianity. Carl Sagan wouldn't say that, but it's true. The Big Bang theory is not scientific law and neither is macro-evolution. Do the research.

There are fundamental physical realites and truths which cannot be disputed. A tree does in fact move the air around it when it falls, even if no one is there to hear it. If I jump off a building I will eventually hit the ground, no matter how hard I flap my arms. Fluid dynamics, Newton's Law, and bio-mechanics can quantify how long it will take for me to hit the ground, and how fast I will be travelling at impact. Biology and neuroscience explain, to a degree, how my body reacts to the fear and the pain it feels when things go splat.

But why did I jump off the building and why does anyone care that I did it? Are those questions any less meaningful? Evolution would suggest that it makes sense for the survival of the species that life is mourned. Scientifically, why does that make any sense? Where did life's desire to propogate forward in time come from anyway? Randomness coalescing into order is not a proven scientific theory. In fact, the law of entropy dictates the exact opposite.

Science is necessary. The desire to understand the unknown is a part of being human. Science, however, continues to ignore so many other crucial aspects of humanity...love, kindness, caring, purpose. As yet, they are messy and unquantifiable. But go tell the parent who is proud of their daughter or son that they are meaningless. The belief in something more than ourselves and the belief in a purpose fills a void that science doesn't.

Does God exist? I can't show you yes, and you can't prove me wrong. Vice-versa for the Big Bang. Pick your faith.

Newfound planet could support life

Dylan, Massillon Ohio — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:30:10 GMT

As a creationist who believes life on earth is sacred, I do not believe we will find any type of intelligent life on other planets. The amazing thing is that, though evolutionists believe species adapt to their environment over time, no species seems to be able to adapt to temperatures outside the "inhabitable zone". This, of course, leads me to believe that macro evolution is false.

Newfound planet could support life

Mike Phoenix AZ — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:30:39 GMT

I'm an alien watching everyone and I think I'll stay. You all are so strange and greedy. Hahahaha!

Newfound planet could support life

Chuck Briere — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:31:33 GMT

Although a "New world" for us would be most beneficial, it's highly unlikely we can save the planet on which we live long enough to obtain the technolgy needed to reach a rock 41 light years away. We can barely keep our shuttle fleet operating without an occasional disaster. And if we find a new world, what then? Invade and conquer? Such is human nature. I hope for the sake of other worlds, we fail.

Newfound planet could support life

G. Smith, Huntsville, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:32:08 GMT

The article was titled, "Newfound planet could support life." Not, "...it does," or, "...guess where I really came from." The thread has completely digressed. Will all the save-the-planet-we-are-overpopulated kooks please either spay or neuter yourselves or build a ship to go check this out for us? Your leaders could be Al Gore and Jimmy Carter. I mean it would be Heaven on...err I mean Nirvana. Al will tell you exactly what to think and Jimmy will build your house. Well, maybe it would be better to send a representative from every "important" country. Who would we send though? Surely compassionate and understanding touch-feely types. I know! Let's send the UN General Assembly. [,,,] They should feel right at home in clay and grass huts.

Newfound planet could support life

Brad Ferguson Top of the World — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:33:41 GMT

Yawn............The immense amount of radiation that these massive bodies would spew onto their moons, would most likely dwarf what our Jupiter expells.

Get your azz to Mars and Europa.....pronto!

Newfound planet could support life

Robyn, Colorado Springs, CO — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:33:51 GMT

I find this all exciting, and agree I wish I were going to be alive to really be a part of the future explorations like the early pioneers. I too feel I've missed either periods in life. I do hope we find a planet that supports life before we completely destroy this one, and that if we plan to be a viable species for any length of time we will have to consider colonization. Look at the dinosaurs, they died out, we will face the same fate if we don't look at to the stars. So bravo for the scientist that found it.

Newfound planet could support life

Draco, Id — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:35:46 GMT

Most of these are interesting comments but i would have to disagree with Kitty. What she says reminds me of Mormons. God was a being from another planet that came here to populate the earth and some how became stupid and forgot everything including how they got here. It's the same thing as people believing evolution like a religion, but the thing is if evolution is progressive and always moving forward and we evolved from apes? Why are there still apes? Scientists are using carbon dating to date things over million years old, but our record history couldn't be more then (and im going on a lim here) 4,000 years (If there was record in 2,000 B.C.). Do we have proof that carbon dating works? NO. Believing in something like mormonism or scientology is so idiotic and primitive to think that we are anything like gods. If you live and still believe there wasn't a plan for the human race and there isn't something after death you had better hope you are right. We are so insignificant in the big picture.

Newfound planet could support life

j.madison — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:42:32 GMT

I BELIEVE IN THE GIANT SANDWORMS OF ARAKIS.PRAISE SHIAHULUD!!!!(there, someone had to bring up herbert,enough of you knuckle heads were bringing up roddenberry)

Newfound planet could support life

Brand, Fort Collins, CO — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:42:33 GMT

Why travel there? Do you want to saddle Cancri with an illegal alien problems>

Newfound planet could support life

Kevin VerKamp — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:43:59 GMT

"We will never get to these planets, as far away as they are." - How far away was New York and Tokyo in 1907? Technology is changing so rapidly, in only another generation or two reaching 41 light years may be a very real possibility. Today, we can imagine how space travel will be. All that we are capable of today was imagined before it came to pass. I hope my children, or grandchildren, are on the "ark" to the next planet...

Newfound planet could support life

Lorenzo, Cleveland, Ohio — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:45:18 GMT

pssshh.. please, kitty you don't know what your talking about, how could we have come from another planet billions of years ago when there weren't spaceships

Newfound planet could support life

NOTW — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:46:01 GMT

eh, my problem is the focus on 'habitable' zones only cause we're thinking based on what we know right now. Other life forms could have evolved within environments totally unacceptable to us.

Newfound planet could support life

Rocket Man, Washington DC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:46:28 GMT

Earth First, we'll mine the other planets later.

I think we can get enough metal from this planet to make a ship with some weapons and stuff, eh. Then find another planet, strip it of resources... like a cycle. Kind of like planet consumers.

Newfound planet could support life

Daniel P Watson South Lake Tahoe ca. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:50:20 GMT

This is an interesting discovery but the only way it could be an earth like planet is to have a moon about 1/4 the size of the host planet. Otherwise there will be no seasons, no way for any weather to stable enough to allow for growing food or allowing time for evolution to create the diversity of life we see here.

Newfound planet could support life

The Non-nerdy mike — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:51:47 GMT

ohh mike, how nice of you to stick up for kitty, in fact i have read both of those books and they have changed my life....NOT

Newfound planet could support life

Buddhaman — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:52:07 GMT

Wake up, people, there is no possibility of inter-galactic travel. You can't go faster than the speed of light. It's a matter of consumibles, folks. You have to take everything you need to live with you. It just isn't feasible. Now, I love Sci-Fi as much as the next person, but you have to seperate fact from fancy.

Newfound planet could support life

Bill, Las Vegas, NV — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:52:16 GMT

So, this is where Global Warming has led us back to - science by consensus? I thought we had progressed at least to the point that fact had to be independent of the observer(s). Oh well, back to the days of the “Earth is flat” by popular scientific consensus. Thank you Al Gore for bastardizing science by poluting pure rationale thought with political and populist viewpoints. Hope you make a bundle with those “carbon credits”.

Newfound planet could support life

OJ in your sleep — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:54:06 GMT

To be honest, if you think that life in some shape, form or type does not exist in space somewhere is stupid. It might not be a hominid or in any shape, form or style that we know of. For all we know an alien life form might be pure energy or silicon breathing cyanide. We don't know. We don't know if we could have started and stayed here, or given to here or any form of ways of life starting. I know that I'm tossing it up between a scientific start, or a "god" starting us on our paths. I honestly don't know, so I'm not going to judge anyone or anything. If you were going to debate a possibly like this, keep in mind that open mindedness is the best way to proceed.

Newfound planet could support life

Your Friend Kansas, City Mo. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:54:31 GMT

A cosmic message to well meaning but out of touch earthlings. Extra hard to get around the cosmic x-rays and cosmic gamma rays spreading death to all life form's throughout space. Check with NASA on their plans for even solar system travel by life forms. At the fastest speed anything man has put into space we are about 4,500 times slower than light, therefor to travel to the star in question would require 41 X 4,500 years just to get there not counting coming home , if my math is correct. In the news flash in question they used hopeful words like THAT SHOULD,ASTRONOMERS SAY,COULD CONCEIVABLY, APPEAR TO BE, PERHAPS, CONCEPTION,TOO HOT RATHER THAN JUST RIGHT, DO NOT KNOW,COULD ETC... Our universe was created through love, purpose, strengths and design outside our understanding. When we search for answers it all comes together through Jesus Christ our Savior. In His instruction's to us He never used word's like... Might have happened, could have happened, might be, should be, could be, possibly might have happened, should have happened etc,etc,etc, like our scientist's and news media propose. Get on the fun, intelligent side of life and make the most for yourself and others while your here.

Newfound planet could support life

Thom Addison IL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:58:50 GMT

ok, point one: So far the only thing I've seen Jethris post is a question based on science, not religion. To CJCFreedom, sexism of any stripe is destestible, go re-think your opinions and stop hanging around the people who reinforce sexist views. Fianlly, I'm thrilled that they found another planet (or moon) that might sustain life, and I hope to hear more about it soon!

Newfound planet could support life

Jimbo U.S.A. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:00:31 GMT

Do the math.The fifth planet in another solar system 41-light years away.In 5 years will be the year 2012.If you add 2012 together it will add up to the number 5.This is a sign of the last-days,somehow.

Newfound planet could support life

Paul,Salisbury,Md — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:01:23 GMT

one day perhaps we'll be half as smart as we give ourselves credit for being

Newfound planet could support life

William Whitebird, Chatsworth Georgia — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:02:08 GMT

Could it be that space men look like humans because they too were made in the image of God? The same God who created everything.

Newfound planet could support life

George Waddill, Tulsa, OK — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:03:58 GMT

Just because we haven't found it(and may never)does not mean that there is no other life in the universe. With all the other galaxies and their stars out there, I believe we would be very arrogant to think we are the only life in the universe.Also, for the ones of us who do believe in God, must we also be arrogant enough to believe that He limited His infinite creativity to only this one place in the cosmos?

Newfound planet could support life

A thinker — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:04:19 GMT

I think it is unreasonable to think we are the only beings in this vast universe!

Newfound planet could support life

Beth, Philadelphia, PA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:06:29 GMT

I have to agree with Mark. I too have issues with the all powerful invisible man who created a man and woman who failed at being perfect and therefore made all of mankinds life miserable. I think that evolving out of the bacterial pools that earth once was is much more believable. I just wish Jesus would have left behind a book about marketing. He didn't even write the book he is credited with and no other book has lasted nearly as long in book stores and remained as popular.

Newfound planet could support life

Paul Brown, Elko, Nevada — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:08:37 GMT

We must invade outerspace and the sooner the better. It is important to show those sniveling aliens that we are the masters of the universe.

Newfound planet could support life

Dave — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:09:56 GMT

why does everyone seem to think you have to have water to live? That is on;y required on this planet, who is to say there is life out there that does not require water.

Newfound planet could support life

George, Tulsa, OK — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:12:26 GMT

Another thought-why is everyone so concerned about where we came from? Isn't where we are going somewhat more important?

Newfound planet could support life

henry malvern arkansas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:13:21 GMT

This is the question. Number one man will never know how life originated on this planet. If he countinues to believe that he is some how his own god. Science is only discovering what has already been. The question is what was it in the beginning. My faith says there must have been something greater than our small and undeveloped minds that created this. There was something out side of our selves. Even primitive man new that there was something greater than him. Stop being stupid and thinking this was an accident. Let me leave this with you. Where there is an absence of knowledge ingorance will prevail.

Newfound planet could support life

Brian Morris, Marion Illinois — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:18:41 GMT

I just wish Kitty would come back and comment so all the clowns would quit putting words in her/his mouth. Cool discovery, hope I get to see it.

Newfound planet could support life

The Rock, Rochester, NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:18:45 GMT

Noel Garcia, today we see the past 41 years ago but in terms of the universe and evolution that is time standing still. In human terms a lot has changed for us in 200 years but the humans 3000 years ago were still very much what we are today.

Newfound planet could support life

dan sun prairie wi — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:19:24 GMT

why is is so hard to believe that there is life out there just cause we cant see it. i cant see air but i believe in it .

Newfound planet could support life

Jeff, Atlanta, GA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:21:56 GMT

Noel Garcia: light travels at a very fast, but still finite, speed. The star is far enough away that it takes 41 years for its light and all other information about that planetary system to get here. For the distances you're used to experiencing - from a few inches to perhaps tens of miles - light crosses those distances in a tiny fraction of a second. Light goes about a foot and a half in a nanosecond. You *are* used to seeing the moon; it is actually roughly one and a quarter light-seconds away; it takes that long for light reflected off of it to make it to Earth. Other stars are much, much farther away.

Newfound planet could support life

TheDuke, Colorado — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:23:31 GMT

Noel:
When you see the light of the stars, you are seeing light photons that have traveled (in this case) 41 years to reach your pupils. Thus, you are in fact, looking at the star as it was 41 years ago. Does that help?

As far as getting there, Ion Propulsion or solar sails are two options that start out (relatively) slow, but constantly build speed to "near" light speed. This would obviously take longer than 41 years, but could be achieved in... (guessing)... 50-60 years. In addition, if the first craft is equipped with Hubble-type instrumentation, We would be getting stellar views of the planet and analyzing its atmosphere within 15 years (assuming we allow for uploading new software as technology improves).

Just my 2 cents, Peace

Newfound planet could support life

Kenneth, greensboro,n.c. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:25:02 GMT

it is very possible that life exists on planets unlike the earth. there could be hydrogen based lfe forms, methane based life forms, any number of different based life forms we should not limit our search for E.T. to just earth-like planets.

Newfound planet could support life

gino in Boring Oregon — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:27:47 GMT

Think about it !!
If C4 is in the 'habitable' zone, it's not likely to be
a gas giant, if not then think rock and super sized
gravity! SO: The dinosaurs would be tiny and a creature
of human proportions could not walk upright.A rainstorm
might be life threatening also the high air pressure.
I vote to remain on Earth.

Newfound planet could support life

lea — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:30:07 GMT

Let's ALL quit having babies, clean up the environment, conserve resources, and just wave to the new planet!

Newfound planet could support life

heidi hankins,muncie,indiana — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:30:30 GMT

it's nice to dream of planets like earth. dreams sometimes happens. If no one dreamed of the car,were would we be now. still on horses? thats why i thank the people thats keeping a open mind about the impossible!

Newfound planet could support life

Aaron G.,scottsdale,AZ — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:30:32 GMT

what if NASA did create a ship similar to the enterprise that could transport mankind quickly and efficiently?

Newfound planet could support life

Clay, Bakersfield, California — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:30:49 GMT

Maybe our species will Planet hop there someday, perhaps we will scar Her surfaces and waters as well. I so hope we are not alone in this Universe and I hope they are more evolved to change us, maybe we will inner breed with them to survive differently than now.

Newfound planet could support life

The Rock, Rochester, NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:31:14 GMT

Please don't go down the Creation road, we will only get diverted to some lame religious discussion about some superman who is afraid to show himself and talks to special people but really don’t and lives somewhere in the heavens but there really is no such place.

As humans I don't think we will ever get a chance to come close to visiting or knowing for sure what is on other planets because we will have destroyed our selves within the next 200 years. This fish tank is getting full of fish and poop and we will go belly up soon.

Newfound planet could support life

Chip Arnold, Las Vegas Nevada — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:33:17 GMT

I think the whole thing is fascinating...life "somewhere" out there. Haven't you ever wondered to yourself why we're here? The bible: a piece of scripture, interpreted in so many different ways by so many, but yet not substantiated. Evolution: a theory(s), surmised but not substantiated. Only a fool laughs at that which is contrary to their beliefs. I only assume I won't be around to find the answer(s), if in fact, the answer is ever found. Yet, dreams sometimes do come true.

Newfound planet could support life

Running Fart, San Francisco, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:35:29 GMT

El Duke-o, what happens if there are no pupils? Does the light just keep on going until it finds some?

Newfound planet could support life

a scientist who has faith — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:37:15 GMT

I love all the "expert" comments. Why do all of these weblogs end up debating religion vs. science? You can believe in both because they are two separate things.

Newfound planet could support life

Delmar Fairchild, Barron, WI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:40:03 GMT

The birth of the Universe created Hydrogen and then Helium. Our sun created other elements such as carbon, iron, etc., from these two elements. This has happened throughout the universe in every galaxy so far that we have discovered. No matter where we go, we will find planets and probably life that has the same basic elements. They may not have a home exactly like our Earth or they may not look exactly like us, but they will look like something we have here on Earth or had in the past. There are only certain ways that life can form and move. If it isn't with the ocean's currents, or upon the wind, eventually it will be with arms to crawl and then legs to walk.

Have you ever wondered why there are people on Earth that look like someone else you know? There are only so many combinations of elements. Some will eventually be the same. (Snowflakes and fingerprints excluded?? Even though no one has seen it yet, I'd bet there are some the same. All we would have to do is look for the next million years. One set may show up!!) Same for life out there.

Newfound planet could support life

Grace — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:44:21 GMT

Why is it important to remain a "viable species?" Look at the damage we have done to this planet in the last 300 years. A blink in the Eye of God. We destroy a little more of it every day. We take, and with few exceptions, give anything back. Humans are toxins on this beautiful blue marble, and soon we will be gone, probably from staph, strep, Ebola...the list goes on. We've killed most of our natural predators, but what makes us think we'll go on forever? We've lost our connection to the nature of the planet.

Much like the dinosaurs, we no longer fit into the scheme of things.

Grace

Newfound planet could support life

Meeks, Anyhow, Anywhere — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:47:30 GMT

as many have said, maybe it's Gods creations, indeed, a future play ground for Gods creatures. When wickedness nor hatred will harm us no more, where time will cease to exist, indeed, within our generation, the last of these times.

Newfound planet could support life

Eile, Sacramento, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:47:59 GMT

It’s very likely that life on earth came from outer space in my opinion.
At the begin, Earth is almost impossible to have life.
Just like Outer space. It has to come from somewhere. Unless, it's possible for life to develop itself on earth, then there it's almost guarantee that life can develop outside of our solar system.

Newfound planet could support life

TheDuke, Colorado — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:49:58 GMT

Delmar,
I kind of agree, but consider this:
The heavy elements were created by third and forth generation stars. As the universe (and our own galaxy) ages, isn't it logical to assume that other elements are being created and will be created that may also be conducive to life?

Newfound planet could support life

Ron Gamma, Walton,Or — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:52:06 GMT

We need to do alot of work on new spacecraft(with a lander) that could travel 41 light years with a human crew and return to earth so that exploration of this planet can take place. Practice living on the moon first might be a good idea with landers and moon rovers.

Newfound planet could support life

Running Fart, San Francisco, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:53:25 GMT

don kacalek, if you have been working on a math problem for 8 years, I'd suggest you switch majors. Have you looked into phys ed?

Newfound planet could support life

heretic5, Tucson, AZ — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:56:36 GMT

http://www.simulation-argument.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulism
give reasons to suppose that we are living in a computer simulation. If we are, then the person running the simulation can make us appear anywhere in the universe, without us having to travel. So 41 light-years away would be the same as 4.1 billion light-years away. No ticket, no time, blink out here, blink in there. Who is to say that the dude/dudess running this simulation isn't already doing that for some other group, or groups??

Newfound planet could support life

Steve Smith — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:58:57 GMT

Thoughts and senses (sight, hearing, touch etc.) are nothing more than coordinated electrical impulses. Which one of us is real?? The brain is one massive computing system and DNA is a computer program way beyond the binary system used by today's computers. It consists of loops and sub-routines that are just beginning to be understood. Tie all neuronal synapses together that exist on the earth and you have to question who created this?

Newfound planet could support life

Truebeliever1, Akron, OH — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:00:14 GMT

El Duke-o, the sins of the fathers will be passed on to the sons, even to the 7th generation. Thus, it is only logical to assume that other elements will be created, but only to the 7th generation stars.

Newfound planet could support life

Bill McKinney, Mission Viejo, Ca. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:02:13 GMT

Let's hurry up and siphon trillions more so a few hundred of us can get on the ship and go pollute the next ball of dirt. Or maybe we should do something about starving and suffering people and other creatures right here and now. Is that unreasonable?

Newfound planet could support life

Dan, Sheridan, OR — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:05:18 GMT

If life existed on this planet, people would be 200 feet tall and weight 50 tons. Imagine an elephant 625 feet tall and a toy poodle 25 feet tall. The air would be a mixture of poisonous ammonia, CO2, methane and water would be so viscous that you could not drink it. There would be no streams because it would not flow. Forget about other planets. We are stuck on this miserable rock forever.

Newfound planet could support life

George Messner, Naples, FL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:07:41 GMT

I'm a firm beleiver that there is life other than on Earth. There are 5 billion planets in our solar system and 5 billion galaxies. Do the math,1 in 5 billion makes other life likely in our own neighborhood, to think were the only ones is arrogant. I'm not a Bible thumper but I bet GOD has other projects going, he has to be tired of our crap by now.

Newfound planet could support life

Ron, Gold Canyon, AZ — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:08:55 GMT

To Noel (to answer your question / Please forgive me if this is more basic than you wanted):
A light year is a measurement of distance - the distance light travels in 1 year. Since light travels at approx. 186,000 miles per second, 1 light year is roughly 6 trillion miles. So 41 light years is... really far.

The light we are seeing from that star now took 41 years to get here, having left in 1966. So we are seeing the star as it looked in 1966. The light that is leaving the star now, traveling at 186,000 miles per second, won't get here until 2048.

We can be pretty sure, however, that if the planets were there in 1966, they are still there. (See below)

Hope that makes a little sense...

I'll throw this in, just for fun. If there was intelligent life on one of those planets, and they were looking back at our Sun and Earth, they would also be seeing us as we were in 1966. If they could pick up our TV and radio broadcasts, traveling at the speed of light and which could easily be received that far away, they would be watch our 1966 TV shows. This could have really bummed them out, (Vietnam, Johnson, first Star Trek episode) enough that they might have built a big bomb and blown themselves to smithereens last Tuesday. So, in 2048, perhaps there would be no more planets to see...?
(kidding!)

Newfound planet could support life

Keith Henson — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:09:07 GMT

Put simply: answers are the effects of facts, not vice versa. Failure to acknowledge this simple axiom has led to the human "infection" of religion in all its forms.

I could (and do) sit and postulate possibilities all day long but would never deem to posit them as "my opinion" until supported by facts. We need to stop "knowing" what the answers are and start acknowledging what we simply don't know - which leads to the wonderful quest of going to find those answers.

Could life here be planted? Sure. Could life here be created? Sure. Could life have evolved? Sure. It is when we start espousing our opinions as answers that we go awry. I personally don't think we even know the right questions to ask at this point, let alone having all the answers.

Newfound planet could support life

Stephen Hawking — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:11:59 GMT

Just FYI for all of you people suggesting that this planet may support human life. It can't. Scientists are excited because the possibility exists for it to support SOME type of life. However, being that this planet has roughly the mass of Jupiter, any human visitor would be killed as the intense gravity would suffocate them and possibly crush their skeleton, depending on how much they weigh.

Newfound planet could support life

TheDuke, Colorado — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:12:14 GMT

ok, let's put the "science vs. religion" thing to bed for now. Here's something for both sides to chew on while we move back to discussing the discovery.

Those of Faith believe that God created the universe around 6000 yrs ago. Those of science believe that they see light that is billions of years old.

If God is as powerful as believed, there is no reason to think he couldn't create a universe already in motion. Just as you might paint a picture of a baseball game, with the ball crossing the plate as the batter swings... so too can the Almighty place us in a position where our Universe was already in the third inning.

Newfound planet could support life

Ben, San Antonio, TX — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:20:47 GMT

Why would it matter: We'd end up killing each other and destroying the new planet. Remember, we're human...

Newfound planet could support life

highwayman — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:25:46 GMT

Newfound planet could support life

Tom, Las Cruces, NM — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:26:04 GMT

wow, it is amazing to read all these threads. Kitty, dont worry about anything, do you think the greatest thinkers in the world had anything to back up their theories? not in the beginning, they had to do all the hard work to prove them. for me, i like to believe in both evolution and God. We would be crazy to think we are the only living beings in the ever expanding universe. i dont think that would disprove that there is a God. how many times did the bible story change before it was finally written down? we dont know, but i do know this. when i tell someone a story and have them tell someone else, when it reaches back to me after 30-40 different people have told there own version, kim's hair went from blonde to strawberry blonde. there are truths to everything, and for me, hope derives from faith, and without hope, what do you have? This should not turn into a theology debate, but this should give us hope to a brighter future. remember, we are all free thinkers, do not condemn someone if they are not on the same wavelength as you.

Newfound planet could support life

larry garville virginia beach va — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:26:24 GMT

in the immense vastness of space it is vanity to think that we are alone in the universe

Newfound planet could support life

Ken, Portland, IN — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:27:27 GMT

I think this whole investigation of outer space is facinating. I see in it the wonder, majesty and awesomeness of God. I happen to believe the Bible is true and that God created everything from nothing. To some that sounds crazy, I know, and that's okay with me. It's unfortunate that so many people are willing to bash others before they have even really heard them out, or given any real consideration to their opinions and beliefs. The truth is the truth, whether I choose to believe it or not.

Newfound planet could support life

Leo, New York, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:36:11 GMT

I love science. But we need to remember that we did not created this planet, that no matter how good the idea of having artificial life somewhere else is still far off; and if there is, by the time we find it we would have ended life on earth. Not beign a pessimist.

Newfound planet could support life

Big Dummy Jackson, Tn — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:38:33 GMT

I am really going to blow minds. I think that there are other demensions besides what we can see, hear, touch, or smell. Anyone detect the tv and radio waves passing your body? Uh oh, Regis Philben just wizzed by. Maybe if I put some aluminum foil in my ears, I can listen to Monday Night Football! But really, I know that there are more things undetected than detected. Any scientist would agree. Who knows, your dead uncle Fred might be sitting by your bed. Keep an open mind. Anything is possible!

Newfound planet could support life

Damon Juedeman, Seattle, WA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:40:03 GMT

For Noel, the light we see from that planet today originated from that place 41 years ago. The light from our own Sun comes 8 minutes to Earth. Tomorrow's dawn will have left Sol 8 minutes before we see it.
For the general public, the universe is unimaginably vast and unbelievably complex. Our best observations cover only a fraction of a percent of our known galaxy, one of untold trillions, all seperated by vast gulfs of nothingness. There is room in our universe for God and science together, and there is also space for Mankind to spread and flourish. It is our destiny, perhaps even our purpose. If we successfully colonize other planets, we will have taken the most important step in ensuring the survival of Man as a species. In our current circumstance, one planet-killer asteroid could make all our history, our learning and suffering and sacrifice null and void. All our eggs are in one basket, as it were, and we MUST change that. The human race is ideally suited for expansion, as proven by our prolific birth rate. WE either find more space, or face a culling of the species in the not unforseeably distant future. Forty-one light years is far, and far again, but there would be ways to reach it even without FTL technology. Generation ships, anyone?

Newfound planet could support life

Toni, Hammond, LA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:43:40 GMT

If we are still figuring out what the crap Pluto is, how do we know that this zone is even close to what we are looking for? Sounds more like wishful thinking.

Newfound planet could support life

John DiStefano Pine Beach, New Jersey — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:47:20 GMT

when and if all of this travel is possible who do you think is going to go??? (not any of us) Who cares!! Life is short enjoy it and let the future take care of itself. The new craze is global warming again Who cares?? The Earth has been around for billions of years and change is continual. Man has been here for a couple of thousand years and wants to change the way of nature. Good Luck!! As for me "What Will Be Will Be"

Newfound planet could support life

Leo, New York, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:49:11 GMT

I find truth and science in the pages of The Book

There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true.

I am going there to prepare a place for each of you.

After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.

Juan 14.2-3 (CEV)

Don't worry NASA, what Ur looking for is out there somewhere. Just hope Ur ready for it.

Newfound planet could support life

David — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:49:34 GMT

How entertaining! To see one (probably misinterpreted) idea get sooo much attention shows me how much wasted time we all have to uhh-- waste.

Newfound planet could support life

TheDuke, Colorado — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:49:57 GMT

When someone says "41 light years", it is hard to truly grasp what that means. The scale and scope of this universe is truly beyond comprehension. You think you get it, but you don't (and neither do I).

To help bring this to perspective, consider the following model:

Let us suppose that we could shrink our sun, that gigantic ball of fire in the sky, into an object about the size of a basketball (12 inches in this case).
On that scale, our pathetic little rock would be less than the size of a BB (1/8"), and would reside just over 100 feet from the basketball (The Sun). Our moon would be a tiny grain just 4 inches away.
Also on that scale, Jupiter would be about 560 feet away, and Pluto would be a distant 4270 feet (well over 3/4 of a mile)!
So, The sun is on your table, the Earth is in the street, and Pluto is down the road by the local gas-a-mat.
On that scale, one light year would be the distance from Detroit to my home in Denver.
The nearest star is alpha centauri C (proxima) @ 4.2 light years. On our scale that would be the distance from Detroit to Hawaii.
Let's assume we could travel to the moon (4 inches) in one hour, At that tremendous speed, we would need 9,824 years to travel from Detroit to Hawaii at 4 inches per hour.
However, we're not talking about 4.2 light years, we're talking about 41 light years... big difference. Still... I do believe we are getting closer to technologies that will allow us to send objects and people at speeds approaching light speed.

Newfound planet could support life

jeff, P'cola,FL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:50:54 GMT

R they takin reservations for the first trip out there?

Newfound planet could support life

Marty, Carson City — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:51:05 GMT

Noel, you don't get the information before 41 years, you just have to wait. The light they analysed came from that system between 59 and 41 years ago. It got here between 18 years ago and now.

Newfound planet could support life

Parallel Worlds — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:51:57 GMT

A theory of extraterrestrial life might seem far fetched, but consider this...Countless Scientists support the M, String theory which finds 11 dimensions of existence on giant Membranes side by side, born of exponentially expanding strings of energy.
All of a sudden, alien life seems the least of our impossibilities!

Newfound planet could support life

Hunter Marshall, New Baden, Illinois — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:52:57 GMT

I find it unlikely that Earth is the only planet with life. So, this new planet could have life. Also, as to the talk about how we came here. With antimatter as something know to be real now, and not just science fiction, it has proved the big bang theory, which the Catholic church came up with. (go to CERN's website if you want to know more about antimatter and the big bang theory) It all comes down to God being our creator, but we all have our own opinion, and we are all just looking for the same answer. Where did we come from.

Newfound planet could support life

Big dummy Jackson, tn — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:53:53 GMT

Oh yea, I forgot to mention that time is relative. If you traveled at the speed of light for five minutes and came back to earth, you would discover that all of your friends have been dead for ten thousand years or something like that. Just ask Einstein, he is about 2 light seconds away.

Newfound planet could support life

justthefacts — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:58:48 GMT

Buddhist thought is quite different from the various ideas we see posted here - while Buddhism has maintained for 2500 years that there are many other life forms and an uncountable number of planets throughout the cosmos, the cosmos and life itself has always existed in one form or another .... try getting your mind around the idea of infinity - no beginnings and no endings. Our reality is constant change and eternal interdependence for all time. We are in a sense all figments of our own imagination,
and this is what allows for the continuous modification of energy forms (and other living entities) that we see about us.

In this view there is no creator, and none is needed.
Various interpretations in the discipline of quantum mechanics and quantum logic are beginning to support this view - in spite of the core of believers in material 'realism' that can still be found in physics (this included Einstein) the tide is slowly turning toward the infinite as a viable possibility.

Very hard for the western mind to grasp since we're used to beginnings and endings, however long it may take - but try infinity and timelessness as concepts and it stops our limited imagination cold.

It seems clear we're only on the cusp of making great discoveries in the field of cosmology....

Newfound planet could support life

TheDuke, Colorado — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:00:20 GMT

To Help out Noel a bit, I am not a student of astrophysics, but in easy terms NASA has a radar type device that can detect the effect planets have on a star, the more gravitational pull the more planets the star has, and the closer they are. anybody with more info may be able to clarify this some more. Have a great day.
highwayman (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 9:25 PM)

To Help out Noel a bit, (are you sure?)
I am not a student of astrophysics, (no kidding)
but in easy terms NASA has a radar type device (um.. telescopes)
that can detect the effect planets have on a star, (actually true)
the more gravitational pull the more planets the star has, (not true at all)
and the closer they are. (also not true at all)
anybody with more info may be able to clarify this some more. (thx, I did)
Have a great day. (You too!)
highwayman (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 9:25 PM)

Newfound planet could support life

Justin S, Madison, WI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:02:24 GMT

Totally agree with you on that Kenneth Hargens. Finding out these answers or even coming close are well beyond our lifetime. All we can do is keep our heads up and dream.

Newfound planet could support life

Jeff, Colorado Springs, CO — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:07:25 GMT

If the Big Bang is true and other life forms are out there, they would have had thousands or millions of years of technology advances above ours. If we're not found yet, we will not be for maybe the next 1000 years. In a 1000 years do you really think human kind will be around.

From what I've read and how other's have down played other's comments, I would think we're never going to get through the next 200 years.

Figure out what YOU are first before you go off wondering what ELSE might be out there.

Newfound planet could support life

Klaatu — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:16:39 GMT

Greetings Earthlings,

You are getting so very close to your destiny.

Your Friend, Klaatu

Newfound planet could support life

Kitty's Friend — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:17:35 GMT

You would need a very well-sealed vehicle - like one of those new Lexus LS 460's, to make such a trip. Also, you would want to have plenty of water and some toilet paper.

Newfound planet could support life

Cass — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:22:51 GMT

Based on all of these posts, there appears to be no intelligent life here on earth.

Newfound planet could support life

Alan K., Balto MD — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:23:59 GMT

Did anyone notice the article's reference to Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy? I hear that line used in soooo many places. It cracks me up every time.

Newfound planet could support life

Yulngu from Zorba — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:24:37 GMT

Very amusing discussion with an occasional bit of intelligence. It IS unreasonable to think you are the only life forms. It IS more important where you are going than where you came from. As noted, your sun won't be here forever. Most importantly, the truth is the truth whether you believe it or not.

Yes we have absolute proof that you did NOT come from aliens. We have been observing your planet for a very, very long time as tedious as that has been. Don't flatter yourselves. No aliens had anything to do with you. We watched it happen. It's true. You came from monkees.

Newfound planet could support life

TommmyG Lake Elsinore CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:36:20 GMT

I just hope that when when we eventually find life on other planets the people there will taste like chicken. Or at the very least go to work and cover for me so ill be able to spend more time on my computer.

Newfound planet could support life

Bible is Right, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:40:37 GMT

OK, there MIGHT be another planet FAR AWAY... WE know NOTHIN ABOUT and already people wana leap before they look...Read the bible, Jesus will come back to judge living and the dead... and why dont we worry about our own planets problems before some you fruitloops decide that this one is so great. And yall are so interested in discovering it, think about this since it suits yall, if these other 'beings' are there what if they are hostile not nice. God put us on earth, and earth is where we should stay, if he wanted us on more than one planet, he would have stuck us on the moon to.

Newfound planet could support life

remain_distant, canada — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:42:49 GMT

Religion has no place in discovery of another habitable planet or other lifeforms. It is already proven that is so. Too much fear exists for the religious minded, because it will shake their foundation that mankind isn't so superior or unique.

Newfound planet could support life

Doreen, Troy, AL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:46:39 GMT

Do any of you really have proof of where we came from. There are theroies that abound through out history. personally, if aleins did seed us here they should be slapped. Just look how we screwed up the place. Beside the most advanced species on this planet would have to be trees, They are the one that uses fewer resources and gives greater returns.

Newfound planet could support life

CompNerd — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:50:39 GMT

I love how the people who scream "Prove your findings!!" As in Kitty's ideas, are probably just as quick to say don't stuff your religion down my throat. Ya know, the people who do not believe in god or someone who created us cannot disprove the theory either. So you could argue prove that humanity did not come from other planets, prove there is no god. It's sounds dumb I know, but before you start saying you are more knowledgeable than others and putting yourself higher, stop and think about what your saying as well. At this point, we dont know quite a bit, so a theory is a theory along with evolution. Although I personally believe in evolution, but stop knocking on other people's beliefs. Its so irritating to read those comments.

Newfound planet could support life

Zedd, Longmont Colorado — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:03:23 GMT

Here's to Kitty! As far as I'm concerned, her's is the best statement here. Firstly because most comments are in answer to what she wrote, including this one :) Secondly because she is right. We must keep searching, "because one day in the not too distant future," we WILL have to make our escape. Whether we kill our world sooner, another unforseen event kills it (sooner or later,) or the sun kills it in it's own death several billion years from now. It will happen. I for one am not too keen on our current progress. But thats OK. It can't happen to me right? Or to my children, or theirs, and so on and so on... I wonder what my very distant decendats will think of their "very ancient ancestors?"

Newfound planet could support life

joe;seattle;washington — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:05:52 GMT

cool!!!

Newfound planet could support life

john doe, rockville, md. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:06:47 GMT

Light speed? Regardless of how exciting it may be to perhaps even find a planet almost exactly like earth, we have no means to get that far out into space in any reasonable amount of time. Think about it. Just one light yr. is the distance light travels in a yr. at 3x10 to the 8th power meters/second or 67,107,954.55 miles/hr. 67 billion miles per hour for 8760 hrs.of travel time to go only one light yr. We are still traveling at less than 1/1000th the speed we would need to travel to get even close to these distant planets in a lifetime of spacetravel.

Newfound planet could support life

Talin, San Fransisco, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:06:59 GMT

Noel, light takes time to travel so the light we see from that star 41 light years away is the light that started traveling 41 years ago so in essence you are looking 41 years into the past.

What is happening right this moment at that place will not be visible to us for another 41 years. Boggles the mind a bit I know.

Newfound planet could support life

Fat Ed Houston, tx — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:10:46 GMT

okay intellegent facts time!

its unlikely humans came to earth from another planet, why, because of a thing called physics. we are made up of liquid and gases, and what happens to that when we go to a planet with different gravity and atmosphere. if the gravity is to strong our hearts can't pump blood to our brains, atmosphere too thin then, the gases in us would cause too much preasure/pain for us to bare.

we are one with this planet and if we trash it and kill it, we will die with it, there is no chance for us to go to another 'earthlike' planet and continue human life.

and for all those who hate religion: the bible was writen in a time where people spoke differently. don't take it litterially. example:

"Jethris, do you have any proof that God created man from the earth and the female from his rib?

Yup, didn't think so.
Colin, Milwaukee WI "

just means that man is part of the planet and a women are equal to men (hence they are from a rib, a man side: an equal) if a women came from a man's toe then, she would be a slave to man, or if from a man's head, then women would be a man's master. its just how they communicated back then.

if you don't want to believe thats fine, but at least understand what your argueing about.

good day!

Newfound planet could support life

Lloyd, New York City — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:34:07 GMT

When we get there are we likely to wipe out the inhabitants, create an imperialism and require passports from alien immigrants? In short how can we avoid taking our well known negative habits with us?

Newfound planet could support life

danno85 — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:38:51 GMT

This is were the aliens live that visit our earth time to time. We need to try to visit one day to meet them.

ya got any co-ordiates for that?

Newfound planet could support life

Brew, Normalville U.S. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:45:29 GMT

Why does our generation cling to the unknowing "knowing" of life as we know it coming to a halt. What makes people think that just because we are living it now that we are the end? Have people always thought this through out time? Did people in the 2nd century think the world was gonna end before they died? I know the world is getting worse in our times, but hey, that's the anatomy of all things. Start out great and through time break. Who says we are at the end of this cycle? maybe its just begun?

Newfound planet could support life

Ctina, Norman, Oklahoma — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:48:07 GMT

Noel, They are measuring light wobbles that occured years ago and are arriving here now, well, for the last 18 years. They don't really know what this planet looks like, it's just very promising speculation right now. This new planet and any of it's moons are spaced in a spot that "could" support life.

Newfound planet could support life

Christina, Florence, KY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:49:37 GMT

Erich von Daeniken made quite a lot of money with the Astronaut "seeding" Earth theory which is no less fantastic than some supposedly "normal" theories. In fact, he often tries to tie his findings in with other believes from all over the world. I am interested in his theories but not convinced, that doesn't make people who are convinced crazy or stupid.

Newfound planet could support life

Andy, Fredericksburg, Virginia — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:49:38 GMT

You may still be missing the overall point to the need for discovery and expansion into the rest of the universe. No matter what we do to the Earth to mess it up (I am completely against messing it up!) Earth will eventually lose all its water, burn up, and explode / implode (what you will) when our sun eventually goes supernova. We have to find another planet if we wish the human race to go on. Given, that time is very far off (but not amazingly so when you look at the advances in technology it will take us to get there combined with the thousands of generations of humans conglomerate efforts before this end occurs) and we will probably be something considerably different than homo sapiens at that point. I dunno, ultimately what im tryin to say is we better keep looking for these planets and quicker ways to get to them if we want to continue as a species. Sci-Fi technology may seem outlandish and far off but it all has some basis is reality. It wasn't even 100 years ago that a computer was a completely unknown object to humanity.

Newfound planet could support life

Eric, Aberdeen, Washington — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:50:18 GMT

i think life came from outerspace......when u see a meteroid or comet going fast though space, your looking at ur ancestores. tiny droplets of water and oxygen...yes oxygen is in space. its FROZEN and when it lands on earth it evaporates and enters the atmosphere...... the water did the same when hydrogen bonded with oxygen on a massive scale. salt has been found in meteroid and comets. so thats explains the seas and the seas r where life began when algea and other tiny crustations began. either way we came from outerspace, but i find it totally plausable that aliens put us here to harvest like corn in the future. not to freak anyone out but everything has a higher force over it and we arent it. we are a tiny planet on the outskirts of the milkyway galaxy in a MASSIVE universe that has none veiwable endings. so you show me a god and ill show u an alien....nobody has ever seen a god and iv never seen a alien......but y wouldnt they be "out there"? we are. so y not them?

Newfound planet could support life

David Greentree, Seattle, Wash — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:54:02 GMT

This is interesting and worthy of the time and energy. It really highlights the need to safeguard our own planet as clearly there are no other good options if we ruin it.

Newfound planet could support life

Copernicus — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:01:03 GMT

Wow, what a fluff piece and misleading article! Most of the article was spent talking about a hypothetical moon around a gas giant. The article briefly mentions the "5th" planet:
"Marcy said the discovery of the fifth planet "has me jumping out of my socks" - not just because of the habitable-zone angle, but because it indicates that planetary systems like our own appear to be more common than astronomers thought just a few years ago"

But they don't go into anymore detail! That is the "important" planet. Instead, they talk about the technique used to find it. Interesting, indeed, but not the supossed purpose of the article.

I don't even know if the writer understood what he is reporting! What next? An article about the heliocentricity of our solar system? Blasphemy!

Newfound planet could support life

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:22:38 GMT

It's great to know that planet formation is so wide spread in the galaxy. Given the range of possibilites it's just about certain that other earth-like planets exist with varying size and complexity. It's hard to imagine a lifeless water world with continents and some form of atmosphere where weather and seasons occur; where the endless crashing of sea upon shoreline happens, with no coral reefs, no sea birds and no vegetation.

Newfound planet could support life

Alex, Miami, Florida — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:26:21 GMT

You all do know that at one time it was common knowledge that the world was flat and that there was no way possible that a man would walk on the moon. Personnaly, I hope there is something out there. I think we are a little egocentric anway.

Newfound planet could support life

Melanie T. Paducah KY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:27:10 GMT

we would be pretty small thinkers to believe that we are the only liveable planet out there...but what if people, just like us...humans, not green slimy things with eyes in the middle of their foreheads ( I believe in creation...and that all men were created in God's image) what if there are already humans living there? has anyone stopped to think that we may be wanting a place to go once earth is spoiled, that is already fully inhabited? Just a thought, have you ever thought about how far the universe goes...does it even end, and if not...how many more "earths" are there?
Love reading all your opinions and views...that is what makes a blog...

And mark...I am new to KY, where is the creationism museum, sounds interesting...or was it a southern joke?

Newfound planet could support life

John — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:38:24 GMT

"How do you see 41 light years away? I do not understand how you get the information back before 41 years. I did not understand relativity very well in school. Please help."

It doesnt have anything to do with the theory of relativity. If you look up at the sky and see a star, lets say that star is 10 light years away, all you are seeing is the light it emitted 10 years ago and now reaching earth. As to tell whats on the planet and such you cant, only the chemicals and sortd from light absorbtion. Oxygen absorbs green, so if there is no green in the spectrum analysis it is safe to say there is oxygen. google it for more details.

Newfound planet could support life

Zeestephen, Seattle — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:39:57 GMT

Noel - the light we see from the "Cancri" star was generated at a particular point in space 41 years ago. That light is now just reaching Earth. Astronomers use "spectographic" instruments, like prisms, to analyze the light, which enables them to measure many things like how far the starlight traveled, how massive the star is, and how hot it is. With this information they can also make much less precise measurements about very large planets that orbit the Cancri star. Cancri's planets do not generate light, they just reflect light, or eclipse it. We actually can't see the planets because they are so far away, but we can infer some information about them because of the impact they have on Cancri's starlight. Cancri is inside our own galaxie, The Milky Way, so its distance and location from the Earth is basically constant, about 240 trillion miles, so "Relativity" does not really apply to this case. But, most of the stars we see in the sky are actually in other galaxies and are moving away from Earth, and Relativity does apply. The point of light we see for most stars is no where near where those stars actually are, right now, in the universe. Not only have those stars moved a huge distance, but the "Space" between Earth and those stars expanded, literally, the "Space" itself has expanded. That is one aspect of Relativity.

Newfound planet could support life

Jhay Vento — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:29:18 GMT

For me, it's a waste of time. We should spend our time and money to the main problems that our world is facing today. Like poverty, crimes or terrorism, etc... Do you want to know if there's life outside our planet? Or do you want to know if universe has bounderires? Well, theres a book that answers all those questions that human knowledge cant answer. There's an alotted time to discover the whole truth about the universe and this is not the time and humans will not be the one to tell it.

Newfound planet could support life

Tdif — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:33:24 GMT

If life came from "out there" why would they drop us of and we have no "proof" life the adress..if we came from space I do not think they would just dump us think about it there is proof we were cave men If we were put here by an advanced civilization why were we not more advance at a earlier time then we are now?

Newfound planet could support life

Daniel Stone, Niantic, CT — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:35:48 GMT

With the universe as old as it is, it is reasonable to assume life could have formed near the beginning. Besides primitive life, chances are we could only find ancient ruins of alien civilizations on habitable planets....possibly filled with as many crumbling monuments to their false gods as we have.

Newfound planet could support life

Charles Andelfinger, HAWTHORN, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:48:18 GMT

Considering that there are 30 billion trillion stars in the visible Universe, it would be as unresonable to suppose that life does not exist somewhere there, as to suppose that there is only one blade of grass in the whole of Sahara desert.

Newfound planet could support life

Ron Webb, New Port Richey, Florida — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:57:44 GMT

I have a question. Why are we so interested in another planet? Are we planning to start a mass transit flight to get us off earth? This is a total waste of money where the means don't justify the end. If we are searching for Heaven, try the Bible, not a space ship. John Kennedy said back in the 60's we should land a man on the moon by 1970, we did. We have been lost in space every since then. I would much better lay off the people at NASA than lay off workers that are paying for this nonsense.

Newfound planet could support life

GML NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:04:56 GMT

Noel Garcia, Springdale Maryland asked how we see 41 light years away...look at the stars. We see the light they emitted 41 light years ago (if they are 41 light years away)...We "see" sunlight approx 2 minutes after our sun creates it...the sun is approx 93 million miles from earth and light travels at approx 786 thousand miles a second...in 10 seconds light travels nearly 8 million miles. In 100 seconds, approximately 80 million miles. In 115 seconds 92 million miles...We'll never escape our solar system. The distances are too great. Even if it is possible to exceed the speed of light, we'll never get the chance to try. Earth is overdue for an Ice Age and that will pretty much end our ability to continue space exploration. We'll be reduced to scavenging for food and fuel...Are we alone in the universe? Since the universe is infinite (wrap your mind around that) it is inconceivable that we are unique (the only planet with life). Is there humanoid life on other planets? Probably. Did God create the universe? Probably not. Not that faith in a supreme being is a bad thing, humans need to have something to look forward to (afterlife) otherwise there would be a general malaise and probably anarchy. Religion is the use of faith based beliefs to control the masses. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Newfound planet could support life

GML NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:15:08 GMT

correction...186 thousand miles a second...not 786...redo the math...sunlight takes around 6 minutes to reach us....I am tired. creationists...what was God doing all those years before he decided to create the universe? what was that? a clap of thunder? What caused that? Zeus? How silly...

Newfound planet could support life

Ed, MI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:23:56 GMT

We need to start building the 500 year spaceship immediately. And no, I'm not joking.

Newfound planet could support life

Carlos Gomez — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:32:03 GMT

well kitty, it is fascinating. In II Kings we read: And it came to pass, when the Lord would take Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal and behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by whirlwind into heaven. ( So Kitty maybe it did happen...) and what about the Sumarians??? An their tales on the stones??? Ah yes, what about the Atlantis theory??????? ok, so it is real and we may be on the verge of discovering what happened long ago?

Newfound planet could support life

Jessica, Lyndon Station, Wisconsin — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:34:05 GMT

I think if there was a god, it would be in all of us. Not just one super being, as most of you think. There has to be life on other planets. There is more than we will ever know. It's the universe, it goes on forever.

Newfound planet could support life

Squirel, Black Hole, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:38:29 GMT

So...much...ignorance...

Newfound planet could support life

Dan, Hemet, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:46:32 GMT

Welllllllll...as a matter of fact, the notion that people came from space is advocated by a few astrobioligists, most notably Dr. Chris McKay.
The theory is called panspermia and suggests that the stuff to make was delivered by comets which also gave us our water.
Out in space, astronomers have done spectroanalyses of gigantic clouds of dust and gas called molecular clouds and discovered organic molecules in them; carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.
These are made inside huge, short-lived stars that explode and when solar systems form from the clouds, the molecules go with them.
The idea that microorganisms came here is pushing it but the stuff we're made of did come from space.

Newfound planet could support life

Arthu Ditu -Singapore — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:50:40 GMT

Life begun in Earth when the temperature was right and the necessary chemicals happened to be together. The cocktails baked to create the first cells for life. Eventually, cross breeding produced greater beings and so on...until humans emerged. The same will happen in other worlds. I am a strong believer that there are many beings out there - some much more advanced than us. They could be here right now in any form.

Arthu Ditu

Newfound planet could support life

Lee M — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:51:23 GMT

Finding extra solar planets seems cool, but even if we somehow figure out how to get there alive in one piece(warp drive, hyper-sleep, etc..), what makes anyone think we can live there. I feel that if the said planet is capable of supporting life, it will probably have some sort of life on it(primitave, equal or advanced). How many new or mutated diseases do we encounter here on our own planet on a regular basis?. What makes you think that we will have the ability to find and stop all the "alien" diseases we find there?
I would like to believe in an altruistic man, but I don't see him comming anytime soon. And the money being spent on this could be better spent elsewhere. No offence astronimers & NASA, but if it's gonna take 15 years and $150 billion to start a program that won't show a potential to help things here on the planet we are already on for 50 years after it starts, I don't see the point. Don't get me wrong, I would love to be one of the chosen few to go offroading at Utopia Planitia(I won't be. I'm over 40, asmathic with arthritis).
I don't want to end exploration, But I don't see how we can continue to spend the money on something that has such a small return spaced over such a long time. The only bigger waste of govenment funds is the slush fund that congress gives itself to hand out to its constituents tax-free for what ever they want(like a tea pot museum).

Newfound planet could support life

Dan, Hemet, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:56:41 GMT

At some point, whether we do anything about our environment or not, we'll eventually have to leave earth to survive.
Yes, the sun will die 4-5 billion years but we actually have far less time than that.
The sun is getting hotter and our 'goldilocks zone' is moving further out.
In about 1 million years, it will be too hot for anything living today to survive.
Plus, the moon is moving away from us and in just 350,000 years it will be gone.
No more tides and eclipses and also without the moon to keep earth stable, earth will tumble on it's axis causing an environmental disaster of biblical proportions.
Finally, the earth may become tide-locked to the sun; one side always facing the sun and getting scorched, the other facing space and freezing.

Newfound planet could support life

Sky, Cheyenne, WY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:00:01 GMT

Either we're alone in the universe, or not; either concept is mind-blowing...

Newfound planet could support life

T. O. Logian, Chicago, IL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:04:21 GMT

Let's just all assume for purposes of discussion that there is a God and (choose one) he/she/it is an all-knowing, all powerful being.

Does it not stand to reason that any being that could create our world could also create 10,000 or 100,000 or 100,000,000 more worlds like ours? Or different than ours?

The book of Genesis says that God "created the heavens and the earth". Well, these other planets are part of the heavens.

I just don't see where believing in life (or the possibility thereof) on other planets is the complete rejection of God and creationism, as some would have us believe. In fact, it seems if you're a true believer in creationism, you would have to believe any other life we discover was also created by God.

As long as I'm on a roll and have the book of Genesis out, who's to say that God didn't intend for all life to evolve from bacteria? Sure, God is supposed to have created everything in six days, but how long is a "day" to a being that is eternal?

Food for thought.....

Newfound planet could support life

G. Green Dalian, Liaoning, PRC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:08:18 GMT

the absense of proof for a thing does not mean that it is not true. This goes for God or Alien origions.
"you can't prove God exists (or doesn't) therefore God doesn't exist (or does). This type of (non)logic doesn't work.

Newfound planet could support life

Vlad Draculae, Indianapolis, Indiana — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:13:37 GMT

The problem with saying life originated from outerspace is that of course it did. wether it was on the surface of our planet or not, its all in the same place. space. i am honestly of the opinion that it doesnt matter how much of the universe we were to explore, because in the end it will make no difference. if current science is right (and they have quite the convincing argument) then the universe is in a constant state of exploding, expanding, stopping, and contracting until its all bunched up and explodes again. besides, by the time we figure out how to get out of our galaxy it wont matter because our galaxy would have already eaten earth. i put very little faith in the progress of science, as current hot-topic issues and history have proven that religion, no matter which one, has always held science back. and it probably always will. such an example in our time: stem cell research. most religions are outwardly protestant against it, and we call it unethical. but i do not see whats wrong with it, i mean, if the money were put into it, and they were to stop trying to make everyone happy, then they'd probably be able to grow my step-father a new liver, and he wouldnt have to die a slow and painfull death.

Newfound planet could support life

hari,india — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:25:21 GMT

a feather on the hat of science
another blow to the legs of religions

Newfound planet could support life

Ed. Oahu, HI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:25:47 GMT

Can't we all just get along?

Newfound planet could support life

Timothy Lang, Salem, MA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:53:32 GMT

There was a thought process behind all life as we know it. It's sad that we live in such an agnostic and atheistic world. Human beings are very egotistical creatures. We seem to find it hard to admit that a force beyond ourselves exists.

While I do respect the theories and hypothesies of scientists, I still believe in our LORD above. All life originated from HIM and by HIM.

No matter where you stand on this issue, there is something good about this debate. It shows that some of us in this world have an intellectual curiosity about something other than all of the celebrity fodder people are so fixated on.

Newfound planet could support life

Baruch Lawrence, North Hollywood, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:01:14 GMT

The theory that life on earth came from space is called "Panspermia", and it is a theory taken seriously in mainstream astro-biology and even in broader evolutionary theory. The theory, in its conventional form, doesn't involve intelligent aliens though. It just involves micro-organisms getting blown into space from one planet from a meteor impact, and ending up on another planet (e.g. earth). The advantage to panspermic theories in theories about the origin of life on earth is that it increases the timespan the first simple reproducing chemical that eventually became life had to randomly assemble. (after which evolutiob takes over and the process is no longer random, so you can get gradually more complex forms.)

Newfound planet could support life

Daystar Morninglight — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:02:15 GMT

Well my dear earthlings, well its not too far in the distant future all will be revealed, until then, we have get our house in order, meaning, hatred, greed, wars, and destruction on nature.... It's like this, we fled our world ages ago, to this fruitful garden called earth, now that garden has sour fruit..... But this time, we will only survive to another world if he get in tune with nature... there is not easy remedy for any easy answer to all the questions that we ask each other everyday, or we ask our parish or our leaders, the true answer is in our memories of ages pass, its all within us.... this may sound methaphysical babbling nonsense, but my dear children its what we are made of, our cells carry memories,and the key to the door of our existance lies in the hallway, so let it begin to open up to a long delayed housewarming.....

Newfound planet could support life

Aztec in LA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:06:14 GMT

Your responses are proof that we will never evolve enough at this rate to cooperate and save this planet let alone inhabit others. Everyone is attacking each other's beliefs. Let's hope science proves there is life out there in space and planets like Earth. Im not a religious freak, but just like scientific discoveries, there are mysterious happenings in history to suggest God does exist. An intelligent person can see that the Bible contains many truths about us. Just look at our world today, and read Revelations...or do you think it doesn't count unless Nostradamus wrote it. The Aztec/Maya Calendar's 5th Sun cycle ends on December 23rd 2012...that's deep considering the rate of destruction we are on. How could they have calculated this without true instruments to be this close to calling that shot? Or should we dismiss that too? Every theory supports the other, religious or scientific.

Newfound planet could support life

Mike , Allentown , PA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:11:06 GMT

Hey ! Someone hurry up and build a Warp Drive so we can go and destroy that planet too !!!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Billy, Arizona — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:15:16 GMT

I don't understand how this all works. How do we discover planets like this? Do we see it with our naked eye through a huge telescope or something? Do we actually get pictures? Or is it something else?

Newfound planet could support life

Tony Niemann, Taylorsville, KY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:22:20 GMT

Relax folks. Kitty is obviously interested in the topic like we are are. Fact can be stranger than fiction. What surprises me more than Kitty's words are the tolerance in some of the remarks. In actuality, I find some comments other than Kitty's harder to swallow.

Newfound planet could support life

Scottie, Seattle Wash. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:25:25 GMT

As Spock would say "facinating" this has truly got me interested again in science, i think i will go buy me a telescope and start looking for life right now...

Newfound planet could support life

John Silva, London, ON — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:35:20 GMT

I fully support Kitty's theory. I also Believe in God. In putting these to situations together, God may have been from an enlightened alien race, who seeded earth, as well as a whole bunch of other planets.

Consider this, for an ant, to travel 100 yards maybe a daunting task, and a 100 miles unthinkable. for a human, 100 yds is a 5 minute walk, and 100 miles is probably 1.5 hrs by car. 41 light yrs? for a race that may have seeded the planets would have been like Johnny Appleseed planting apples in a weekend.

Generational Spacecrafts , Yes I mean ones like the Original BSG, large enough to carry people who is intelligent and in varying desciplines, and gene stock, will be able to do it. Sci-Fi channel (and space in Canada) you Rock!!!

Newfound planet could support life

sipra dattagupta,kolkata,(calcutta)india — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:36:57 GMT

About two weeks ago the tv news channels in calcutta(india)showed some bright object which they said could be a ufo in the sky.Many people took pictures and sent it to the channel.Could there be any link?
For further details you could perhaps contact the news channels.I think star ananda was one of the channels that covered this story

Newfound planet could support life

John Doe 2 seattle WA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:39:28 GMT

I think Kitty is right and I'm going to hate leaving her behind.

Newfound planet could support life

Ricky, Houston, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:44:50 GMT

Everyone who believes that life can not exist on other planets besides ours is as small minded as the one's that once thought Earth was the center of the universe. That doesn't mean there's no God, he just much greater that small minded people can understand.

Newfound planet could support life

M. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:44:53 GMT

We dont belong there! The human race is destructive, greedy, irresponsible, arogant, and we don't learn from our mistakes. NO ONE knows WHY or HOW we got here for sure. We certinly won't get there any time soon. And if we would, all we would do is destroy it. Clean up your own little life first.

Newfound planet could support life

Bud Grand Marais Michigan — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:53:25 GMT

Very cool hopefully their is another planet like earth out their,and man will not ruin it.

Newfound planet could support life

Janette, Manchester Great Britain. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:56:30 GMT

I'm amazed that Marcy is so gobsmacked "not just" by the "habitability" of the fifth planet in the 55 Cancri system, but also by the fact that planetary systems like our own "appear" to be more common than scientists first thought. WHY!? He's a scienstist! I'm NOT a scientists but COME ON __ even I can roughly extrapolate, that in a Universe this big, with God knows how many trillions of galaxies (each consisting of God knows how many billions of solar systems), that there just HAS to be CONSIBERABLY more than TEN "earthlike" planets out there!! Okay, they won't all be as close as our neighbouring solar systems, but the HUGE multiplicty of solar systems and galaxies that whirl continuosuly around our heads is enough to convince me that if just ONE solar system outside our own possesses the "habitability angle"; then that discovery alone, multiplied by the billions of trillions of similar possiblities, has to mean that outside our blinkered "vision", the universe is happily teeming with intelligent lifeforms chewing their pentops and wondering about the possibiliy of OUR existence!

Newfound planet could support life

Gladiglad, Bayamón, PR — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:05:23 GMT

Alright, you guys, I'm going to clear up what "Kitty" meant with "our ancestors did for us"... OUR ANCESTORS CAME TO AMERICA TO LIVE IN THE NEW WORLD, TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE... You guys are so funny though!! Anyways, my thoughts about the discovery... Very interesting, are we sure that we want to explore other worlds and actually discover other beings (if they do exist)?? What would we do if they result to be hostile?? I think we shouldn't poke our nose in too far and live our life where God decided to put us. Have a nice day everyone!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Lylah Snow — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:16:15 GMT

Shouldn't you give both the theory that life came from outer space and Creationism a fair chance? Science only scorns Christianity because it wants to; the supposed theories put out there by scientists are just that: theories. The existence of God does not need proof. It is the miracles in life - the changes that occur in the life of a non believer when he or she accepts God, his call to you through life situations, the awesome and heart wrenching presence of the holy spirit when he works in your heart - that prove that there God exists.

Newfound planet could support life

Jonas Andrade, Madeira Island, Portugal — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:16:34 GMT

Came across by chance... I've never seen so many people thinking and trying to reason the unreasonable... we have worse problems to think about down here. Hello, Earth people, your planet has bigger issues such as trying to live on/in it, and you're dreaming with planets light-years away. Isn't that a way of being fanatic too? Please, don't blame God on this.

Newfound planet could support life

Patricia Wilson, Manhattan, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:22:55 GMT

It is very possible for life to originate externally, water contains oxygen, that is why astronomists get excited when they discover the remain of what was once rivers on the moon and other planets.

Newfound planet could support life

Edward Lee Houchins Wayside WV — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:26:58 GMT

The search for other worlds can be viewed theologically and metaphysically. Though to find the scientific truth to this research we must be open to all different possibilities and not let our emotions make the decision. I am a christian, but this does not effect my opinion on the what if's. I look for the concrete evidence to support the findings. Just like evolution, science is evolving. Eventually we will find earth like worlds, maybe life along the way. But if this research helps us on our own planet, it cannot hurt to think outside the bubble for the good of humanity. It's human nature to explore and learn, and it has been like that since the first record of human existance. To conclude, we as a civilization have the ability to accomplish what we set out to do. Science and research only supports or disproves what is already in front of us. It's up to us to make the correct decisions based off scientific facts, not theories or speculations.

Newfound planet could support life

John, Detroit, Michigan — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:35:45 GMT

Does God exist? Of course. All things are real. At worst, he is the beacon of our evolutionary progress. For this unique belief, we are the top species on the planet. Is there life elsewhere? Of course. As humans, are we, as self centered, self important, and selfish as we often are, that ignorant to think there is not? Scientists work tremedously hard to discover the unknown that they forget the inspiration of their genious, where that knowledge came from, or forget the knowledge already existed in world, hidden to the human race, before they uncovered it.

Newfound planet could support life

Yankee, New York NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:42:56 GMT

Does anyone of you learned anything from chemistry? every element, every matter can decay and can transform over a period of billion years... Scientology speaks for itself, and there's always something, some "things", there in the outerspace that can become the building blocks of every essential elements to make one living planet, it just need to have the right ingredients, err elements.

Newfound planet could support life

Danniel — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:45:51 GMT

Hi guys,

What I find so interesting about this, other then having a good laugh at everyone bagging each other, is the fact that NASA is able to calculate the size of a planet, its distance from its sun and the time it takes to orbit its sun.... all from using this Doppler technique, in which a planet's gravitational tug is detected just by the wobble it produces in the parent star. Now that is Awesome!

But I guess the most finite error in the calculation or an unknown factor could significantly change the outcome of this data.

Here is a thought, not sure if it’s been suggested before, but if we could place a robotic probe on a comet or in the gravitational pull of its tail we could record so much information (digital images and atmospheric samples) from its journey and then collect it when it returned from its orbit.

It was just a thought and possibly not practical yet, but how cool would it be if you could log into the onboard cameras from your laptop while it was flying through space and still able to transmit images.. Wow experience a ride on the back of a comet.

Any thoughs?

Newfound planet could support life

John, Hawaii — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:46:29 GMT

Everyone seems to be snapping on Jethris, but I don't recall him mentioning anywhere,that God created life on earth, all he did, was to question Kitty on where she got the facts about aliens putting human life on earth. Heck, I'd like to know as well, and something more concrete then a painting of UFO would be great.

Newfound planet could support life

j rock, Charleston, SC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:46:30 GMT

there is no credible evidence that life on earth came from space, there is credible evidence that there may be life in space. we have never had a first hand experience in the matter, noone. people may have claimed to find factual truths, when in fact, its simply a mistake, or a lie, honestly, wouldnt you want to claim that you found true evidence as to where all life came from? im not calling all scientists liars, but sometimes im sure, they get a little ahead of themselves.

Newfound planet could support life

Jamie, Baraga, MI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:50:21 GMT

I think that we need to keep an open mind, regardless of how mankind started, whether it be out of evolution, Gods wonder, or being placed here by extraterrestrials. If, in the future, we do find a planet that confirms there is life out there, regardless of personal beliefs, I think it would shake the very foundations of our beliefs. We must keep an open mind and have the grace to accept that. And before we start habiting other planets, we need to begin taking care of our own.

Newfound planet could support life

Amanda, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:53:18 GMT

Put our origin problem aside, think, even if we are able to find an earth-like planet that can support earthlings, how are able to get to that place if it is so far away.

Newfound planet could support life

De, Moses Lake, Wa — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:57:46 GMT

Jethris, How pompous you are thinking we are the only "intelligent" life form in the galaxy! There has got to be something smarter than us out there somewhere. As for the the rest of you, before you go dissing any advanced technology. Next time you use that cell phone of yours, check back and see exactly what a Star Trek communicator looked like in the 60's and the capabilities of bluetooth today.

Newfound planet could support life

Dr.W, Orbis Figmentia — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:01:20 GMT

Rick Mazure: Yes, we are figments of your imagination. You just have a really crummy imagination, and most of your figments are barely literate.
And it's all your fault that half of them are religious fanatics and the other half are godless heathens! Make up your mind already, for crying out loud! You're confusing all of us poor figments!
Ad while you're at it, come get that damned 747 the tornado assembled in my back yard!

Newfound planet could support life

Bob, Georgia — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:08:21 GMT

This sounds great. I can't wait to get to this new world and pillage the riches and harvest what ever creatures we can for food. WE would be their greatest nightmare come true!

Newfound planet could support life

Leonardtown maryland — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:08:33 GMT

A signal and a wave from a signal..Thats the only thing thats going to make me even think there is life out there...To many other things have to be right to make life other than orbit near star.. we all knew there have to be billions of planets out there..well us trekkies knew....all along before this rush to find them...

Newfound planet could support life

Bassman, South Carolina — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:14:09 GMT

Isn't it just like humans ... to start attacking each other's statements rather than addressing the subject at hand. I think it's great that these other planetary systems are being investigated. The prospect of simple overpopulation suggests that some day soon, mankind will have to find some place to which to expand. Also, it increases mankind's chances of survival. What if an asteroid or comet were to strike Earth soon? Scientist say it WILL happen ... some day. If mankind exists on multiple planets, it increases our odds of survival. I actually believe that mankind WILL live on other planets some day, probably beginning with Mars and our own Moon first ... and the sooner the better if we wish for out species to survive into the distant future.

Newfound planet could support life

C. Sims Naperville, IL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:15:57 GMT

Wow, this is a science board? No wonder we believe we can start life on other planets. Our "science" tells us we can. The trouble with that type of science, which tells us we are invincible, is that it deflates in the face of reality. We can't even keep a space station in space. I doubt we'll see the other side of 40 light years. As for doubting God, I don't think He is bothered. He loves you anyway, that's why He sent Jesus. Amen.

Newfound planet could support life

Austin, SA TX — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:17:34 GMT

This article only proves how little we know, rember the statement by Fisher about the possibility of ten more planets of earth's size in this "life zone." The fact is that most every star has as "life zone," and presently if we cannot detect an earth-sized planet in this zone, then we really have no idea. It is the proverbial needle in the haystack, but we are colorblind.

Newfound planet could support life

Sapha, Boston, MA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:25:13 GMT

Sooo - Does anyone out there really think that there is "indisputable hard evidence" concerning any theory toward origin? Every stated belief toward origin is just that - theory - If there were hard evidences, we would all e in agreement, not so??

Newfound planet could support life

Ben, Oceanside, CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:30:01 GMT

We [humans] could possibly get a probe to those planets in about 100 years. First, a type of ion-drive can conceivably attain at least 1/2 lightspeed, if not near-lightspeed. This would take 82 years to arrive in that system. Throw in a fudge factor and getting off our collective arses to make it happen... yeah, maybe 100 years.

Newfound planet could support life

Joshua Brower, Junction City, Kansas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:35:59 GMT

I hate to tell you guys this, but a planet in another solar system, without any intrusion onto our own planet, couldn't in all technicality by defintion be dubbed 'alien life.'

Newfound planet could support life

Michael Grassi, Harbin, China — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:43:38 GMT

All one needs to do is to use one's brain, not one's ego attached to a mouth. Learn Cuneiform and translate the tablets for yourself. Research pre-Akkadian sources. There you will find the answers, etched in stone over 5,000 years ago. Or you can play it safe and go back to sleep.

Newfound planet could support life

KWS, sunny South FL. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:44:32 GMT

Quoted from the author of the story, Alan Boyle, "...the quest could answer humanity's deepest questions about life, the universe and everything."

Ummm, I thought that one was already answered: 42

Newfound planet could support life

Paul, hopefulforthefuture — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:46:25 GMT

I feel more sorry for those who think that humans are some kind of cancer who must be stopped from "dispoiling" some other planet. What sad lives these people must lead. To think of yourself and your family as a cancer. Look UP! See the stars! There is a solar system all around us just chock full of usefull materials. Lets go get them!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Bobby Towe sr, Mckee,Kentucky — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:49:25 GMT

All jokes aside , should life be discoverd anywhere else in the galaxy there is no doubt that it will be cause for a complete re thinking of how we view life in general I think we should be prepared to keep an open mind, to think we are the only life out there is arrogant,as to what form life on another planet might be like is anyones guess,and there is no current way of knowing.

Newfound planet could support life

believer, cape town, south africa — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:49:52 GMT

Colin, when looking at a painting, how do you know the painter exists? The evidence is the painting. Likewise, when looking at creation (including outerspace) how do you know there is a Creator? The creation is the evidence. The planets that are being discovered are just another feather in God's cap!

Newfound planet could support life

Randy — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:52:15 GMT

Man is like a cancer on the planet earth. He is literally consuming and destroying the body that gives him life. It appears we are all too eager to go to other cells before we have learned to live in harmony with nature.

Newfound planet could support life

Karrie, Locust Grove, VA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:53:02 GMT

I'm a Christian (please don't hurt me), but I believe there could be life on other planets. I do not think that we came from Venus or Mars, but that we orriginated here. The universe is beyond our comprehension and to say there are planets out there similar to our own is stating the obvious. I just feel if God wanted us to interact with one another we would. He obviously does not. While it's fun to fantasize and wonder about other worlds, I don't see us being able to offer trips to visit distant worlds anytime soon. I guess in our lifetime we will be left to wonder if there is life out there...

Newfound planet could support life

Looey Munn, Rundup MT — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:54:25 GMT

Whoa...speculation is nice, but...First, a very massive planet is inferred, not proven, by some wobbles. Then some artist draws a picture, making the hypothetical planet coloured like earth? Possible, or possibly there is something else out there. Like a planetry-mass black hole in orbit?

NO habitable planets have been discovered, please note. Just an unhabitable one inferred in a potential life zone for human life. Some of you are already talking like the little green men are on their way with loaded spaceships full of goodies to save us.

Tell me, if the odds against life are so great that it takes a whole univese to make them potentially possible once, that we know of with our best science, what are the odds AGAINST two such events. Remember the odds against even one such case happening on its own by random chance.

I find it interesting that people are already slammin "creation" using this as an excuse. Before we even know what, if anything, is out there! Shows to me a very non-scientific bias, and I often wonder why!! What does "creationism" have that is so dreadfully fearful?

I, for one, will be interested in what is found, and in seeing how long before we have instruments sensitive enough to unambiguously detect the imaginary proposed inhabitants of the hypothetical life-supporting planet in this hardly known system.

Of course, if we spend all our time and money making the Global Warming folks rich, and get hit by a known incomming asteroid, guess all will be moot, right?

I have no problem with science looking and studying; I do have a problem with the near-rabid slamming of un-disproven competing theories that is causing so much of the furor!!

Newfound planet could support life

Lee — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:55:17 GMT

Have you ever noticed that when we look for intellengent life all our shuttles our facing away from this planet?

Newfound planet could support life

Dan Whitaker — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:02:29 GMT

I am just now getting into looking at the stars - this is amazing - hopefully we can find out more on this planet - maybe sending a mission (not alive) to this planet. What's 17 million miles to anyone - this can be done.

Newfound planet could support life

kmd — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:05:27 GMT

This is exciting news. Too bad none of us will be alive to actually see if there is life on any of these planets. But I do not understand why that would be hard to believe. If you do believe evolution--then why is it such a leap to think that life could have developed on another planet with a similar atmosphere as Earth?

Newfound planet could support life

Lisa Turner, Bedford, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:07:00 GMT

We can't manage the planet we have and live on. If we can't live with each other without, intolerance, hate, murder, flag burnings and all that follow that, starvation, and general apathy for one another - why bother looking to another planet for hope. Besides, do you honestly think that everyday people will ever have a chance to be a part of something like settling a new planet - only the "haves" get to do these things - the rest of us just have to try to live the best way we can in THIS world. Maybe we should take care of the planet we're on and the people on it before looking to "better, brighter places".

"You must be the change you want to see in THIS world."

Newfound planet could support life

Ken, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:08:28 GMT

We're going to destroy ourselves long before any space travel.We're half way there right now.Never happen.And yes, life did come to Earth piggy back.

Newfound planet could support life

John Doe, Seattle, Wash. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:10:17 GMT

Amazing that there is a debate on kitty and jethris. Kitty wrote something completely unprovable (at least by today's standards).... and obviously so. Jethris pointed this out. He was sarcastic because Kitty presented her belief as a fact. Jethris is oversensitive because he is sick and tired of the lack or rationality in debates over origins.

Aside from those of you who responded with humor, this was not the point of the article. I declare declare dibs on the dark side of the moon!

Newfound planet could support life

Richard, Athens, GA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:13:02 GMT

It is not unrealistic to believe, like Kitty, that life originated from outer space. A great deal of the amino acids that make up our bodies are not native to this planet, so anything is possible. Also, the countless UFO sightings throughout history suggest that if advanced life forms on other worlds have discovered us along the way, they are doing the very thing we do now -- sending scientists to investigate. What an exciting discovery!

Newfound planet could support life

Sanda Deigh — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:13:02 GMT

This is great. Without a science article like this, there would be no website where we could go and make comedy like we are doing right here right now.

Newfound planet could support life

The Wise One — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:17:59 GMT

As exciting as it may be, I would prefer space exploration take a back seat to cleaning up our planet.

Newfound planet could support life

Karla Ellis, PA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:18:32 GMT

For those of you who are wondering about a citation for life from outer space, might I suggest the Miller experiment? The guy did, after all, create amino acids in the laboratory, AND it is believed that amino acids are the building blocks of life (I'm not make that up; just take any historical geology course and the prof will tell you the same thing). It is therefore completely logical that the first life on earth did indeed come from outer space; at least, in the primordal sense, it was created by objects from outer space.

As a cultural anthropologist/historical archaeologist (I'm working on a master's in the subject), I find it highly illogical to assume that we are the only sentient beings in an extremely vast universe. To put things in perspective, Sol System is merely one solar system in one arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, which is only one galaxy in the universe. I also find it extremely ethnocentric of H. sapiens to portray other sentient beings as greeting us as "Greetings, Earthlings," as *any* sentient being is going to call his home planet Earth, or at least something very similar.

Newfound planet could support life

john b., odessa, tx. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:19:26 GMT

I love my nation and its people. I fought as a US Marine for 12 years to ensure everyones right to believe whatever they want and talk about their beliefs openly. However, not every scientific finding or theory needs or deserves to be a forum on the existence or lack of existence of God. Funny how one statement can spark such religious fervor. I personally believe in God, but if we cant even keep our air clean, how are we supposed to travel 41 light years to a virgin (or not) planet that is ripe for habitation? Lets fix whats broke, then think about interstellar travel.

Newfound planet could support life

Armtrong winona,mn — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:22:23 GMT

Are we that arrogant to think that we are the only life? I have to believe that there is more than meets the eye. Religious or not it is a quest. lets not give up

Newfound planet could support life

Doug, Moore, Ok — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:25:31 GMT

41 light years..So at the 17,400 mph the shuttle travels in space it would take close to half a millinium to get there. Sounds like a bunch of hog wash.

Newfound planet could support life

Kim - Waco, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:29:33 GMT

Jethris, while Kitty's comments suggest that humans came to earth as an already evolved sentient being (which is not a very scientifically viable hypothesis) the idea that life on earth originated from outer space is not so far fetched in and of itself. Many scientists have postulated that the origins of life on earth came here by hitchhiking on an asteroid which impacted our planet. As Dr. Carl Sagan who once said, "We are made of the stuff of stars".

Newfound planet could support life

Jack — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:30:51 GMT

All this is a sad commentary on humanity's view of origins. Evolution doesn't make ANY sense, people. It's impossible. We have scientific laws that make it impossible. Nothing goes from simple to complex without pre-programmed intelligence. Intelligence doesn't vaporize out of thin air. The Law of Cause and Effect screams a Creator. This will problably end up being another tax payer sink hole like SETI.

Newfound planet could support life

Pancho — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:31:05 GMT

Hey Rudy, how can you believe in creation so blindly and not take other possibilities into consideration. I guess it's the "blindly" part. Let's just assume that "GOD" or whatever you want to call it is responsible for "everything". Everything includes the whole universe. Do you think "GOD" created everything and is solely concerned with this one little planet??
That seems most incredible.

Newfound planet could support life

Jim London Ont. Canada — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:32:56 GMT

I still think myself that man would have to be arrogant to beleave that he is the only intellegent being in the universe.

Newfound planet could support life

Hans, Boston, MA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:33:20 GMT

Kitty, if we do find other earth-like planets and if earthlings do out of necessity feel compelled to emigate to them, what obligation would we have to first get permission from any intelligent beings who might live there? I mean, just because these planets are there does not mean that we have a "right" to settle on them or that our species was "intended" (however you read that) to be anywhere OTHER than Earth. Imagine if our immigration problems on Earth were compounded by uninvited extraterrestrials deciding to "move" here?

Newfound planet could support life

Devil Dog, Jacksonville, NC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:33:24 GMT

Noel,
You are right, since light is the fastest travelling anything that we currently know of, we will not get the information back for 41 years. However, those planets existed a lot longer than we've been looking at them. It is possible what they are looking at is just a time delayed image of the planets 41 years ago. Kind of like stars. The ones we are looking at today, a bunch could have burned out yesterday, but we won't know it for tens, hundreds, possibly thousands of years.

Newfound planet could support life

Jordan, Illinois — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:34:05 GMT

if you people didn't already know the origin of life on Earth, the reason anything is living on here today is the cause from single celled organisms, particulary thought bacterium, arrived on earth carried by possibly meteors. These bacterium formed into algae, which held the capabality of photosynthesis and created oxygen for us to breathe. The bacterium adapted to their surroundings and evolved. It took a few billion years of course, but it happened. No one knows why or where from the bacterium came from however. But kitti is right, aliens did literally cast life on us. Yes, bacteria from outerspace IS considered alien life.

Newfound planet could support life

b. Hardy — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:34:40 GMT

I want to thank Kitty for putting me up for a week so that I could get a "grip" on humanity here on earth. Life is similiar on Capri-1 and I must say I have enjoyed my stay here on earth. Sorry I have to leave so soon, but promised my kids I'd take them to church in 2 days.

Newfound planet could support life

Rollo — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:35:49 GMT

Noel Garcia asked

"How do you see 41 light years away? I do not understand how you get the information back before 41 years."

Actually, we're seeing light that left this planetary system 41 years ago. We can't see what's going on there now, but we can assume that the star and planets there are haven't changed drastically in the last 41 years.

Newfound planet could support life

Jordan, Illinois — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:35:57 GMT

I'd also like to point out whoever said manned missions have only been taken 300-400 miles is quite funny to hear, as the moon itself is a couple hundred thousand miles away. :)

Newfound planet could support life

Lance, Buffalo, NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:36:42 GMT

Kitty's theory is just as good as any other theory, God or otherwise. People tend to forget that the whole God/Creation story is just as much a theory as big bang, etc.

Many Native Americans use to believe that the Earth was the shell of a giant living turtle, the sole cradle of all life. I'm sure many battles were fought over it and many lost their lives sticking to those beliefs or trying to prove otherwise. Guess what, they were wrong. We now scoff at the idea.

Personally, the God creation theory sounds just as archaic to me. Filled with voodoo and magic. I respect the theory and those who have blind faith, but I find it extremely difficult to buy into now that we have evolved into a race that can evaluate evidence, perfrom brain surgery, clone animals, perform complex mathematics, put men into space, yadda yadda yadda.

Many believe that Earth is the cradle of all life, the one and only magic planet. History once again repeating itself. Fear what we don't understand and make up happy stories to make ourselves feel better.

I pretty much came to the conclusion long ago that Earth is but a speck of sand among the cosmos. From what I see on the news daily, we may even be located somewhere around the septic tank of the cosmos.

Only when we put aside our old beliefs will our eyes be open to see the truths that are out there waiting to be discovered..

It's simply a matter of time.

Newfound planet could support life

daddyboy, Alex., VA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:36:42 GMT

last time I checked it wasnt that serious. Its a great find that needs to be explored further, but other than there's really know need for the theological/scientific debate.
At the end of the day if we cant control what we have here (poluution, ozone, etc.), what purpose does it all serve at the end?
NADA!

Newfound planet could support life

Skip - Corinth, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:39:04 GMT

I find it quite interesting that so many people are willing to put Kitty's ideas aside in view of their own - " This is the way it is and anything else is wrong ". If there were to many people like that, then we would have few and far between inventions, inovations and research. For me - I'm open to most all thoughts. Have I seen God? No. Do I think there is one? I DON'T know. But I think that somewhere there is a being more advanced that the humans on this planet called "earth".

Newfound planet could support life

Sky — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:39:07 GMT

Kitty and Kevin
Many people believe that "Earthlings" were brought here as seeds from another planet. Perhaps we so so because we have some memory remnants from another world. It would help explain some ancient archeological finds.
The universe is so vast that for me strange things seems probable, except the possiblity of a supernatural being who zapped the entire planet into existence during a single week.

Newfound planet could support life

John G, Milwaukee, WI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:39:07 GMT

I see a lot of you are open to the thought that life came from our own solar system. How about this for deeper thought.

The Asteroid belt at one time "Used" to be a planet, heck we can even give it a name out of history… "Atlantis". Its in a stable orbit, contains all the elements of a planet and is closest to the two most spatially affected planets in our system.

I believe man came from their. At some point the scientists developed technology that resulted in the destruction of the planet.

Chunks of the planet blew out and hit Mars (deep impact shifted entire tectonic plate, blew off atmosphere) Jupiter (large enough chunk caused giant storm) Saturn (moisture caught in orbit create rings) various moons, Earth (chunk hit, deep impact caused global ice age.)

Survivors may have lived in pyramid shaped vessels, in stasis or genetic banks.

Created "Missing Link" on Earth when they merged their genetics with existing life, for species survival on a hotter, more oxygen rich planet.

Newfound planet could support life

Bert, Salem, VA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:40:46 GMT

RobbS,
I don't think we came from outerspace. However your Enterprise comment is interesting. You may be right but maybe not. If you study space travel the two main impediments are liftoff and navigation. Since there is no resistance (gravity) in space you can basically exponentially increase your speed. The problem is enough fuel. They use over 90% escaping the atmosphere, so if they can get everything into space (say with a space elevator) they could probably develop the technology for the speed. New supercomputers could probably handle the navigational part if it was needed (so they don't crash into a star). So, with the right breakthrough(s) the Enterprise could be reality sooner than we think.

Newfound planet could support life

Gene Ritz — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:43:31 GMT

We are barely inching out of the dark age of ignorance, whereby the Earth was flat, and the Sun rotated around the Earth, otherwise, death in a burning pyre or cyanide were the only options. Now, for perhaps the first time in ages, we are glimpsing at the possibilities of life outside our own planet. The universe, being the vast, immensurable vastness that it is, surely has place for many more places like ours, or at least similar. It's just a matter of arrogance, ignorance, and sheer stupidity to deny the fact that there is life in remote places, other than our own. But then again, fearmongering rules. Or doesn't it?

Newfound planet could support life

Hoipolloi, Wichita, KS — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:43:34 GMT

I'm just reading about this newly discovered planet system and it's very exciting...very intriguing! :) I
myself consider myself an amateur astronomer and have
always been a "stargazer." I think that I am in agreement with Kitty's comment and although it's not
likely that I'll be around when it occurs, I do believe that future generations will make discoveries
that will debunk EVERYTHING that we've been taught with regard to humankind's origin! No offense but I don't envision or believe that there is a GOD that looks down up on us and scrutinizes ALL that we do?
Sorry for the discourse...this is my first blog!

Newfound planet could support life

Carroll albritton, Okeechobee, Fla, — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:45:37 GMT

Myself I do hope we are not alone in this thing we call life and the universe, for one thing that would bring this world together would be a visit from out there. As for Kittys view yes possible for where is God out there and where are we here. Evolution is an ongoing thing shown everyday around us, who's to say it's not Gods plan, and that He didn't do it somewhere else out there it is a big place. Working together we as a united planet could achieve the goal of reaching a distant livable planet in our children's life time and a known and confirmed visit would help bring this about. Science and religion goes on now because of different views don't knock it down because you don't agree with it, they may be proven right...... I'll wait for the answer and see...

Newfound planet could support life

JP, Columbia SC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:47:13 GMT

For all the comments about separating fact from fantasy, keep in mind -- Isaac Asimov dreamed up an electronic man who had a mind of his own -- now we have robots. MRI machines were inspired by devices on Star Trek. Don't squash creativity. As it's been said before, it took imagination and courage for early settlers to say "You know, I wonder if there's life out there beyond that ocean."

Newfound planet could support life

Missy — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:48:08 GMT

Kitty may not have any proof but maybe that's just what her belief is. Who really knows how we got here. Do any of you have solid proof that there's a God or that what's written in the bible is true? No you don't, but yet Most people do believe in the existance of God and then go the Church on Sunday and read and study the Bible.

Do I believe in alien life? sure, the universe is an infinate place...what makes us so egotistical to think that in all the universe we're the only planet to harbor life. That was no weather balloon that crashed in Roswell NM back in 1947. Maybe life on this planet did originate from another.

Newfound planet could support life

Dennis, Chicago, IL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:50:36 GMT

In defense of Kitty, all the ingredients to create life are found in the vacuum of space. This is from the Discovery Channel, not the Sci-Fi channel.

Newfound planet could support life

TRE, HBG, PA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:53:30 GMT

A QUESTION FOR THE BLOGGER AND ALL THE NITWITS I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO READ ALL THEIR RESPONSES... WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THERE'S NOT LIFE ON OTHER WORLDS? JUST BECAUSE WE AS HUMANS CAN'T LIVE THERE DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS NO LIFE. WE CAN'T LIVE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN ON OUR OWN PLANET, BUT THERE'S LIFE THERE. THERE'S BACTERIA ON OUR OWN PLANET THAT CAN LIVE IN SULFURIC ACID, WHERE WE AS HUMANS WOULD MELT, BUT THEY FLOURISH.

JUST BECAUSE LIFE HERE EXISTS ON A FEW ELEMENTS DOESN'T MEAN IT DOESN'T EXIST ELSEWHERE ON OTHER UNDISCOVERED ELEMENTS THAT THOSE LIFE FORMS ARE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES ON. MAYBE THEY HAVE A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS THEM TO EAT AND DRINK ACID AND EXPEL WATER, WHO KNOWS.

OH AND TO THOSE BIBLE READERS... YOU ARE BASICALLY READING A BIOGRAPHY OF A GUY WHOM WE DON'T EVEN KNOW EXISTED. THESE PEOPLE WROTE IT AND MADE UP MANY OF THE STORIES ABOUT HIM. SERIOUSLY, WITH THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF DIFFERENT ANIMAL AND PLANT SPECIES, INCLUDING INSECTS ONLY ABLE TO LIVE IN THE DESERT FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE NOAH'S ARK STORY EVEN FEASIBLE? WERE CICADAS AWAKE THAT YEAR?

AND SINCE THEN HAVE WE SEEN WATER TURN INTO ALCOHOL? YES, AFTER THE FERMENTING PROCESS FROM ADDING YEAST AND HOPS TO IT, COOKING, AND WAITING A FEW DAYS.

LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX. THERE'S NO REASON TO BELIEVE LIFE ONLY EXISTS HERE. AND WHEN ONE OF THE ALIEN SHIPS COMES AND FONDLES YOU, ASK THEM A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT ENERGY SO WE CAN GET OFF THIS OIL, CAUSE WHEN WE DO, WE WILL HAVE NO REASON TO BE IN IRAQ.

Newfound planet could support life

jason — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:55:56 GMT

there is billions upon billions of stars in the universe, for us to think that we are the only life in it is errogant. i believe that god created this universe and there are many planets that support life who are many times more advanced and less advanced then we are

Newfound planet could support life

Mike — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:57:31 GMT

Noel Garcia: Exactly, when we look at that star, we are seeing what it looked like 41 years ago, it's hard to imagine being so far from something that it would take light 41 years to reach us, to put it into perspective, it takes light from the Moon 3 seconds to reach us before our eyes see it (600,000mls+), light from the Sun takes 8 minutes (8,000,000mls+).

Why should we infect another planet with war and greed (assuming that one doesn't have it already)? We have all we need or deserve and more on Earth.

Newfound planet could support life

Tom, Baltimore, Md — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:59:07 GMT

funny the front chatter on Mankinds origins.

Playing with that, If God Created the universe and everything and the Meek will inherit the earth, Dores that mean the non meek will get the rest of the universe? Sorta like pushing them into a corner with trash and making them stay there?

On a more thoughtful note
Kitty, We could look for a place to move but we also have to think about others on similar planets who would 1) also be ready to move - messed up the world like us. 2) Be inhabited and xenophobic

As in Hitchickers guide we can't even get involved in local politics yet at our local office at alpha centuri :)

Moving is rife with risks. Would we be compatible? Would we be food? Would we die because of the bugs virus? Would we kill life there because of what we carry. A space Crabgrass bamboo mix to kill off the resident lifeforms.

Nuff said.

Newfound planet could support life

Space Cadet — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:59:37 GMT

The Biblical story of creation does not place limits on how it happened. God is more like THE fundamental astrophysical law that governs everything from planetary movement to how flowers bloom. Only the greatest of fools, Christian or otherwise, would actually believe that God is "human".

Newfound planet could support life

Tina Murphy, Austin, Tx — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:00:21 GMT

Everyone has their own beliefs and ideas about how we came to be....no theory is any more strange or unlikely than the countless theories others have already come up with. Give Kitty a break. She has an opinion, just like the rest of us. No one has definitely ruled out that we may have come from space.....we sure didn't hatch from eggs...or did we??

Newfound planet could support life

Peter Taylor, York, England — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:00:45 GMT

Obviously none of you guys across the Pond have read 'Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams. Earth was inhabited by the rejects - hair dressers, marketing assitants, documentary film makers etc - from a far off planet whose inhabitants were fed up with the useless third of their society. If any of you don't believe this, just take a look at you leader, President Dubya. There's proof of genealogoy if you need it!

The Rover

Newfound planet could support life

Mr Truth, Rockford, IL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:01:12 GMT

I strongly agree with Jethris. Kitty and her friends have been following everything surreal and sci-fi a little too religiously. Before you UFO believers take your missed doses of bipolar meds ask my why Chewbacca and Star Trek Voyager haven't assisted us in defeating the nefarious Osama Bin Laden. But I'm ready to check out 55 Cancri

Newfound planet could support life

Preston, Raleigh, NC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:01:16 GMT

Worst Thread Ever.

Newfound planet could support life

Kathy Blackstone, Centerburg, Ohio — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:01:33 GMT

Wow how exciting another solar system. God was busy. Maybe we should give him a sci-fi name like Zanius, that would certainly support Kitty's theory. All I know is that New Testament writtings have been dated back as far as 50-60 CE and that's proof enough for me.
Star Gazer

Newfound planet could support life

Robert Z — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:02:44 GMT

All your comments are more entertaining than the dicovery of a possible new "Lifelike" planet.

Newfound planet could support life

Kristi, Atlanta Ga — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:03:54 GMT

Isn't it ironic.....that in such a joyous time and after years and years of hard work from "outer space" researchers......we find it more entertaining and unifying to all jump on Kitty! = ) The human race has a long way to go.....or have we went far enough? I guess that will be up to our alien ancestors to decide.

Newfound planet could support life

SeventhSon — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:04:06 GMT

If you decide to ride MARTA from Atlanta it might be 41 light years until you get past I-985 at the present traffic gridlock.

Newfound planet could support life

anonymous one — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:05:02 GMT

God is the ultimate scientist, so why is it so hard to believe that both sides are correct. come on now, do any of you really believe that our conscienceness just came from nowhere, i believe it takes a conscienceness to create conscienceness. We are too arogant of a species if we believe that we are the only beings in the universe.

Newfound planet could support life

BL72, Mothership — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:06:27 GMT

Greetings, earthlings. You guys are doing great. It is superb entertainment for our entire planet - Zeekblekiaa. I personally have 4-1 odds on what you call the U.S. taking over the entire planet within the next 8 earth years. JN57 is the guy that bet me - what a sucker bet. By the way, we'll be down to pick up "G-Dub" (real name DF89) in the year 2008.
Keep up the great work! Very entertaining.

Newfound planet could support life

Chris Bauch, Guelph, Ontario — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:08:08 GMT

Noel, it is analogous to how sound waves travel. If a ship off-shore blows its foghorn, it takes a few seconds for the sound to reach you. The hornblow you hear now was actually emitted a few seconds beforehand. Same with light waves: when we are looking at a star that is 41 "light-years" away, it means the light that we are now looking at left the star 41 years ago...

Newfound planet could support life

T.E — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:09:22 GMT

Imagine how far the money sent to outer space could go in cleaning up our own planet !! Let's fix ours before we go looking for some other planet to trash !!

Newfound planet could support life

Jose Orjuela, New York, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:11:35 GMT

Well, regardless of any of the above arguments, we, as a whole race or even in small pieces will never make it there, so get all riled up about it? Think about it, before anyone set's foot on any planet in that system, roughly 9 billion people will die from old age on this planet!!

Newfound planet could support life

Jennifer, Atchison, Kansas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:12:55 GMT

Noel, we see what was there 41 years ago. At least that is how I understand it. Maybe if there is someone out there that is more knowledgable about physics and astronomy than how to mock each others beliefs, someone could explain how it works better. It is a very good question.

Newfound planet could support life

Yoda, Auburn, Alabama — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:13:25 GMT

Speculation, speculation, and not a lick of facts in the comments. None of us was here thousands or millions of years ago. There wasn't a camera or oil painting. Nothing there to truly see and record how life began. And we can't recreate what supposedly happened with an experiment. No scientific proof, and mindless chatter.

Newfound planet could support life

Matt St. Cloud, MN — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:15:45 GMT

Yeah, that would be pretty cool if they found life on one of those planets... I wonder if their oil is $97 a barrel??

Newfound planet could support life

Jose Orjuela, New York, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:15:58 GMT

By the way, if life is a natural occurence on this planet, it most certainly has it's roots in material that comes from somewhere outside of the where our planet happens to lie. So, the materials of life originate out there, and therefore, life comes from out there, at least the potential for it.

Newfound planet could support life

Simeon, Colorado Springs, CO. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:16:14 GMT

Colin from Milwaukee, Do you have any proof that we came from slime or toads or even from another planet from a long time ago ?

Yup, didn't think so

Nobody has 100% proof of where we came from. They are all theories. I believe everyone will find out where they came from after they die. Whether it be Heaven, Hell or some other place that allows you to have 70 or so virgin wives. Regardless, whether you are a creationist or evolutionist everyone uses faith to follow their beliefs.

Newfound planet could support life

TDG, NYC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:16:59 GMT

It is just as likely that live came from an arobic microbe from some random rock. Things can live without oxygen and evolve (yes evolve, it is fact, MRSA for example wasn't always methacillin resistant) to a higher aerobic life form. Or God did it. OR.....to take a Mahayana Buddhist approach to the whole thing-it is all empty anyway. Emptyness doesn't mean value less just means that everything depends on everything else.

Newfound planet could support life

steven, madison, wi — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:20:17 GMT

Noel, I think the images seen are in fact 41 years old. What the scientists see are images of what was happening 41 years ago. 41 years from now, we can see images of what happened in that system today. If there were 5 planets there 41 years ago, they probably are still all there now.

Newfound planet could support life

Nathan, Roanoke, VA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:20:54 GMT

Always funny to watch people criticize one person about criticizing someone else just so they have an opportunity to criticize themselves. Kinda sad too. As far as this new discovery goes, this should give us all hope that someday we will soar with the stars and see new places and discoveries.

Newfound planet could support life

Inquirer — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:21:02 GMT

All you braniacs and self proclaimed physicists trying to educate NOEL on "light years" and "spectographic" instruments still did not answer his question, and no, I apologize, I don't have an answer for NOEL either.

...You see, the problem here is that many are using circular reasoning: "If you look up at the sky and see a star, lets say that star is 10 light years away, all you are seeing is the light it emitted 10 years ago and now reaching earth" How do you know that the star is 10 light years away to begin with?

...Problem here is cirular reasoning. I for one am still preplexed on this issue. Could some intelligent physicist/astronomer (disclaimer: watching the entire series of Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek or Star Wars does not qualify you as an intelligent physicist) please explain... because stating the obivious is just that...STATING THE OBVIOUS!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Noreen B. Cortland, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:22:11 GMT

Leave Kitty to her opinion. After all, there was a time when people thought the earth was flat. Why is it so hard to imagine that "life" exists elsewhere? Stop being so closed minded and egotistical. Imagination is the reason why we have landed on the moon and have an international space station. Think about it. If our race had no imagination, we would still be living in huts without electricity or running water.

Newfound planet could support life

Riley LaFollette, Warsaw, IN — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:23:54 GMT

Not one person in the world knows where or how we came about. All science is are ideas and test and blah blah. Most i believe, some science is far from reality. If anyone really knew, do you think we humans would still be doing what we do now? War, pollution, deforestation?

Newfound planet could support life

Joel, Beaumont TX — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:24:31 GMT

Colin,
Lets not talk about proof. There is no absolute proof, either way, on the origins of life. Science can only take the explanations so far, the rest is theory. Yes theory, the same thing that had the majority of humans believe the universe rotated around a flat earth.

Newfound planet could support life

David Walsh, Herkimer, NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:25:36 GMT

Uh Oh! Someone said Scien**logy!!!
You know that means they can now take you to court for copyright infringement!

No really, if we did come from space. Then the ones that dropped us off are jerks for leaving us with "primitive" technology. And what about all of our history? You would have to assume they sent us here in the stone ages when we were still hanging out in caves and foraging fruits off bushes.

It doesn't make sense, and Kitty, it's too bad your statement gets so much attention.

Newfound planet could support life

Trisha, Tulsa Ok — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:26:35 GMT

you know in all this jumping on kitty and jethris for thier opinions, it seems to have been missed, that in the christian bible it states, that the creator made many worlds, and that so called man was made in their image. now I am not a scientest, nor am I a bible thumper, but if you look at what the science community is doing, it is trying to prove that the creator did make more than one world, and who ever said that the creator was male or female?, as no one has actualy seen the creator. the only commetent that had any sense to it was the one that pointed out the times in history clear back to the samarians, of reports of beings, {gods} if you will, that came from the sky.. as was said, are all those different reports, from different times in history, wrong?... it makes one pause and wonder. and isnt it wonderful that in this country at least, one can voice their own opinion and not worry that as soon as it is uttered there will be a knock on the door from the powers that be... so even if you dont agree with kitty, or with jethris, remember that every one is allowed their opinion, and if you dissagree, do so with restpect. If we want a happier existence on this planet, it might very well start with respecting one another insted of bashing someone just because you dissagree with them.. ok lesson over ..lol.. in my personal opinion, those new planets that are being discovered is exciting. humm, a primative planet that is ripe for colination, one wonders what the peoples who inhabit it thousends and thousands of years later would remember about the first ones to land on the planet.. would they be consider 'gods'.. as noone from this generation was around at the beginning of this world, who knows where we came from.. the creator could have very well been from one of those planets we are now seeking... remember life is stranger than fiction..and as jaded as humanity is now days, even if the truth was shown, would we believe it..??

Newfound planet could support life

phil — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:26:50 GMT

What would be imteresting is, if we someday land on a planet that had life, and the first words out of THEIR mouths would be,
Jesus Christ, look at the aliens.
The key word being "Jesus Christ" if you know what I am saying.

Newfound planet could support life

Someone, somewhere — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:27:00 GMT

Personally I think that God is already inhabiting Gaia 2, we should keep looking. I hear he makes a bad roommate.

Newfound planet could support life

Dave Portland, OR — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:27:30 GMT

It is utterly fascinating to hear of this discovery. I imagine that life could arise on a gas giant. Who says life HAS TO begin on a rocky world? Can you imagine lifeforms that use gases for flotation and propulsion? It may also be that life can begin without the presence of water. If so, this life would be very different from life as we know it. The vastness of the universe and sheer numbers of stars makes it entirely possible, ney, PROBABLE that this universe teems with life. If we could only find a way to go out and find it. WOW!!!!

Newfound planet could support life

Alex, Central FL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:27:53 GMT

I beleive that we currently have the capability to explore our solar system more in depth than we have. Furthermore I beleive that we have the technology to explore nearby systems more in depth. The problem is that we sadly now allow small pieces of cloth, paper, and metal discs to control our destiny. Stupid isn't it?

Newfound planet could support life

James Buchanan — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:29:10 GMT

You're asking a lot of this planet to have Earthlike moons. For starters, dense atmospheres on light bodies require cold temperatures to keep the energy levels of gas molecules from reaching a point of excitement beyond which they can be easily be lost to space. Titan's atmosphere remains dense because it remains VERY cold. Its also largely composed of very heavy complex molecules, rather than simple binary molecules like O2 and N2.

A terrestrial moon would have to be pretty sizable, and fairly young, to have anything resembling Earth's atmosphere. Move Ceres, Titan or Europa another few million miles inward, and you'll have maybe a few dozen million years of atmosphere that will survive before its boiled off and lost to space due to their low gravities.

Newfound planet could support life

ROD S. HAM.ONT — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:30:26 GMT

I hope the alein life form tastes good! Our global expansion was in search of food,(calaries required vs calaries produced ). We could go there with the book, " HOW TO SERVE CANCRI-kind ".

Newfound planet could support life

Lena, Wash., DC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:30:55 GMT

I think this discovery is fascinating. BUT, why do we always assume non-Earth like planets don't have life? Why do we assume any type of alien life needs an environment similar to our own? Imho, that's not less scientific and more arrogant.

I don't think we're alone in the universe either. Like Jodi said "what a great waste of space that would be..."

Newfound planet could support life

Fran, Bushkill,PA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:31:17 GMT

Why is everyone picking on Kitty - She's a right to her opinion like everyone else. But to her point, there is substantiated evidence that the pyramids are vastly older than had been originally thought (10,000 BC or even earlier)and were built long before modern man had the intelligence or technology to do so. IT IS POSSIBLE we as a planet have regressed before we progressed, and the legends of the Titans, Atlantis, etc. are based more on fact than fiction.

Newfound planet could support life

Bertha, Evanston ,Wyoming — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:32:59 GMT

Origins aside, this is an exciting discovery. Let us remember too,that life is very broad. We have found life forms on earth in some of the most depraved and inhospitable environments. A planet does not have to be just like earth to support some form of life, such as bacterial or viral.

Newfound planet could support life

mytana, Cincinnati, OH — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:33:01 GMT

The Greeks worshiped gods and the egyptians built mass temples, and worshiped gods as well. Funny how the Bible NEVER even mentions any of this, or these people. But maybe in it's own way, it is the same as the greeks and the egyptians, all being before the bible. Connect the dots between space and history. The discoveries in space my be soon CONFIRMING the Greeks, Egyptians, and even the Indians.

Newfound planet could support life

Bob Concord, NC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:33:03 GMT

As with all new discoveries there will be some that think we shouldn't be looking. Their are others that feel that we were meant to look or why give us that curisoty thing. As for life past our atmosphere one would have to be moronic to think that we are alone in such a vast universe. Moving on to the Scifi reference more than you realize there is based on probable fact and or theory not yet proven much like H.G Wells and others writers sending people to the moon 75 years ago and to the bottom of the oceans. So were does science fiction end and reality end and begin. Before I leave I would like to state that with a little research you will find that there have been approximately 3755 GODS worshiped by man since we started digging on religon and now we are down to 2.

Newfound planet could support life

Gary Serock, Masontown, PA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:33:13 GMT

The problem with these forums is that even the unintelligent, uninformed, butt heads get to make a statement. And, it's usually in the form of putting someone down for suggesting anything different than what they know or understand...which is very little I see. No one knows for sure, and as one put it, only death will reveal the answer...maybe. But at this point, anything is possible, from GOD to Alien seeds to a primevel goop. Show some intelligence and listen to people's opinions, give your own, and STFU with the derogatory comments.

Newfound planet could support life

John De Los Santos — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:33:55 GMT

One would have to be narrow minded to believe that we are the only intelligent life,(doubtful sometimes),in the galaxy. No matter which version of creation you believe in, be it the Bible or The Big Bang. You have to wonder if somewhere out there, is there some life form looking as we are. Before we can even begin to look to the stars, we need to address issues here on Earth. Things like War,Poverty,Hate are just some of the issues we need to address. If we can put these behind us, only then can we begin to explore the stars.I don't know about you, but I would be ashamed to meet someone from a far off world with our own world in the mess we are in now.

Newfound planet could support life

Tony C., Danielson, CT — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:34:33 GMT

You know, the argument about a supreme being and life from outer space is interesting. In the end though, they are not mutually exclusive concepts. Kinda puts a crimp in the Bible as a history of mankind, though, Doesn't it?

Newfound planet could support life

Greglioni, Monee Illinois — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:34:56 GMT

Theoretic Physicist say that when they look for any type of life outside our solar system they look for 3 classes: 1st class would have the ability for intergallactic travel for survival purposes, 2nd class would have the ability to manipulate atmospheres and weather patterns for survival purposes and the 3rd class would have the ability to intergallactically travel, manipulate weather patterns and precolonize planets with lower life forms (Carbon based or other) for purposes of survival.
With that being said, I don't think the greatest scientific minds ever are just sitting around galavanting about extraterestrial life with exact specifications and classifications if they have not already found proof of extragalactic life.
Think about what the government has already lied to you about.......In the 80's there were congressional hearing with physicians arguing that cigarette smoke WAS NOT addictive and DID NOT cause cancer. Believing the government about anything is lying to yourself.
As far as all the bible bashers are a few thoughts for you. 1. Where in the Christian Bible, Holy Qur'an or Tora (they are all the same religion based on the Christian bible being based on the Jewish Tora in which a covenant with God is made with Abraham, also which is abided by and stated in the Qur'an) does it say that we are the only life forms in existance? 2. God is smarter than humans.....correct? If Yes. Why wouldn't an ever powerful, ever glorious and ever present God make more beings in his image? He has the technology to do so. 3. What is Gods image? Do you interpret it in physical form because I don't look like my neighbor, who was born without one arm. If you think of Gods image as spirit that opens new doors of thought now doesn't it?
PRAISE BE ALLAH AND GOD BLESS

Newfound planet could support life

Luke Smith, New Haven,Connecticut — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:35:01 GMT

One thing that always gets me when trying to find life on other planets is this. Scientists say life is only humans so if humans can't live on mars then there can't be life there. My point is this there is no way that earth is the only planet with life on it and just because we can't detect life doesn’t necessarily mean it's not there we could be too primitive in our way of thinking to find life.

Newfound planet could support life

Wee Willy Lump Lump — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:37:04 GMT

There are those who believe that life here began out there, far across the universe, with tribes of humans who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. That they may have been the architects of the great pyramids, or the lost civilizations of Lemuria or Atlantis. Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man who even now fight to survive somewhere beyond the heavens...

Newfound planet could support life

Christine, Byron, GA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:38:45 GMT

Ok #1 even if this planet was sustainable for life (H2O and O) you'd be squished. It is 45x greater than earth itself. That means 45x the gravity. #2 if we could travel the speed of light it would take 41 years to get there and according to Einstein you cant go that fast 'cause you'll burn up! #3 who cares where we came from we are here, enjoy it! I just find that it is great and there is a possiblity of life outside our universe even if it is an ameba (misspelled, sorry)or whatever else that that planet could have evolved itself. Now as Noel Garcia said it is 41 light years away and we are seeing it are we seeing what was there 41 years ago? Is it still there. I just find this stuff wonderful and fasinating. Dont ruin it for yourselves, enjoy.

Newfound planet could support life

DFL, Dayton, OH — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:38:47 GMT

I consider the article interesting but hardly exciting. We have managed in the course of human kind to travel to the moon. We have managed to send a craft just beyond the edge of our galaxy. It's akin to our first crawl (one step) to walking to the moon. Until we overcome the problems of travel over vast distances at speeds which are possibly theoretically impossible any discovery is at best an acedemic excersize. We view the universe from some fixed point in space, pick a point which is like looking at a grain of sand from miles away and say we might understand it. From what little I've read we have never seen another planet, we just have assumed they are there because of their affect on shifts in the measureable light spectrums. I applaud our search for knowledge and space exploration is exciting, however, we are in our baby steps and many of the things we fantasize about are just that at this point, fantasy.

Newfound planet could support life

John,Houston,Tx — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:38:48 GMT

Answer these two questions. 1)Do you believe in aliens? 2)Do you believe in GOD? If you answer yes to number two then number one must be true. By definition alien is something or someone not of this world. If GOD created this world, he can't be from this world!

Newfound planet could support life

Steve, Frederick, MD — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:40:08 GMT

Eventually our planet will die. Plate techtonics will cease, and as such the magnetic field will die with it. Our world will begin to look like Mars. Of course this will happen many generations from now, but before the sun runs out of its energy. Beam me up Scotty.

Newfound planet could support life

Avendar dryden, mi — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:40:51 GMT

There is no need to explore possible escape routes for us Earthlings who are indeed "Aliens" as Mother Earth has the capabilities to correct the great damage humans have done to her. People need to pay better attention to the Mayan calendar as time is very short. I will be one of the few to carry on humanity but it will be here on planet Earth and not some other.

Newfound planet could support life

Worm, Odessa, Tx — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:41:31 GMT

I believe we will never reach deep space. We are racing against a time bomb here on Earth and to say we will reach life giing planets is a joke. Until we fix the problems here there will be no future. I personally am waiting for the year 2012 to see if the Mayan Calander is correct and the current Earth as we know it comes to an end and we enter a new dimension. Now that is something I know I will live to see if it is true and not count on a future hundred of years from now because basically I'll be dead.

Newfound planet could support life

Locke - CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:41:39 GMT

Panspermia is the hypothesis that "seeds" of life exist already in the Universe, that life on Earth may have originated through these "seeds", and that they may deliver or have delivered life to other habitable bodies. There is nothing in this hypothesis that refutes creation. The therory of Evolution does not refute creation. As far as getting to these planets that are a long way off - if humanity can reinvent itself - in other words evolve through technology. We can become non-biological and then 41 lightyears would be nothing. We would no longer be temporal beings and the universe would be ours to explore. Open your minds people - think out of the box - it is the only way that humanity will survive. We are not that far away from becoming non-biological - lookup nanotechnology - get used to it people.

Newfound planet could support life

CT Houston, TX — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:44:07 GMT

So do you people believe that one day we just BAM became this intricate system & that our human bodies with such great details just formed out of mid air? I find it hard to believe that we don't have a Maker & we just formed out of nothing. To all their own, but come on.

I do, however, find it interesting that they are finding more planets that could possibly support life. Who knows, MAYBE there is life on that planet much like our own life here...

Newfound planet could support life

Dicie Rocket, Ga — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:44:37 GMT

We all know that there is life on other planets besides earth. It is very egotistical to think otherwise. There have been alien abductions and the government tried to keep this quite for years, but they are no longer able to hide the fact that "we are not alone". And Colin, do you have any proof that God didn't create man from earth- the Bible also speaks of other worlds other than earth. Try reading the Book of Ezekial if you want to read about space crafts......

Newfound planet could support life

Paul, Charleston, SC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:46:06 GMT

Why is everyone accusing Jethris of being a Creationist? He never said anything of the sort. All he did was criticize Kitty's comment, which may or may not have been the BSG Theory of Human Origin on Earth. Whether you agree with Jethris or not, he never claimed a Creationist viewpoint.

Newfound planet could support life

Thomas, Newport, NC, USA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:47:59 GMT

How old is this star with the newly discovered planet? Is it younger then our star? It is closer to the center and that is where the act of complete creation took place and the universe is still expanding. How old is the newly discovered planet? If it is a gas giant, can it “condense” or collapse on itself into a solid surface? Would it slow down in it’s rotation if it did? Would it then throw off it’s moons so they become smaller inner planets?

As for transportation to this location it would need what the science fiction folks call a “generation ship” to get there. The drive power we can build with a “pulse anti-matter” style drive. We can do that now. We just can’t control it. The energy release is to chaotic.

As for the problem of “seeing” 41 light years, we are seeing what happened 41 years ago there. That includes the energy being released by the star that we are reading in one way or another.

Newfound planet could support life

Jerry W Jones Sr PhD, Irene, SD — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:48:24 GMT

So you found a planet 41 light years away. It would take a ship, traveling at the speed of light, over 7 million years to reach it. Think this old cosmos is going to be around that long? Get a life. How much government money is being wasted on such trivial nonsense? AND DON'T SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION.

Newfound planet could support life

Mr. Bill — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:51:24 GMT

It is my opinion that even if we develop the technology to get to these places within one or two generations of mankind or much much faster, we will need to send automated probes or develop at least some significant surveillance of the destination before we just send people there. Afterall, by sending people to some places, we could just be sending the inhabitants of those people dinner or slaves.

I am hoping though that by the point in time that we can actually get to these new worlds, we have advanced enough to:

1. Stop battling amonst ourselves.
2. Have eliminated most sickness and poverty here.
3. Realize that not every world we find will be ours to colonize or exploit.
4. Realize that it is in the best interest of the inhabitants of any new world we find with sentient inhabitants - not to help them make a leap in their own technology, unless it absolutely becomes necessary to do so for their own good.
5. For both the believers and unbelievers among us, love our neighbors as ourselves.
6. For the believers among us, to love our God.

Newfound planet could support life

Lydia Doctorian Macon, MO — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:53:07 GMT

As long as everyone is postulating far-fetched imaginings that have been "seeded" into your minds by way too much free time to sit around and watch cable TV instead of actively do something to help your beautiful home planet and your fellow human beings...try this idea for size. If and when another inhabited planet is discovered, when contact is made with those beings, they tell you that they have been given the same Gospel of Jesus Christ that you have been given, but had to travel light years to confirm. Wouldn't you feel a little sheepish? Or would you rush to create another galactic conspiracy theory that just explains it all away?
To all of you who express the deep feeling that you are realted to beings that transend this Earth, you are correct! Who do you think designed that into you? Why don't you stop to THINK rather just imagine? "Seek and you will find," but will you accept what you find?

Newfound planet could support life

Bill Greeley, Deep River, CT — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:53:37 GMT

I think that the truth of the matter is somewhere down the middle of all the discussions of life on earth, and the possibility of similar life on other planets. But not for nothing, we have enough issues here on earth; do we really want to reach out to an unknown with the possibility of bringing more trouble home, or exporting it? I guess its our nature to know whats over the other side of the hill.

Newfound planet could support life

Rob in KC — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:54:24 GMT

Your all thinking way too hard about this.
The Universe IS filled with life and we are NOT alone.
In time, the proper equipment/technology WILL prove/show it, either in our lifetimes' or even those of our grandchildren's great grandchildren, but it IS true.
Not one person on this planet (or any other) could ever convince me otherwise. We just need that first substantial discovery/authenticity of organisms, cells or form of molecular biostructures from another world. Either by our own inquiries, or with the help of distant visitors, we WILL obtain this 'proof' and it WILL change us forever.
For those of you who have read this and were thinking, "what makes him so sure?" It was a UFO experience that changed my life. and it wasn't just some lights in the sky.
If anyone of you is ever lucky enough to be 'scared' into believing like I am/was, you would consider it an honor, and view this world and it's people as I do now...very, very minute.
Good luck with your debating, my mind is set.

Newfound planet could support life

Ray FL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:54:58 GMT

Adopting the idea of earth life comming from other planets does not get you off the hook from knowing how it started, it only changes the place of creation to another planet.
Another point, I think it takes more faith to believe that the intricate design of the simplest living organism occurred by a series of trillions of lucky coincidences through millions of years, than by the willful act of an intelligent Designer.

Newfound planet could support life

grimya, auburn hills, mi — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:56:42 GMT

My favourite line "Either way, the quest could answer humanity's deepest questions about life, the universe and everything."

Newfound planet could support life

Darrell Messbarger, Kansas City, Missouri — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:00:24 GMT

I am always amazed at homo sapien's lack of willingness to embrace the possibility that life could be a natural occurrence given the essential elements and conditions.

Why do the theists always try to make their beliefs a factual implication in the search for answers?

Newfound planet could support life

Boka — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:01:25 GMT

Wouldn't it be cool to send a laser beam full of nano-particles, that could survive the void of space, and self build into a communication/camera device. That way you don't need a probe to explore the universe. It would still take 41 years though.

Newfound planet could support life

Todd, Stafford Virginia — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:01:28 GMT

So many great ideas, yet this destructive lack of empathy & respect for anothers point of view. Is it not possible to believe in a variation of scientific fact, fiction, personnel religious beliefs, and simple gut feelings, to dream about future possibilities ? Is Einstein's "space-time continuum" as written in the 20's, able to withstand the scrutiny of future scientific discoveries made, when we actually develop advanced propulsion systems that can get us to where we need to be in under 41 years ?

In your short life, how many examples have you seen of life immitating art ? How has artistic science fiction, later evolved into reality ? The B-2 rollout was pretty amazing considering the Wright Flyer made it's first trip in just 1903. What will we be zooming around in come 3007 ? Perhaps if we were more tolerant of others thoughts & ideas, we would get there quicker. But then again...we would only argue about where to go first.

Newfound planet could support life

JD , Nebraska — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:01:55 GMT

You people are forgetting that the mass would have to be approx. the same as earth. Mass is related to gravity. now it has been a while since i was in school, but if you put us on this new planet we would weigh 45 times as much. this may crush us, or we would not be able to move. i weigh 190 on earth, but on this new planet i would weigh 8550 lbs.

Newfound planet could support life

Steve, Frederick, MD — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:07:06 GMT

Wow, what a range of comments. Good post Zeestephen. I hope Noel is still around to read it. Much of the water on earth probably came here via comments. There's no reason to doubt that some amino acids, the building blocks of life, can't travel through space on comments or asteroids. They can also be created out of salt water, such as a marsh, and high voltage electricity, such as a lightening strike. It is possible that where liquid water exists in the universe, there is a high probablity that life will form. There is also a prossibility that this life, over time, will develop a degree of intelligence. This is because the survival of the fittest factor, and intelligence would certainly give life a better chance of survival. Carl Sagan was once asked what life would look like on another planet and, after hedging is bet, he came up with the answer of shrimp. Stephen Hawking believes man's ultimate survival rests with being able to migrate to another planet. This one will eventually die, if mankind lasts long enough to get to this point. As for the existance of God and what effect It had on the rise of the human race, I can tell you that philisophically there are rather good arguments both for and against the existance of a God. Neither can be definitively proven at this time and so they remain hypothesis or theory. One interesting argument for the existance of such a Being is the ontological argument. This can be summed up with an analogy that goes something like this: If I am walking on the moon and suddenly come upon a wristwatch, how did it get there? It is to perfect to have been made out of thin air, so someone must have made it and left it there. An interesting argument for sure. Please excuse any spelling errors in this post. Ontologically speaking, if there is a God, it seems It did not bless me with perfect spelling skills. Have a good day.

Newfound planet could support life

Rick — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:07:59 GMT

This is for Noel Garcia. A lightyear is not a function of time, but distance. It measures how far light travels in a vacuum in 365.25 days. You can't "see" 41 lightyears away. A lightyear, by International Astronomical Union standards is 5,878,625,373,184 statute miles. Multiply that by 41, and you get the distance from Earth to this new planet. It's over 241 trillion miles away. So, even moving at the speed of sound (761.2 miles per hour), it would take about 36 million years to travel that distance. I may be off on the conversion from distance to time, so you might want to get the figures checked by someone smarter than me.

Newfound planet could support life

Margaret Chapel Hill, TN — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:09:22 GMT

Some people here are throwing their theories around and critizing other theories as if their own was gospel but they don't stop to consider that any one of them could be the right theory and that given the vast amounts of time involved we will never find out. Let us consider instead if it alright that WE(modern humans)settle other planets. Modern humans are abusing their home and each other. Assuming that we are able to traverse the vast distances and that all habitable planets are exactly like our own with Nitro/Oxy atmosphere and liquid water,would it be the right thing to do? On the other hand, the decision could also be taken away from us due to the fact that we discover planets vastly different from our own with unbreathable air to Earthlings and liquid that is not water.

Newfound planet could support life

fatbo seuss — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:10:28 GMT

none of the elements on our periodic table were present when the universe began. they have all come into exhistance by way of stars emploding and exploading and smashing star stuff like a cosmic mixing bowl. indeed, the building blocks of life come from outter space.

Newfound planet could support life

Joshua, Orlando FL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:15:53 GMT

You know it's strange to me how everytime the subject of life on other planets, or life outside of our own pops up, there are always those that think it is only sci-Fi, or fantasy, and without fail someone always has to make snide or rude comments about people who think outside of the box. In case any of you people remember your history lessons from highschool, human history is packed full of people who were laughed at for their studies and theories until their theories proved to be correct. Whether any of these new planets is discovered to be habitable or not, or whether life outside of earth exists or not, no one has the right to ridicule someone else or shoot down the possibilities until we research and explore and discover the truth, just like our ancestors before us have. Personally I think that if this entire universe were completely void of all life except just what is on our pathetic planet, that would be a large waste of space don't you think, and not to mention incredibly boring. If we had more Christopher Columbus's, Leonardo Davinci's, and Thomas Edison's among us, imagine how much more advanced as a people we would be. Have an open mind like them, and watch where it takes you.

Newfound planet could support life

bobby — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:17:58 GMT

read pasteur's law on biogenesis it should explain everything you atheist and science fiction nuts need to know

Newfound planet could support life

ELias, Indio,CA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:18:17 GMT

I dont know what good this information is other than for a fantasy. It really has no puprpose other than entertainment of the imagination!

Newfound planet could support life

Darth Idiot — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:27:21 GMT

I'm just hoping that Obi Wan and Luke get here in time to save us...plus I would really like to be a Jedi and maybe one of you guys could put that sweet jedi braid in my hair.

Newfound planet could support life

LIFEDONE — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:31:44 GMT

This just let's us know that we don't have all the answers, or any of them for that matter. Still in all this is a fascinating discovery, and it should give us all a form of hope. After reading your comments I realize that we all have very different oppinions on the origin of man. I read an article on this topic and they called the mysterious planet PIFFTOWN.

Newfound planet could support life

Daniel, Long Island, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:38:06 GMT

To answer Noel Garcia - "How do we see 41 light years away?" When we see an object that is 41 light years away, we are not seeing it as it looks today but rather as it looked 41 years ago because it took 41 years for that light to reach us. That same object is actually in a different position today and may look totally different or possibly not even exist anymore. We would have to wait 41 years from today to see what it actually looks like today. Related note: I may have my facts confused but I believe the Hubble Space Telescope has given us images of the edge of the universe, as far back as almost the time of the big bang, basically the beginning of time as we know it. Whatever amount of billions of years ago (I forgot the exact number) the big bang happened, we are seeing light from billions of years ago; what the edge of the universe looked like billions of years ago, not what it looks like now. I find this all wonderfully mind boggling but not as hard to fathom as the theory of relativity which deals with the more complicated issues of energy and motion and time and their "relation" to an observer.

Newfound planet could support life

Brenda, Atlanta, GA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:42:16 GMT

Yeah.....let's move to another planet and destroy it too. If we continue long enough, we can pollute entire solar systems with our humanity (?)

Newfound planet could support life

Jane Doe, Ohio — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:44:00 GMT

There is no proof of anything either way. The creation of Earth and all of us could have happened as God's creation, God's creation could have happened elsewhere and we were brought here, we could have arrived in one form and evolved as science suggests, etc. There has been no complete defined proof of anything, but is that actually necessary??? There is and will remain Mystery and Miracles on all levels of creation. This is the way it should be. Honestly, what fun is there in knowing everything!

Furthermore, people are either fools, scared, OR too ARROGANT to admit that it is not only possible but probable that we are not the only ones in this vast Universe.

Instead of picking on others' beliefs, ideas, and opinions ... try thinking out of the box a bit.

Newfound planet could support life

John, Tampa, FL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:47:45 GMT

In all actuality... as it is well known scientifically that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate... and this is a conundrum of sorts because it begs the question who exactly do we understand the 'infinite' nature of space and our universe? As such mathematically speaking life else where, and advanced life as in much much older than our species here on Earth, is almost a certainty. Humans are so self impressed with their 'version' or perception of the universe that they fail to remember that every couple hundred years a few or one giant intellectual feat is achieved that changes the fundamental basis on which we understand our existence and our world. Newton, Copernicus, Einstein, etc... do those names ring a bell anyone?

In your arrogance many will deny the concrete facts that will eventually emerge giving credence to the reality that the universe is teaming with life in many different forms. Forms of which we may not even have the slightest ability to understand presently. That is the reality of it all.

Newfound planet could support life

Phreddy, Minneapolis, MN — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:02:48 GMT

Just for the heck of it...I did the math...if we were to develop a space craft that could travel 186,000 mph (forget 186,000 mp(second))...it would take that craft approximately 14,775 years to get to that planet (only 41 light years away). Hmmm, and I thought driving cross country took awhile.

Newfound planet could support life

David McGhee, Griffin, Georgia — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:06:19 GMT

Whatever is out there was created by a creator. We humans are not going to mess it up. We can look but we cannot touch.

Newfound planet could support life

Chris Ranker Clearfield Ut. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:07:45 GMT

In another 4 billion years our sun will burn out, the galaxys will collide, all trace of mankind will be wiped out and noone will know we even existed. How's that for a morbid thought? Better grab all the sex ya can real fast.

Newfound planet could support life

Roslyn Smith New York, N.Y. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:09:22 GMT

Man, Even here I can't find a message board that doesn't berate people for their beliefs.

But any way, I think that this discovery is cool. I think our scientists are getting closer to that Goly Grail. I hope that they find some one peeking back though.

Newfound planet could support life

telsora, Chicago, Illiniose — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:11:02 GMT

Cool... I wonder if it really has life.

Newfound planet could support life

Frank Mascarenas, Scottsdale, AZ — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:18:03 GMT

Newfound planet could support life

CATS, outer space — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:30:03 GMT

All your base are belong to us.

Newfound planet could support life

Kitty J — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:32:03 GMT

Discovering just a single inhabitable planet would be one of man's greatest accomplishments. However abandoning our home, the Earth, to lay ruin on other planets would be our worst defeat. The Earth was our gift, given to man alone. No other alien, nor creature will ever lay claim to it or take credit for establishing it. Scriptures says that non-human creatures are actually on the Earth now threatening the existance of man with controversy and strife, and that they are not friend to us.

Newfound planet could support life

Phil Rock, Rochester, NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:38:04 GMT

While this is a very interesting discovery and the prospects of a livable world outside of our solar system has potential for the future of humanity, I have always found it to be arrogant of us to believe that life is so fragile as to only be capable of existing a specific distance from it’s parent star. We only have one example of a life bearing world and have yet to find the definitive evidence of life past or present anywhere else in our solar system. We need to further understand the nature of life itself before we can even judge the necessity of water to support it.

Newfound planet could support life

Moazzam, Big Apple, NY — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:43:22 GMT

Based on how WE (or scientists) know life, it is very foolish to look for LIFE anywhere. We now know that sharks have more that 5 physical senses. We don't fully understand how our mind and body functions. For life to exist, it does not have to have any minimum similarity to life or conditions of ours.
The creator who could create everything that we know and don't know, could create life in conditions where we think it cannot exist, and in the forms beyond our imaginations and could depend on something that our senses cannot detect, or could not depend on anything at all.
There are and can be creatures living here on this very planet side by side with us, which are simply undetected to our physical senses. By the same token, they could be unaware of our existence.

Newfound planet could support life

Jackie G, Orlando Florida — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:55:15 GMT

I think it sad that everyone turns away the idea that there is life on other planets. Why not? I find it hard to believe that "God" in all their infinite wisdom created everything in the Universe (i.e. Solar Systems, Galaxies, Nebulas and the like) to give it all to a bunch of war-hungry savages like humans. We are slowly (but surely) ending life on our planet. We all know the effects (land-slides, mass rainfalls, Tsunami's, hurricanes and the melting of the polar caps). If you think about the level of advancement we've achieved in just 30 years - it's remarkable. To think that we (as humans) were able to come up with everything we have (I-pods, computers, cars & all of technology) without the help of some other form of live; whether it be other humanoids or "aliens". We seem to forget while living our day to day life that there is SO MUCH more to existence than us. We are such a small part (if not infinitely small) of something much larger. We should learn to be kind to one another and embrace our differences so that when the time comes (if it's not already here) to meet these "aliens" or "humanoids" we'll have the ability to stand together, united with a common goal; instead of divided with all our wars, religions and perceptions on God and everything else we've created to keep our society in check. We are not alone - no matter your religion, affiliation, sexuality, creed, color, sex or anything else - we are PEOPLE first, all people. We forget that. I doubt any advanced race would want to be apart of such a vicious, destructive and selfish species as we are – hence the reason we’ve never met them – they (if they are out there) probably don’t want to meet us; and who could blame them? This blog alone shows how well we get along - how well we articulate our ideas to others. It's sad and I fear for the continuing survival of our race.

Newfound planet could support life

Dr Roxanne Lewis — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:58:49 GMT

Like don't any of you dudes Read? Obviously Kitty Does. Zachariah Stitchen, Graham Hancock, Von Daniken, Cooper, et al. Kitty, Kudos!

Newfound planet could support life

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:05:06 GMT

Dan Hemet...you should qualify that statement "the sun is getting hotter" . The sun has a stable output and varies little in solar flux. Humanity will probably have gone extinct or evolved into something very unrecognizable by todays standards by the time the sun alters much and the moon has flew the coop.

Newfound planet could support life

Ron, Pittsburgh, PA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:05:19 GMT

The theory that life on earth originated outside earth or the solar system is quite old and well-studied. You can divide it into two principle theories - primative life forms were carried here by objects such as comets or an advanced civilization colonized here. The former theory was advanced as early as the twelth century and is called panspermia. The latter theory is often referred to as the ancient astronauts theory and has been lent some modicum of credence from everyone from von Braun to Einstein. Its best support lies in the difficulty in expalinig how ancient civilizations could have been so advanced in mathematic, sciences, astronomy and architecture. For example, how did men without any mechanized equipment build the pyramids in Egypt that are within a fraction of a percent perfectly struxture at 1 x 4 x 9 and just ahppen to be oriented along the celestial meridian? While relatively few scientists put stock in either theory, both remain on the possible list and are frequently discussed among the theories for origin of life on earth. So, yes, I would say the criticism of one who beleives in one of these theories as hitting the catnip is a bit harsh.

Newfound planet could support life

Jose Lopez, Canoga Park, Ca — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:07:00 GMT

There is much chest thumping on this blog by the religious ones who want the world to return to the middle ages when our species cowared in huts at the sight of a comet and excommunicated astronomers for the temerity to suggest that Earth was not the center of the universe.
How illogical and parochial to believe that we are the only habitable world in the galaxy and that we are the only intelligent species! Our only hope for survival as a species is to explore and colonize new worlds. Hopefully by then more enligtened minds will prevail and we won't destroy the next planets we settle as we have done with Earth. Hopefully the "creationists" whatever and their agenda will remain on what's left of Earth. '

Newfound planet could support life

Chris Thursby, Steamboat Springs, Colorado — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:08:53 GMT

Has anyone ever considered that as far as intelligent life goes, we may be the culmination? Perhaps we are the furthest that evolution has progressed thus far. It is reassuring to think that there are master races in the universe that have evolved past us, but maybe that is not the case. Planets will naturally dictate the course of evolution on its surface and maybe human colonies will begin to see variations within their own race over a long enough period of time. While genetically similar, there is a wide variety of physical variation even amongst continents on our own world to support this theory. Every species of animal (humans included) has evolved around its environment.
So for example, a larger planet would be subject to larger than earth force of gravity. Depending on the density of that hypothetical planet, human strength could sky rocket and physical size might average at 10 foot. The opposite being true for a less dense, smaller planet (think dwarf-like). A planet’s orientation to a star(s) could easily impact skin and hair pigmentation. Maybe humans are the beginning of all sentient life in the universe and maybe over millions of year we will have interstellar contact with species that had ancestors on Earth. Is it that hard to believe that maybe we do not know about our origins because we are living through it now?

Newfound planet could support life

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:12:32 GMT

Even if humanity attains the ability to jump space and visit other systems in search of other planets to inhabit, the problem of finding the right system is horrendous. You would have to be assured the sun is stable and that can only be done by knowing the geologic history over 100's of millions of years of said planet. On earth we make inferences about the sun by way of what has occured on earth. Also, you would have to be certain that meteor activity isn't going to wipe out the planet anytime soon.

Newfound planet could support life

Dave, Augusta, GA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:18:26 GMT

I think you all should go out and find a copy of a book containing 'factual' information put together by the author Hal Lindsay (think I spelled that correctly) the book is called, 'We Are Not The First'. All hard data and very thought provoking. Good luck on the search, I found it over 30yrs ago, might be a challenge. One I am sure Jethris will be up to.

Newfound planet could support life

Basil, Manitowoc, WI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:19:04 GMT

All of the elements that make life possible are contained in the universe. We are intimately a part of the entire universe--we are in it and it in us. The question nobody can answer with any difinitive proof is where did it all come from. That will remain an eternal debate. What cannot be debated, though, is that we have no means to travel one light year in a reasonable amount of time let alone 41 light years. Light travels 5.85 TRILLION miles in one Earth year. The system noted in this article is roughly 240 trillion miles away. The closest star to us is 24 trillion miles away. Currently, there is nothing known to man that can generate the propulsion necessary to make long-distance space travel a reality. We won't be moving to a new planet anytime soon, and to suggest that we have to be looking for new hospitable planets to move to is foolishness. People are not destroying this planet, either, but rather they may be creating conditions that will make it difficult for a large population of people to exist. Once we reach the point where "global warming" makes it impossible to support 6 billion people (or more), people will start dying in mass numbers and the Earth will continue to exist and support life--it'll only be in vastly smaller numbers until the population regrows and the cycle begins anew.

Newfound planet could support life

Rob, Somewhere, Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:21:28 GMT

First of all, the old testament in the bible was written for people that did not understand things like lightbulbs and planes ...."flaming chariots in the sky?" come on! Second ... science does not disprove God, nor does God disprove science ... it's all in the understanding of how things may work... which we don't completely understand... So who's to say.. that "Adam and Eve" were not droped off by aliens and watched over by perhaps ill aliens that could not survive in our atmosphere? And who's to say that Aliens do not believe in God?

Newfound planet could support life

justthefacts — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:22:02 GMT

Sapha - Evolution and natural selection are as firmly established as any scientific theorum under this particular sun - since being bolstered by the science of genetics and DNA as the primary vehicle of (inherited) information transmission, evolution has become firmly grounded in virtually ironclad proofs and is as inevitable as the force of gravity and the speed of light.

The only folks that doubt the reality of evolutionary processes are believers that prefer mythology over truth. As to an explanation for the foundation of life, mythology is much easier to comprehend, sometimes more fun and decidedly more anthropomorphic. About 50% our fellow Americans prefer their particular cosmological fantasy over evolution, an established scientific fact. Go figure!

It makes you wonder what they're teaching in school in these??

Newfound planet could support life

Rob — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:30:19 GMT

Long distance space travel is a reality, and that propulsion is VERY possible. I'll explain.. In physics, you give something a push and it keeps going. You give it another push, it goes faster, another, and it goes that much faster ... and so on until you reach an unbelievebly fast projectile. The problem is making it turn or stop... That's when you'd better believe in GOD...or something! LOL

Newfound planet could support life

Galatea K. Kansas City, MO — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:30:38 GMT

It seems that alot of people are ready to jump on the galeatic ship to the "new world". Do you think when they get there ; if there is another life form intelligent as mankind,that the humans would have to try to exterminate them as has happened to civilizations of our past? Cause they were different. To claim it as there own disregarding who was there first? Making the same mistakes as man has made through the ages. Or do you think human kind could finally accept others as equal planet inhabitants?

Newfound planet could support life

Steve, Austin TX — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:36:38 GMT

Consider the Drake Equation: Life in the universe? Absolutely. Intelligent life in the universe? Without a doubt. Life in our galaxy? Certainly. Intelligent life in our galaxy? So incredibly probable that the odds are astronomical (pardon the pun). Consider, also, the technological advances humanity has made in the past 500 years. Where it took a message 3 months to cross the Atlantic in 1492 now takes milliseconds. The limits of our technology of today cannot be used to determine the impossibility of our technology of tomorrow. Do you think Columbus would have thought it possible to fly to the moon 500 years ago, or even the Wright brothers just 100 years ago? Optimism advances our civilization...pessimism does not.

Newfound planet could support life

Tom Berry, Winterset, Iowa — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:38:02 GMT

Maybe the ancestors of our ancestors seeded the planet on which the ancestors lived before they ignored Albertus Gorus, the prophet of a clean environment, and had to come here. Or maybe it was the ancestors of our ancestors of our ancestors.

Newfound planet could support life

OneVoice, Frederick, MD — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:52:22 GMT

Noel,

Its true that the light from Cancri left that solar system 41 years ago to reach here. The planets were found by analyzing the wobbles of the sun from that old light. Using some tricky bits of math and physics, they were able to determine these 5 planets as well as their mass, their orbital period and distance from their sun. No one has yet "seen" an extra-solar world as a separate image. We need some way better orbital telescopes for that.

Newfound planet could support life

Justme, Winnipeg, Canada — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:56:29 GMT

I love science and astronomy, but am really bothered by all these theories being taught as fact. Someone please show me one proven fact about evolution or aliens. It is all one hundred precent theory, but taught as the only possible way. I really wish people would also quit giving there opinions on what the bible actually says, when they have obviously never taken the time to actually read it once.

Newfound planet could support life

Jim — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:05:52 GMT

Noel,

What we're seeing is light from a star that left 41 years ago. When you look at the stars at night, what you are seeing is the light from the star at whatever light year distance they happen to be from Earth.

BTW - To those who claim someone must be from outer space to believe what they are stating, I hate to tell you, but Earth happens to be in outer space, and no, we are not the center of the universe.

Newfound planet could support life

OneVoice, Frederick, MD — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:13:21 GMT

By the way, to all you sci-fi-ancients-armchair-conspiracy theorists out there. Have you really thought this all out. If we came from mars, venus, the moon or any other place, we would never willingly surrender the turf without a fight. Nobody does this without gaining something more valuable in return. You theorize that we destroyed the environments on other worlds yet you are imagining super-technological science that can teraform worlds and transplant species willy-nilly - If we were that sophisticated back then, then why didn't we just repair the damage that we had done and learn to co-exist better from then on. We could have saved millions of miles of gas as well as the effort to mutate thousands or millions of species to live on a new world. Even if we wanted a move, we would surely have left super monitoring equipment, maybe even populated bases so we could continue to learn more about the bad and good things that we had dome before we left.

If these hypothetical "ancestors" of ours are really so super advanced to begin with, then why bother to teraform earth at all. They could just as easily simulate the whole thing in one of their super-super-super-duper computers. See the matrix movies for more ideas. As a matter of fact, why bother to create humans at all. Its not like they could learn anything from us and, in their nearly infinite wisdom, they could teach us anything they wanted to far more efficiently that we could learn it ourselves.

Newfound planet could support life

Frank M, Scottsdale, AZ — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:17:19 GMT

If you don't think the scientific community is as dogmatic and unforgiving of alternative theories as the Church once was, you are kidding yourself.

Science has no room for belief in God, or people who entertain such beliefs. Richard Dawkins is as fundamentalist in his atheistic and scientific beliefs as are some Christians and Muslims. He has no tolerance for opposing views, yet his theories are not indisputable fact.

Google Halton Arp if you think the current explanation for the Big Bang is a certainty and if you think the scientific community has any tolerance for ideas that run contrary to accepted dogma.

Newfound planet could support life

Klaatu, Zeta Reticuli — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:34:31 GMT

To "Justme":

Consider the definition of the word "theory".

From the American Heritage Dictionary:
"the·o·ry: A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena."

You are correct...these are 100% theory. And a theory is an collection of provable facts.

Newfound planet could support life

Annette McQueen, Clare MI — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:35:38 GMT

I've always believed in life outside of our own earth..I just hope they are "smarter" than us "humans!!!"

Newfound planet could support life

Charlie H, Staten Island, New York — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:03:32 GMT

will someone explain to me that when people are talking about other star systems, are they always looking towards the alleged center of the universe(the "Big Bang" theory)? or are the looking towards outwards? It would seem to me that if you are looking inward you are looking at the relatively younger part of the universe. But if you are looking towards the outer part of the universe, it would seem to me to be relatively older than ourselves, and therefore more likely to have life forms equal or more advanced than ourselves.

Newfound planet could support life

Jonah, Boston, Mass — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:07:46 GMT

this is technology at its finest.

Newfound planet could support life

Jeff Baltimore, MD — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:12:30 GMT

Stop it already! There are much more important things to concern ourselves with than petty arguments. Like working together to overcome this global warming mess we've made so there can be hope for exploration to distant worlds, star gazing on warm summer night, time shared with loved ones, etc.

Newfound planet could support life

Mike — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:42:25 GMT

Noel if i can remember right, The telescopes pick up light, radiation, and the likes of it. So if there is "the movies" or like short clips of activity the telescopes detect it and record a little bit, it may not be as fast or complete and the short clip. Thats what i can remember, i might think of the actual explanation soon.

And to all those that trash on other people for their ideas and believes. Heres a little question.....

Do we actually know with clear certainty that answers to all our questions. We don't know what happened beyond the dinosaurs, we don't' know what happened to date every single detail. and we may never now in our lifetime.

Newfound planet could support life

Asher, Pocatello, Idaho — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:44:42 GMT

If life exists on other planets, which i believe it does (and not because of the sci-fi channel) then it definitely disprove the being of a god. i think it would prove the idea of a god if the life we found was intelligent and had the same religious views as we did. that would be interesting to see what that did to the thinking of the world.
i would guess though that if intelligent, or even non intelligent, life were found on another planet, the DNA in those organisms would be very similar to ours, showing that we probably didnt originate here.

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:46:19 GMT

See Charlie H, it's all relative and rather paradoxical... You can't look at the "Younger" part of the universe, because....well....it hasn't happened yet...That make sense? No one really knows what the "Center" of the universe is. It's kind of like putting a firecracker into an apple. Initially, the firecracker is touching the "Inside" of the apple. After it explodes (ala BIG BANG) the inside is now the outside. That make a little more sense?

Newfound planet could support life

Todd, Billerica, MA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:59:31 GMT

This is just a story about a world that has been discovered by astronomers in another star system 41 light years away that is in the optimal position orbitally for liquid water to form.

End of story.

All this religion vs science, all these conspiracy theories, all these "let's go there and destroy another world" green peacer's, all these sci-fi theories, all these "let's waste more money on stupid science projects" and all the stupid nonsensical comments should be filtered into a separate "junk" comment section.

Thanks

Newfound planet could support life

Inquirer — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:23:04 GMT

PLEASE, I CANT STAND THIS ANYMORE! Some intelligent being, please explain the hypothesis of the distances between our planet and other planets/stars. I don't feel like typing it all down again, please look at my commnet made at 9:21am on Nov 7.

geesh...to think, a bunch of squabbling, social outcasts are going to solve the deepest mysteries of the universe in one sitdown session on a space forum on msnbc.com when hundreds of more intelligent people throughout history have not been able to solve them.

Newfound planet could support life

Marilyn Young, Denver CO — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:23:41 GMT

It is perfectly plausible that as we continue to refine the sophistication of our technology, we will one day be able to travel to distances measured in light yrs. We will always find a way to do so.

But first and foremost, we need to make sure that these new planets we will colonize are not already occupied by other civilizations. That will simply lead to more wars.

For an outstanding and extraordinary look at these issues, albeit in a fictionalized setting, read Arthur C Clarke's/Gentry Lee's awesome opus, The Rama Series. These tetralogy is a masterpiece, and it is so because real science was the guideline used throughout by the authors.

Newfound planet could support life

Chris Ranker Clearfield, Utah — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:28:31 GMT

I read where scientists theoretically have discovered 9 dimensions. I cant comprehend a beginning or end of time and I cant comprehend the edge of space within my 5 senses. Suppose we DID discover physical life in other solar systems. If these "other dimensions" theorys are true, than wouldnt these to "far to reach life on other planet discoverys" appear as knowlege in a nutshell compared to utilization of multiple dimensions within existence of mankind on this planet?

Newfound planet could support life

Susan Shoopman, Jeffersonville, IN — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:33:34 GMT

Kenneth from Rapid City....I agree with you.
Gee, Jethris and Kitty you guys are very popular!

Newfound planet could support life

Mike — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:43:19 GMT

I see a lot of people attacking others for their religious beliefs. Whether you believe in a creator or that the universe started based on a chance mixing of certain chemicals both require a degree of faith (as no one alive today was there when it happened). Who is to say that a creator didnt pour the chemicals together or cause them to be in the "right place at the right time" etc. All this does nothing more than to obscure an interesting find that there are other planets out there and that the universe is larger than just our little section of it. It is an amazing place that hopefully one day humanity will leave this one small segment of and venture forth in exploration. Bottom line Creationism and Evolution are both Theories... but there is a difference between FACT and THEORY. The difference is FAITH (in your particular THEORY being correct.)

Newfound planet could support life

Charles Whittlesey — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:58:10 GMT

Anyone read Walker Percy's "Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book?" In the book a distant energy pulse is detected, and scientists think it can only come from an intelligent source. NASA sends 4 astronauts to explore it.

The book has two endings.

In version 1, the energy source is nothing but a pulsing star. Disappointed, the astonauts return home to find the earth has destroyed itself.

In version 2, they find life on a new planet. When they request permission to land, they're told they belong to a "class 4" civilization, which means they're too violent and disruptive to risk being invited. The inhabitants don't want to be polluted by us. The astronauts then return home to discover--the earth has destroyed itself.

I'm all for space travel, but before we make any contact with other civilizations, let's try to lose our "class 4" status. And hope to God we don't run into any class 5s.

Newfound planet could support life

Bob Corpus Christi TX — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:01:31 GMT

It would be high conceit to think we are the only ones in the universe. One day, we will find others or they will find us. I just hope that when we see each other, we do not scare each other as we do in the movies whenever we see a being from another planet.

Newfound planet could support life

Charlie H Staten Island, N.Y. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:12:16 GMT

To mind-Boggle, I don't understand why you think just because a galaxy is younger than ours we can't look back on it? Since the Universe is allegedly billions of years old, we can i assume look back up to that point. If say the next galaxy inwards were x million light years away, we could look back at that point.
But no one's has answered my question. when we point a telescope at another galaxy, are we pointing inward or outward? Your point of saying that we don't know where the center of the universe is, is correct in itself, we can (and by we I mean astronomers) tell which galaxy is older or youngwer by its location and speed. If it's moving away from us it outward, and consequently if it's moving with us it's inward.

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:34:30 GMT

Cris Ranker, I believe you are referring to String Theory.....That's a topic for another blog. In deference to inquirer, the idea of old part of the universe versus new part is relative due to the continued expansion OF the universe, it is however relative. What we see as the theoretical "edge" of the universe is old to us because it is from way way long ago. But turn that around....It is actually the YOUNGEST part of the universe in relation to time. Sickening, ain't it?

Newfound planet could support life

Rob — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:45:41 GMT

If you are tired of listening to all this, then you don't care to listen to theories that make you think ...(theories, beliefs .. whatever) ... about where we came from nor where we are going... so why don't you go and watch your day time soaps?

Newfound planet could support life

David Stevens, Charleston, IL — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:47:13 GMT

It has nothing to do with relativity; it does in fact take 41 years for light to travel 41 light years. So we would be seeing these planets, if indeed we were seeing them, 41 years later. But we are not seeing them, and with current technology cannot see them. Also with current technology there is not way to get there even if we could see them. Technology may advance, of course, but maybe not that far. If there is advanced intelligence out there somewhere (and I believe there is, just because of the vastness of the universe and the odds) we may be able to detect them some day but without new technology we can only imagine we'll never talk to them or visit them. This is the real world, where the laws of physics reign, and not the sci fi channel.

Newfound planet could support life

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:13:41 GMT

Looks like befor we go anywhere, like to the corner store even , we had better learn MATH. IF light takes 41 years to get here from that planet and we could travel AS FAST AS LIGHT , why would it take us millions or trillions of years to get to that same planet?

Even if we had that technology , who would go? Where would you store food and water? How big would our ship be? If a person was 40 when he or she left Earth , they would be 81 when they got there. Now what?

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:14:56 GMT

Mr. Stevens... The ideas of physics that are touted as laws are not necessarily laws as such. They are the guidelines we adhere to because all we have to rely on is the physical and the 4 dimensions. These "laws" allow for fluidity. As we discover more and more about our surroundings, these laws may change. Laws of physics have to be able to bend to accept quantum physics. The truth is nothing is really known because we can't yet drill it all down to it's most finite components. Pretty much everything is theoretical.

Newfound planet could support life

Alan Boyle — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:18:13 GMT

Hello, Kitty ... and Jethris, too. I'm trying to interfere in the conversation as little as possible, but believe it or not, I am disapproving some comments that seem to me to go over the line in terms of proselytizing or religion-bashing, or disparaging other folks, or are too far off-topic.

A couple of substantive questions came up that I thought I would try to address:

- How do we know how far away something is? The first strategy is to use parallax to determine the distance to astronomical objects that are not incredibly far away. As Earth moves in its orbit, nearer stars appear to move against the background of much farther-away stars. By measuring the parallax precisely, we can figure out the distance to the nearer object. This is how we know 55 Cancri is 41 light-years away (courtesy of the Hipparchos satellite):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/55_Cancri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax

To measure extremely faraway objects, astronomers start out with a distance scale based on parallax, and then they look for "standard candles" - phenomena that correlate with distance. That is, the farther away the distance, the dimmer (or redder) the same type of object appears. A couple of examples that immediately come to mind are Cepheid variable stars or Type 1A supernovae, which are used to judge the distance of faraway galaxies (and how fast they're receding from us).

Astronomers develop scales that use such "standard candles" - preferably, more than one - to estimate the distances of objects too far away to handle using the parallax method.

- Where's the "center" of the primordial big bang? We can't really tell ... it's "everywhere" or "nowhere," because according to current theory, the universe is expanding in an extradimensional space. The usual analogy suggests that there are ants walking on a balloon that's being inflated. The ants may notice they're growing more distant from each other, and each ant thinks it is at the "center" because every other ant is receding away. But actually the entire space is inflating uniformly, and there is no "center" on the surface. This story explains it a bit more elegantly:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077398/

As for the concept of light-years, a lot of folks have explained that repeatedly so there's no need for me to dwell on that question. I'll just note that since one light-year is 6 trillion miles, 41 light years is 246 trillion miles. If you travel to that star at the orbital speed of the space shuttle (18,000 mph), it will take you 13.7 billion hours to get there - which is about 570 million years.

Newfound planet could support life

Steven B. Ft. Hood Texas — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:57:19 GMT

Pick 3 Planet Systems, assign 3 teams per system to develope a different propulsion system to reach AND return with broad-spectrum intel. When that's done, take me out of cryo (I will have been dead 300 years at least) so I can see us not getting any closer. If we dump more resources into Getting off this rock, we'll have a legit reason to find a new rock.

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:00:05 GMT

So if you WERE able to travel to the theoretical "edge" of the universe....What would it be like? I mean would it be a boiling mass of matter and anti-matter collisions? or something more benign?

Newfound planet could support life

Tori Warren, Boise, ID — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:13:09 GMT

Well, this is very interesting...but my only question is why does life have to be exactly like ours? I thought we were looking for "alien" life-forms...
meaning they wouldn't be exactly like us...
i just think todays astronomers should open their minds and realize that the conditions for life elsewhere may not be exactly like ours...a little hotter might still harbor life...
i mean...earthlike planets gives us a place to start... but we need to open our minds.

Newfound planet could support life

Austin Bergeron, Springerville, AZ. — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:20:00 GMT

As i have commented before, if you have a basic understanding of Einstein's Theory of Relativity (special and general) then you would understand how impossible all this talk of traveling 41 light years is. (I by no means am saying that i am any more than a novice upon these theories, but i understand the jist). There aren't enough resources left on the planet to build a ship large enough, with enough fuel, to travel the millions of years it would take to reach this place. it would be generations later before the ship was even halfway there. We are stuck right here, within our own system, unfortunately.

Newfound planet could support life

Lisa, Toronto, Ontario — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:04:05 GMT

I wonder...When I think about finding new life on other planets, I think Jurassic Park one(laugh if you may, but that means you're probably not thinking in the idea I am, thats ok too). The dinosaurs were in their world, even though it was not anymore, they were at home in a way of life that we have just about banished with our cities, rules, and codes of proper behavior. Just look at how they were unafraid (even the smallest when it found the fat guy with glasses) when faced with 'aliens' (humans).

Yes yes, I know it was just a movie, and therefore has the same weight as the same people who talk using Star Trek and sci-fi channels as reference points. ^^;

Look at how they reacted. How may complex creatures on planets that support life react with us. Who's to say that they aren't still in the 'rodents and monkeys' stage our planet was in for a long time. I have nothing to go on but earth references: creatures and stuff learned in various sources with a little bit of creative thinking thrown in. I just wanted to put this passing thought from my head down before it passed.

If you call this theory/thought crazy/stupid it does not matter to me. What do I know, I'm just a high school student ^-^

Newfound planet could support life

J. Nettleton, Vancouver, Washington — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:25:14 GMT

haha a lot of you need to pick up a physics book and see for yourselves that objects with mass cannot travel at the speed of light.
For example, a simple calculation shows that to accelerate a 100 kg object to .1 c (1/10th the speed of light) would take all of the world's electricity for about 3 hours. The amount of energy required to accelerate to higher speeds approaches infinity as you approach the speed of light. So, sorry, not in our lifetimes folks...

Newfound planet could support life

Bob, Orlando, Fl — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:03:07 GMT

I saw all your messages and what I think is that you're all...I really don't want to be against you but I know a lot about space and they do not have prove that we came from outerspace and I live 45 minutes from the Kennedy Space Center and they still ask the big question of all are we alone? Well we still don't have the answer yet but if they have just discovered an earthlike planet besides our own then that is fine with me!

Newfound planet could support life

OneVoice, Frederick, MD — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 04:08:53 GMT

Alan B.

You sure got a lot of people talking with this story. Keep up the good reporting :-)

ps. I don't mean to criticise, but any chance your site could get updated to support page number links?

Newfound planet could support life

michael harburg — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 05:01:12 GMT

Earth is in outer space..Dah

Newfound planet could support life

Des Emery, St. Thomas, ON< Canada — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:13:10 GMT

Noel Garcia - you got the fundamentals right. Light travels consistently as the fastest thing around, and it still takes 41 years for an 'event' at Cancri's location to arrive here in an astronomer's telescope, even when the telescope is not tubular with glass lenses.

If Cancri went nova right now, it would take 41 years for that information to arrive here. The time differential is sort of taken for granted in most news reports since it is always the same for a particular location, 41 years for Cancri, and about nine minutes for light from the Sun to get to Earth's orbit.

By the same method we know that light from the furthest galaxies takes up to 10 billion or more years to bring us information about them, so we can make accurate estimates of the age of the universe as a whole.

Personally, I think the life zone, the Goldilocks zone, or the habitable zone has to be more than just the distance of a planet from its primary star that allows water to exist as a liquid. Since all forms of life on Earth subsist on liquid water (we find no evidence of any life form in gasoline, ethane, methane, etc.) we can take water as an a priori foundation of life.

But temperature allowing liquid water is only one of the prerequisites. Pressure - from gravity and from atmospheric conditions also affects the utility of liquid water. And only ice, the solid form of water, exists in that form at a lesser density than the liquid form. Ice floats. In a life-supporting system that is imperative. And then there is the vapourized form of water, also necessary for life support.

All of which puts us in the unenviable position of being the one and only lifeform.

Newfound planet could support life

Bren S. Wichita KS — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:37:15 GMT

The beauty of locating any planet within the habitable zone is simply that it proves that there is an opportunity for life as we know it to spring up elsewhere. As far as the creation argument goes, as soon as life is found elsewhere, that argument will just escalate to say "See, we told you that God is everywhere." Kitty's point is an excellent one taking into account that every gram of every chemical on / in this planet was once somewhere else. The time scale is a large factor that make some of these arguments right or wrong.

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:35:17 GMT

May I ask a question? Why is everyone assuming that a ship travelling at light speed would even BE the conveyance? Bob... We all know about the limitations of light speed travel. But, there are other possibilities. And yes, they are ONLY theories, but they are making sense in our universe.

Newfound planet could support life

Inquirer — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:56:57 GMT

Thank you Alan Boyle (whether or not you were just regurgitating some data/research from another site)!

Finally some LIGHT shed on the subject (hee hee). Although I'm not totally sold on the idea of parallax measurements as many distances in our universe are relative (especially when throwing in the "extra-dimensional expansion" theory and the idea that brightness of a light we see only varies with distance and not size of the object.

Newfound planet could support life

S.W. Boise, ID — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:23:58 GMT

For everyone who talks about there being life out there but not "intelligent" life, consider this; Humans only have about 20-50% more "processing power" in their brains than do chimps. The biggest difference in humans is that we can read and write and pass down WRITTEN knowledge from generation to generation (look at how much faster technology has evolved since we started recording on paper what we've learned over the last few thousand years). We then train our children to read and write, which in turn, helps to develop their brains in a way that's conducive for learning and discovering new things. Look at the tribes that are found in Africa that have had no outside contact with modern people ever? They're savages (in the textbook sense, not the violent sense). Barely clothed (if at all) with just basic survival skills (you can argue that they hunt better, but so does a jaguar...). The point is, human intelligence isn't just raw intelligence, it's also conditioning. In fact, the conditioning from birth probably has more effect on overall human intelligence than the "raw" intelligence humans are born with. We wouldn't be sitting here in front of our computers arguing about evolution vs creationism if our predecessors hadn't written down their ideas on electrons, protons, neutrons, gravity, relativity, etc.

Newfound planet could support life

Tim Cline, Griffin, GA — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:29:04 GMT

Just reading through a few of these and I have to wonder, how is it that so many people believe that we, the universe, and the so called aliens came from absolutely nothing? Big bang is a big bust. To think that we came form absolutely nothing is rediculous! Why can you not believe that there is a God who created everything? I have seen the question asked if there was 100% proof of God and creation but none of you can give 100% proof of your theories either. I do believe in God and He was the one who put us here. Hmmmmmm.....but just ponder on this thought, when we die and you're right then there is nothing, but if I am right (and I am)and there is a God, a heaven, and hell......why would you want to take the chance?

Newfound planet could support life

jake, knoxville iowa — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:43:40 GMT

you know what i think that all of u should stop trying to sound so smart. using all those big words to try and confuse those of use u just go with the flow. my opinion is that there are other lifeforms observing us and we're obsirving them, just not meeting them.

Newfound planet could support life

Ellen Moore Naperville Illinois — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:47:46 GMT

I have been studying science and religion for 33 years. Even the Egyptians were ahead of us and left information that showed in the universe where they said God as they knew him lived. Last night I was watching TV where the billionaire Bigelow and the Russians were testing off rockets to send off his space shuttles to the space hotels another billionare is planning to build. Even with our best geniuses we are small intelligences in comparison to those in the universe. My grandfather the late Dr Ernst Kraus of Vienna Austria worked as a young professor with Einstein, even he believed in God. The more you study the more you will know that God created man (humans) here and out there in his image, his species, this is his work.

Newfound planet could support life

Jeff Williams, Seattle, WA — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:48:09 GMT

Interesting... I'm still left curious with idea of how to detect smaller planets like ours. We have no clue how many may be located out there. Hopefully next time we'll get some insight into what their brewing up to detect these small bodies.

Newfound planet could support life

Jeffrey McRae — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:17:09 GMT

I think the most of you should learn to spell before claiming to be intelligent. Not saying I'm intelligent or a good speller but always consider the source.

Newfound planet could support life

Jimmy Sella — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:20:12 GMT

If the "Big Bang" theory is true, then why does Venus spid opposite from earth? Why were other planets not 'bombarded' with water transporting comets? Why are the composition of other planets so diverse and different from ours?

Newfound planet could support life

Blind but can still 'see' MAN — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:40:24 GMT

Has anybody read the "12 Planet" along with the
" Chronicles",7 excellent books in all?!?? Because of these books and a huge slew of other writings( some Ancient before the "Bible" and also including it), I
am now more spiritual and in tune with OUR world, then
when I was,in the past, only religious... I am older and wiser from this scholarly approach, and I am finally obtaining a perspective that is based on the truth of the past, and the one thing I know is Peace
comes from true Love, and this maxim has always been
a real hard to obtain ideal for Homo Sapiens. All life
forms,whether Plants or Animals, have evolved on Earth for millenia, and always will. The Earth and all of our destinies depend on Our Reverance,Peaceful
intentions,Compassion for all forms of life,Nurturing,
Intelligent thought processes and their usefullness if
implimented freely truout their cycle, and the final
realization that We are not" the Highest ". All should
be humble and weigh all the ideas that We are privy to
learn and be apart of!! We, at first, must become the
Earth's "Manager", which We are still in the process of discovery (Worlds' oceans), while doing the space related discoveries, too. As Earths' Mgr., We have to
become 'perfect' in all fields of management, while at the same time insuring the procreation of all of
Earths' lifeforms, This hopefully can be done by the
orbiting 'spacestation' involving Male/Female species
always occupying the "spacestation" whether in real
lifeform or the storage of species' DNA samples(sort
of like a "Noah's Ark"). Only after We obtain these 2
HUGE involvements thru Our management duties, should
We allocate the resources necessary to further extend
Our involvement in debating space,creation,etc.

Newfound planet could support life

Frank Glover Rochester, NY — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:41:15 GMT

"How do you see 41 light years away? I do not understand how you get the information back before 41 years. I did not understand relativity very well in school. Please help."

You're not getting the information back any sooner than light reaches here. What we observe is indeed that whhappened 41 years earlier. Even knowing that, the observation is still meaningful, just as the sunlight you see left the Sun about eight minutes ago, but the sunspots or other activity observed there are still real phenomena.

Only when you look VERY deep into the Universe, do you have to consider that you're seeing it as it was a very large fraction of its life ago.

Newfound planet could support life

Mind-Boggle — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:14:54 GMT

Right now, we as a species are arrogant, violent, ego- and ethno-centric. The only thing that would aid in making us stop killing each other is if there were life on other celestial bodies. I don't discount anyone's beliefs. I am very open to the religious side as well as the empirical side. I suppose agnosticism is the best way to describe it. As far as looking for ET, I don't believe that is what our friends at aracebo are really all about. I think we all agree that we're not going to find anything the resembles human-kind. I think what is being looked for is more on the order of bacteria, single celled creatures etc. If we find a planet that has water, there is a strong liklihood of life on that planet. Could there be organisms within a gaseous body? Certainly. Just not any organism we are familiar with. But isn't that kind of the expectation? Whatever we DO find will be different than us due to different environments.

Newfound planet could support life

Liam, San Ramon, Ca. — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:50:05 GMT

I think the ancient Sumarians believed we can from from reptillian type beings from another world. Who knows! Maybe they (or other alien lifeforms) just injected their DNA into the existing primative lifeforms which gave rise to intelligence within mammals, hence our evolution. At anyrate, we as a species are failing at taking care of ourselves and our planet. Something radical, either cosmic or devine, may need to intervene if we expect to make it to our own future. I mean really, we can't even save ourselves from Bush.

Newfound planet could support life

siya — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 04:14:01 GMT

I totally believe we will destroy this planet and a new form of life will develop in a new planet as they searching for earthlike planets. We are self destructive humans beings!

Newfound planet could support life

jimmy sella — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:36:48 GMT

http://www.creationscience.com/
onlinebook/AstroPhysicalSciences4.html

Did comets or meteorites deliver Earth’s water? Comets, which are about 38% water (by mass), could not have brought much water to Earth, because comets contain too much heavy hydrogen, relatively rare in Earth’s oceans. Comets also contain too much argon. If comets were the source of only 1% of Earth’s water, then, using evolutionists’ assumptions, our atmosphere would contain 400 times more argon than it does. The few types of meteorites that contain considerable water also have too much heavy hydrogen.

These observations have caused some to conclude that water was transported from the outer solar system to Earth by objects that no longer exist. If so, many of these “water tankers” should have collided with the other inner planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars), producing water characteristics similar to those of Earth. In fact, their water characteristics are not like those on Earth. Instead of imagining “water tankers” that all disappeared, perhaps we should ask if the Earth was created with its water already present.

Newfound planet could support life

bruce — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:31:07 GMT

nobody has figured out how to beat light speed so we can forget about going to any et planet.however it is nice to know there are other planets out in space.

Newfound planet could support life

Aristotle — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 00:50:35 GMT

If there were a planet there, and if it had a moon just right, and if the moon rotated just so, and if the moon had an atmosphere just right, and if the moon had water just right, and if it all lasted long enough for life to brew, and if and if and if.....close, but no cigar just yet.

Newfound planet could support life

V. U, Nairobi, Kenya — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:13:44 GMT

quite a thought to have found a planet where life could possibly exist.Jethris-i think life as we term it could be as small as a micro organism and yes life could have very well origniated from outerspace. Kitty-i think it is quite unlikely that our very ancient ancestors "escaped" another planet to come and habit the Earth. i am inclined to agree with Allen Campbell and Mr. Fractal that much more advanced and intelligent forms of life do exist in our universe as much as we have been unable to interact with them. However everyone is entilted to their opinions and they should all be respected and debated not attacked. Amazing discovery and theories all the same

Newfound planet could support life

Jon A Richmond VA — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:50:55 GMT

unless we invent worm holes. we will never be able to communicate with this "life"

Newfound planet could support life

a 7th grade class, Richmond, Va — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:24:15 GMT

what is the name gonna be?
it should be planet360

Newfound planet could support life

jim voorhees ,batavia , ny — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:22:22 GMT

Like Kitty, I believe we originated from space races. No one can dispute that god like people became noted in varied spots on earth at about the same time -europe -no america -so america-africa- we know because of carbon dating of drawings left by them and findings of the bible and other documents--jim in ny

Newfound planet could support life

John Doe, Seattle, Wash. — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:24:00 GMT

Wow, can I add just one thing... grow up please.
Some of the posts resemble the debatings of a semi advanced 7th grader.

Newfound planet could support life

Vladimir Panich Montreal, Quebec, Canada — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:45:36 GMT

I think that we of Earth are the seeds. It all starts with us. We will grow and expand to the point that we will have to find new planets to inhabit. And eventually we will find them, and a way to get there.

That is the next/last step to our evolution.Humans from Earth seeding the universe so that millions of years from now humans from other worlds will wonder if there is life out there on other planets. Or are we children of another race that seeded us millions of years ago? Only time will tell.

The way I see it;Just how far have we come in the last 50, 100, 2000 years? Imagine where we can be in 1000, 10,000,or 100,000 years in the future.The limitation would only be our imagination.

Newfound planet could support life

Lee, Woodbury, Minnesota — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:52:37 GMT

Kitty is right! Let's keep searching; life on planet earth may actually come from outer-space. We will one day discover an earthlike-planet...and also we'll be able to build space crafts going at 10, 20 or more times the speed of light. Nothing impossible, guys!

Newfound planet could support life

terry timm menominee michigan — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:45:31 GMT

ok listen here im only 15 and i think that god made the universe and made life but i dont think he put us on this planet and i think we are here from extra terestrial life. now people say that we are the only life in the universe but that is really selfish. i think tey just want a planet to go to when this one dies. and there going to go and take all the rich ppl and not us.

Newfound planet could support life

Steven L, Seattle, Washington — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:56:52 GMT

Well, In self defense, I think the first planet we come across that has extra terestrial life, we need to nuke the hell out of it. We cant let beings figure out our weaknesses. Strike early and often, thats the way of a good republican.

Newfound planet could support life

HL, Tacoma, WA, Computer Scientist — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:32:53 GMT

Make no mistake. There is life on other planets. How do I know? I have seen it leave here...along with two other people...when we were all the ages of 15. The craft's glowing, pulsating ship traveled across the night sky in erratic patterns(something meteors, satellites, and planes do not do), and then it literally disappeared toward the Bootes Constellation. Since then, I have seen UFOs with 11 concurrent observers from Woodland Hills, CA. I wonder if we will survive to evolve past war and monetary-mindedness to accepting such things seen or unseen, as distinct and logical possibilities?

Newfound planet could support life

zane — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:41:14 GMT

lets try to state our OPINIONS with "i believe.." or "i think"

but if you're stating a fact.. go for it.

HM: ... um human kind will never learn? wow..
i think we're trying..

Newfound planet could support life

ian bateman — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:11:58 GMT

not only do we need to be in the big survival race but we also need to concentrate our a conciderable effort into the travel technolodgy so that our d.n.a. building blocks can be transported safely without time beig against us. Maybe having leaving our past hatreds behind us and applying what useful advances we have made we MAY just make it

Newfound planet could support life

ian bateman. romford essex u.k. — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:23:33 GMT

the goverment need to start a large budget towards our being relocated to such habitable planet. Perhaps in my life it will need never happen my quality life is flushed but my children and any of there progeny may then be assured. ALL my thanks to the hard allready done by researchers and that which is still ahead. PERHAPS WITH LUCK OUR CANDLE FLAME WILL NOT GO OUT BUT BURN BRIGHTER

Newfound planet could support life

jdt, seattle wa — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:19:53 GMT

Believe me, you don't wanna try to step down that ladder weighing 45 times as much as you do now. The number of factors that would need matching up to find a habitable "new earth", even by "terra-forming" makes a long list.

Newfound planet could support life

Sapphia — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:18:36 GMT

To MDavis, Sorry, the the Martian canals have been shown to be an optical illusion, according to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ

Newfound planet could support life

Sapphia — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:35:47 GMT

To Sally Sue,

People traveling 41 light years at light-speed would benefit from time dilation; the trip would only last a few months to them. They would not die of old age on the journey. However, all your friends back on earth would continue to age and you would never see them again.

Newfound planet could support life

Sapphia — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:53:58 GMT

To Ben,

An Ion drive getting up to 50% of the speed of light and getting there in 82 years fails to account for accelerarion and deceleration time. If we could even do this, we are talking at least three hundred years.

Newfound planet could support life

Pope, Little Rock, AR — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:13:56 GMT

I feel like the title of this Cosmic Log is somewhat incorrect... or rather biased. Our knowledge of "life, the universe and everything" - thank you for the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy reference - is tenuous at best. There will always be things to figure out for a very long time from now, and I'm sure that in the not to distant future, like on Mars, Titan, Europa, or wherever, we will find that life actually does exist, and considerably more tenacious than we originally thought.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Methane-Eating-Bacteria-Found-in-the-Icy-Arctic-Water-38414.shtml

Newfound planet could support life

Tahlone, Richland, WA — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:01:48 GMT

The Drake Equation predicts at least 1000 technical civilizations in just our galaxy. John 3:16 said God gave his only begotten son to save our civilization. Does that mean all the other civilizations in the universe, not just our galaxy, are not worthy of saving. I believe in creative design, but not by the biblical god. Who knows, maybe we are the results of extraterrestrial explorers dumping their trash on a primeval Earth billions of years ago. As I tell my students when they ask about intelligent life in the universe, none has been found even here.

Newfound planet could support life

david otte rochester minnesota — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:45:08 GMT

what about time travel einstein said it was possible

Newfound planet could support life

zeda — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:53:35 GMT

jethris, I say that intelligent life could have come from an asteroid because it has evolved for over half a billion years. Plus, the dinosaurs were killed from bacteria living in volcanoes that infected the plants and made the herbivores die, then the carnivores ate each other.

Newfound planet could support life

licksack — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:44:19 GMT

To Noel Garcia,
41 light years is simply a unit of measurement used to determine the ammount off time it takes for the light produced by this particular star to reach our eyes. so when we look at this star we are actually seeing it as it was 41 years ago. The same would be true for a star 1000 light years away, that star's light takes 1000 years to reach our location so we would be viewing it as it was 1000 years ago.

Newfound planet could support life

Henry Patterson — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:59:40 GMT

That we are not alone in this universe that is irrefutable. That we have been and are being visited and monitored very likely. That it comes in waves or time increments is apparent. That our government fears the knowledge that they have is obvious. Does this mean that there is no God. No not at all. It just means that creation is not exactly as it was depicted to our primitive ancestors in the bible. Think about it . Would they have understood a concept such as the big bang theory or evolution. I think not.

Newfound planet could support life

MARTY X — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:17:17 GMT

I think Kitty has a valid point. Can anyone disprove her? Afterall her theory co-incides with my own theory. Howcome only dinosaurs were all wiped out and not the human race and the rest of life on earth as we know it? Don't tell me it was an asteroid or a comet that re-hit earth and then re-generated life as we know it today. What do you guys think?

Newfound planet could support life

MARTY X — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:26:17 GMT

Hello, anyone out there? beep, beep, dot, dot.
Come on guys, surely we can't be so narrow minded to think that life only exists on earth. Why would god create the universe in all its expansive glory and only populate our little rock. If the scientists are actually correct with their theory about life possibly beginning with microbes from asteroids or comets, then where did they originate, certainly not from earth. I think kitty needs some credit for her thoughts. it is highly plausible that she could be right.

Newfound planet could support life

collevill — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:22:09 GMT

we need to send a robot there and have picture by 2030