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Is this a science topic or philosophical topic or both? There's been a lot of talk about the size of the Universe and why the JWST is finding so many large early galaxies. Trying to understand and explain the physics of the universe is a noble pursuit. I think we have made enormous progress in the past 100 years or so.
The problem that people have been having lately is that observable phenomena can only be explained by increasingly bizarre and convoluted theories. Common folk don't like that. It's often said that the simplest theory that explains the facts is correct, but so far no simple theories that actually explain all observations have emerged. So we are left with dark matter and dark energy, and M-theory, and multiverses.
After a few beers we start getting the "my personal opinion is the universe is blah, blah ,blah......" Theories that are simple and symmetrical but don't explain observations, because the promulgator doesn't know the details of all the observations that physicists are trying to explain. I'm sadly usually in that camp.
It's pretty obvious that the earth and the life on it doesn't matter at all in the universe. Even if we blow up our planet, so what? Life is probably common given the number of stars in the universe, and even intelligent life living co-temperaneously with us is likely given the numbers, but other than possible microbial life, it is likely too far away to interact communicating or traveling at light speed or below.
But we might change our importance in the universe, if we could figure it out. Maybe it's impossible, but we should keep trying.
Computer models of the expanding universe have been pretty successful in modeling the current appearance just based on general relativity and the existence of dark matter, dark energy, and baryonic matter. What we don't know just yet are the details of the earliest states, which will require some fine tuning. The stuff about M-theory and multiverse is extraneous at this point -- we may never know what came before the big bang.
It's pretty obvious that the earth and the life on it doesn't matter at all in the universe. Even if we blow up our planet, so what? Life is probably common given the number of stars in the universe, and even intelligent life living co-temperaneously with us is likely given the numbers, but other than possible microbial life, it is likely too far away to interact communicating or traveling at light speed or below.
I disagree.
DNA and RNA look like a statistically improbable (very improbable actually) "chemical accident" that happened on Earth, creating the basis for self-replicating lifeforms, and is very unlikely to happen in any other planets, even if they have the exact same physical and chemical conditions of Earth when DNA and RNA first appeared here.
Even if that "chemical accident" happened in another planet, it would be statistically improbable that evolution in that planet would create macroscopic multicellular life. And if that happend, it would be even more statistically improbable that evolution there would eventually give rise to some kind of intelligent species capable of creating complex language and building things. And even if there was some intelligent species capable of creating complex language and building things, it would be very unlikely that they would make the same discoveries that Earth's homo sapiens made, specially those about electromagnetism, chemistry, and the structure of atoms.
That's why I think it's very improbable that exists any intelligent civilization that is technologically more developed than homo sapiens in some other planet. Well, at least here in Laniakea...
DNA and RNA look like a statistically improbable (very improbable actually) "chemical accident" that happened on Earth, creating the basis for self-replicating lifeforms, and is very unlikely to happen in any other planets, even if they have the exact same physical and chemical conditions of Earth when DNA and RNA first appeared here.
Even if that "chemical accident" happened in another planet, it would be statistically improbable that evolution in that planet would create macroscopic multicellular life. And if that happend, it would be even more statistically improbable that evolution there would eventually give rise to some kind of intelligent species capable of creating complex language and building things. And even if there was some intelligent species capable of creating complex language and building things, it would be very unlikely that they would make the same discoveries that Earth's homo sapiens made, specially those about electromagnetism, chemistry, and the structure of atoms.
That's why I think it's very improbable that exists any intelligent civilization that is technologically more developed than homo sapiens in some other planet. Well, at least here in Laniakea...
Right now there's really no way to know for certain how likely it is for life to form. But there is the Copernican principle of mediocrity, which says we are just an ordinary place. That suggests there's nothing special about our location for life to form. But you may be right that intelligent, technology-using life is unlikely due to the number of improbable steps it took, and this world just got "lucky".
Sure - but - what's "very unlikely" for you? One in a trillion? One in a trillion trillions? Got ya covered.
I estimate (without any calculations to prove it ) that the probability of any intelligent civilization that is technologically more developed than homo sapiens existing in any other planet in Laniakea is one in a googolplex.
I estimate (without any calculations to prove it ) that the probability of any intelligent civilization that is technologically more developed than homo sapiens existing in any other planet in Laniakea is one in a googolplex.
I think you're off by a few percent. Within the margin of error, I suppose.
DNA and RNA look like a statistically improbable (very improbable actually) "chemical accident" that happened on Earth, creating the basis for self-replicating lifeforms, and is very unlikely to happen in any other planets, even if they have the exact same physical and chemical conditions of Earth when DNA and RNA first appeared here.
Even if that "chemical accident" happened in another planet, it would be statistically improbable that evolution in that planet would create macroscopic multicellular life. And if that happend, it would be even more statistically improbable that evolution there would eventually give rise to some kind of intelligent species capable of creating complex language and building things. And even if there was some intelligent species capable of creating complex language and building things, it would be very unlikely that they would make the same discoveries that Earth's homo sapiens made, specially those about electromagnetism, chemistry, and the structure of atoms.
That's why I think it's very improbable that exists any intelligent civilization that is technologically more developed than homo sapiens in some other planet. Well, at least here in Laniakea...
Simplest answer is that complex life occurred on this planet, so it can occur on another planet. Sure, it won’t be plentiful, but it can occur. There are plenty of hydrocarbons and amino acids in the universe.
Simplest answer is that complex life occurred on this planet, so it can occur on another planet. Sure, it won’t be plentiful, but it can occur. There are plenty of hydrocarbons and amino acids in the universe.
I think what happened in this planet was an incredible accident that has no chance of happening in any other planet in the universe in the next decillion of years.
I think what happened in this planet was an incredible accident that has no chance of happening in any other planet in the universe in the next decillion of years.
Welp, nature doesn't care what we think.
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) that the probability of any intelligent civilization that is technologically more developed than homo sapiens existing in any other planet in Laniakea is one in a googolplex.