|
 |
 | | To find life on other worlds |
|
 |
 Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 11:09 pm |
 |
|
| paul68 |
| Shaved Ape |
 |
| |
| Joined: 15 Nov 2005 |
Posts: 1997
Karma: +22
|
| Location: Wer'e not from around here man! |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
requires thinking about how other life would find us.
Some time ago, in the outskirts of a typical spiral galaxy, a wandering spacecraft encountered a promising world. The azure planet orbited third from its yellow star, at just the right distance to allow liquid water at its surface. As the probe approached, gaps in the clouds far below revealed continents scattered amidst a world-girdling ocean. In a vast cosmic desert, this was an oasis. The probe sampled the atmosphere, finding abundant oxygen and traces of methane. Chemistry dictates that the two reactive gases could never coexist for long; something was replenishing them. Analyzing starlight reflected off the land, it saw regions absorbing light at wavelengths corresponding to no known non-biological process. Perhaps this was vegetation. The spacecraft also detected powerful, modulated radio emissions from the surface—almost certainly a sign of substantial technology. There was life on this planet, and at least some of it seemed intelligent. The date was December 8, 1990,
http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2008/05/distant_mirrors.php |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001-2003 phpBB Group
|
