Christopher Bouzy
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There are 100 - 400 billion stars in each galaxy, with at least one planet orbiting each star. There are 100 billion galaxies in the universe. That means there are trillions of planets in the universe, so yes, there is life on other planets.
08:50 AM - Jul 01, 2023
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Alice Haugen
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In response to Christopher Bouzy.
Scientist here: not every star has a planet. Not every galaxy is habitable (movements in globulars = too many close encounters). In spirals most stars have no habitable planets (too close, too much radiation, too far, not enough heavier elements). Red dwarfs may be bad. Still a lot of possibles.
09:03 AM - Jul 01, 2023
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Tony_Bell
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Don't several of your remarks presuppose that the lifeforms surmised about be ones substantively like ours & thus not viable in environments materially different from ours?
In response to Alice Haugen.
09:36 AM - Jul 01, 2023
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Alice Haugen
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In response to Tony_Bell.
Hi, professor of biochemistry here.
life on Earth uses carbon, oxygen, nitrogen whose physical properties make them uniquely adept at forming molecules. Silicon isn't a good alternative. The variety of silicon molecules in dust in space is something like 1% of the variety that carbon can make.
11:25 AM - Jul 02, 2023
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Tony_Bell
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In response to Alice Haugen.
TY.

I appreciate that life here, & its variety & persistence, has benefitted from the range of combos the 3 elements you noted offer.

A gambling prime mover would surely wager on those 3 element rather than silicon if it were tossing dice in hope of creating life.
09:43 AM - Jul 03, 2023
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Ken Jones 🐬
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In response to Tony_Bell.
This spout was removed because the account associated with it was suspended.
10:30 AM - Jul 01, 2023
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Tony_Bell
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In response to Ken Jones 🐬.
I realize that was her point.

My point is that insofar as our exposure, relative to the universe's vastness & potential for variety, to life is very, very limited, consisting of exactly one example, her assertion is premature.

Indeed, we mayn't have found every lifeform that exists on Eartn
02:22 PM - Jul 01, 2023
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