So in this post I want to talk about the Universe and more importantly, if there is life out there somewhere. You've probably heard that question asked before.
Now, I'm not going to answer it due to the small reason of never having met the little green men from the planet Topia several million light years and a left turn from here. The fact of the matter is that no one on this planet as of this moment can say for definite whether or not life exists outside of our own solar system. Against all the evidence that says we are alone, having never made contact of any sort, I would like to make the case that life DOES exist elsewhere. See what you think.
We inhabit our planet Earth and until modern times, we believed we were the center of the Universe and its sole occupants. That may have satisfied the beliefs of many or those who were forced to believe the same, but in these enlightened times with all our advancing knowledge in technology, astronomy and physiology we have to begin to question the logistical realms of what is and is not possible in terms of life elsewhere.
Broaden your mind. Let it think outside the box. It doesn't matter. Never will any of us be able to comprehend the absolute, utterly indescribable, sheer size of the Universe. Never. It simply defies rationalization. We can't quantify the Universe in simplistic human terms that we all understand. It just doesn't work. Our comprehension of distance is based on taking a stroll on the beach, or jogging a marathon. Each of us have a rough idea of what a mile feels like. Most of us can generally tell what 5 or 10 miles feels like.
Try walking 92,955,807 miles. That's the distance from the Earth to the Sun. That would be one hell of a walk, literally. No doubt it would give each and every one of us a taste of just how incredible distances exist between objects in the known Universe.
The nearest star to Earth is a relatively short stones throw at 4.24 light-years away. In terms of human scale, that is an immensely long distance. Lets put it in perspective. A light year is the time it takes for light to travel in one Earth year. Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles a second or about 700 million miles an hour. It would take us roughly a year, driving at top speed in a car continuously without a break, to travel the distance it takes light to cover in one second. Think about that. Imagine then how long it would take someone to travel one-way 4.24 light years. Certainly they wouldn't be alive to see their destination. That's why for now we can only make do with exploring the likes of our neighbours the Moon and Mars with the limits of our current capabilities. We simply cannot think of venturing outside the front door of our Solar System.
So what am I getting at? What significance does this have in relation to whether we are alone or not? Well, it's to try and give you a sense of scale. Having specified the speed of light and comparing it to our sense of scale, let's go a little further. The Universe, as we understand it, is roughly 14 to 15 billion years old. It all began with a Big Bang, when the Universe erupted from a point of singularity and has been expanding outwards ever since. That's what scientists theorize anyway. The known Universe is what we can see with our eyes and telescopes. And as far as we can tell from these, the Universe is quite old. Our planet was created about 4.6 billion years ago, which makes us relatively young in terms of space age. Imagine that at the edge of the known Universe there are planets and stars whose light is only reaching us now, 14-15 billion light years away. Yes, you read that right. 14 billion light years away. Not just Earth years, but light years. It has taken light, at it's incredible speed of 186,000 miles per second to reach us after all those billions of years. And light travels 5.7 trillion miles in one year. That is why the Universe is so fascinating. The laws of physics seem to be stretched beyond credibility at almost every turn. And that is why I think that life has to exist. It just has to. Let's go through the logistics.
If we are to believe that we are the only sole occupants of this colossal vacuum, then I feel we are sorely mistaken. It just seems impossible for other life forms NOT to exist. We can barely see what planets or stars lie beyond our Solar System, let alone in other galaxies. So how the hell can we say for sure if there is nobody else out there. Let's do the statistics. Our planet is part of the Solar System that includes about a dozen other planets orbiting our star, the Sun. Our Solar System is part of a galaxy named the Milky Way, which has between 100 and 400 billion stars like our Sun. And there is estimated to be as many, if not more (if our solar system is any way to go by) planets orbiting those stars. Those figures alone are mind boggling. What are the possibilities that in amongst all those billions and billions of planets and stars that there are at least one or more other life forms or even intelligent beings? Pretty high I think.
The Universe is made up of not just billions and billions of stars, but also billions and billions of Galaxies as well.
But there's more. Our Galaxy is just one of an estimated 500 billion OTHER galaxies, each containing billions upon billions of stars. If you think of it another way, there would be a Galaxy for every star in our own Milky Way. Not only that, but these galaxies can span LIGHT YEARS across. Yes, that's right, We can't measure them in terms of our own understanding, i.e miles or kilometers, but they are so vast that they span the time it takes light to travel in one year.
So after digesting all those numbers, maybe it allows you to get a better idea of what I am trying to say. I absolutely believe that the Universe is teaming with life. It has to be. We just haven't gotten that knock on the door yet. And maybe it's no surprise. It is literally like trying to find a needle in the pacific ocean. Which would be easy. As space is beyond vast, it is beyond gigantic. It simply fails us to comprehend and quantify in human terms the sheer volume of it.
Our planet also exists in a region referred to as the 'Goldilocks Zone'. We are just the right distance away from the Sun, which is neither too hot or too cold to allow us to live and populate. And out there, somewhere, is a planet maybe of a similar size, maybe several hundred times bigger than Earth, that is in the Goldilocks zone too. And has the elements necessary to give rise to life. And perhaps already has for millions or even billions of years.
We as a species are only in our infancy. It is only in the last 100 years that our technology has begun to develop. And it is only in the last 20 to 30 years that that technology has rapidly changed and become increasingly more advanced. What will we be like in another 30 years? Or 100 years? Or what will we be like in, say, 500,000 years? If we've advanced this much over the past century, the possibilities are limitless really. What if there's another species out there that has been developing and evolving for the past 3 or even 10 billion years? Think about that. What must they look like or what technology do they possess. As the Universe shows us continually, anything is possible. We might just not recognize alien life when we see it, perhaps so different to our understanding of what life is meant to be that it simply passes us by.
I firmly believe that one day, maybe not in our generation, but that one day we will discover life elsewhere. It might be the case that they contact or find us first given our limited means. It's like we're at the beach and have only dipped our toes in the water. We have a long way to go before we can swim in the ocean that is the Universe. But with so many planets, so many stars, so many galaxies and so much of the Universe that we do not know about, surely no one can say we are alone unless we search every single one of them. And we know that's not possible. Not for a long, long time yet at least. But one day I do believe we'll receive that knock at the door. It's up to us if we answer it.
What are your thoughts? Share, like and let me know..
Till next time.
The nearest star to Earth is a relatively short stones throw at 4.24 light-years away. In terms of human scale, that is an immensely long distance. Lets put it in perspective. A light year is the time it takes for light to travel in one Earth year. Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles a second or about 700 million miles an hour. It would take us roughly a year, driving at top speed in a car continuously without a break, to travel the distance it takes light to cover in one second. Think about that. Imagine then how long it would take someone to travel one-way 4.24 light years. Certainly they wouldn't be alive to see their destination. That's why for now we can only make do with exploring the likes of our neighbours the Moon and Mars with the limits of our current capabilities. We simply cannot think of venturing outside the front door of our Solar System.
So what am I getting at? What significance does this have in relation to whether we are alone or not? Well, it's to try and give you a sense of scale. Having specified the speed of light and comparing it to our sense of scale, let's go a little further. The Universe, as we understand it, is roughly 14 to 15 billion years old. It all began with a Big Bang, when the Universe erupted from a point of singularity and has been expanding outwards ever since. That's what scientists theorize anyway. The known Universe is what we can see with our eyes and telescopes. And as far as we can tell from these, the Universe is quite old. Our planet was created about 4.6 billion years ago, which makes us relatively young in terms of space age. Imagine that at the edge of the known Universe there are planets and stars whose light is only reaching us now, 14-15 billion light years away. Yes, you read that right. 14 billion light years away. Not just Earth years, but light years. It has taken light, at it's incredible speed of 186,000 miles per second to reach us after all those billions of years. And light travels 5.7 trillion miles in one year. That is why the Universe is so fascinating. The laws of physics seem to be stretched beyond credibility at almost every turn. And that is why I think that life has to exist. It just has to. Let's go through the logistics.
If we are to believe that we are the only sole occupants of this colossal vacuum, then I feel we are sorely mistaken. It just seems impossible for other life forms NOT to exist. We can barely see what planets or stars lie beyond our Solar System, let alone in other galaxies. So how the hell can we say for sure if there is nobody else out there. Let's do the statistics. Our planet is part of the Solar System that includes about a dozen other planets orbiting our star, the Sun. Our Solar System is part of a galaxy named the Milky Way, which has between 100 and 400 billion stars like our Sun. And there is estimated to be as many, if not more (if our solar system is any way to go by) planets orbiting those stars. Those figures alone are mind boggling. What are the possibilities that in amongst all those billions and billions of planets and stars that there are at least one or more other life forms or even intelligent beings? Pretty high I think.
The Universe is made up of not just billions and billions of stars, but also billions and billions of Galaxies as well.But there's more. Our Galaxy is just one of an estimated 500 billion OTHER galaxies, each containing billions upon billions of stars. If you think of it another way, there would be a Galaxy for every star in our own Milky Way. Not only that, but these galaxies can span LIGHT YEARS across. Yes, that's right, We can't measure them in terms of our own understanding, i.e miles or kilometers, but they are so vast that they span the time it takes light to travel in one year.
So after digesting all those numbers, maybe it allows you to get a better idea of what I am trying to say. I absolutely believe that the Universe is teaming with life. It has to be. We just haven't gotten that knock on the door yet. And maybe it's no surprise. It is literally like trying to find a needle in the pacific ocean. Which would be easy. As space is beyond vast, it is beyond gigantic. It simply fails us to comprehend and quantify in human terms the sheer volume of it.
Our planet also exists in a region referred to as the 'Goldilocks Zone'. We are just the right distance away from the Sun, which is neither too hot or too cold to allow us to live and populate. And out there, somewhere, is a planet maybe of a similar size, maybe several hundred times bigger than Earth, that is in the Goldilocks zone too. And has the elements necessary to give rise to life. And perhaps already has for millions or even billions of years.
We as a species are only in our infancy. It is only in the last 100 years that our technology has begun to develop. And it is only in the last 20 to 30 years that that technology has rapidly changed and become increasingly more advanced. What will we be like in another 30 years? Or 100 years? Or what will we be like in, say, 500,000 years? If we've advanced this much over the past century, the possibilities are limitless really. What if there's another species out there that has been developing and evolving for the past 3 or even 10 billion years? Think about that. What must they look like or what technology do they possess. As the Universe shows us continually, anything is possible. We might just not recognize alien life when we see it, perhaps so different to our understanding of what life is meant to be that it simply passes us by.
I firmly believe that one day, maybe not in our generation, but that one day we will discover life elsewhere. It might be the case that they contact or find us first given our limited means. It's like we're at the beach and have only dipped our toes in the water. We have a long way to go before we can swim in the ocean that is the Universe. But with so many planets, so many stars, so many galaxies and so much of the Universe that we do not know about, surely no one can say we are alone unless we search every single one of them. And we know that's not possible. Not for a long, long time yet at least. But one day I do believe we'll receive that knock at the door. It's up to us if we answer it.
What are your thoughts? Share, like and let me know..
Till next time.
