by Nate Feinberg

Created on: February 11, 2007   Last Updated: May 02, 2007

Life on other planets....

Well, calculating a probability is nearly impossible.

Not to mention... Defining life. Good luck there.

We have no way of defining life, really. Whatever is out there could be nothing like anyone has ever had the tiniest thought of. They may not move, think, have to eat, or even use atoms at all... We have no way of knowing. It may be very possible that all the life-forms of the universe are directly connected; in fact, this is more than likely.

Take into consideration how life may have began. Now, I'm going with a Darwin-natured explanation. I'll assume that life was not just zapped on to the Earth, and that somehow it was started.

Well, let's see. Ingredients for the beggining of life:

The PERFECT arrangement of molecules and/or atoms.
The PERFECT conditions to align with the PERFECT arrangement molecules and atoms.
A prolonged time of PERFECTION to develope life.

I can not stress the word perfect enough. The word, in our contemporary culture, is used as lightly as the word "hate". When I say perfect... I mean literally flawless. I mean not a single atom could be a fraction of a millimeter off.

Now... realistically, the chances of a start to life was probably around... I dunno.... 1/[trillion] to the trillionth power? So! Align that up with the possibilities of the universe... that is, potential habitations for "life". Realistically speaking, the chances are that LESS than one life form was created in the "history" of the universe.

Hell, if you ask me, life is so impossible; it doesn't exist. It can't possibly exist, without a divine hand...

Of course, I sincerely doubt a divinity proportional to what we have cooked up in our minds actually exists. Us humans coming up with a notion like that and having it be correct is probably fairly close to the probability of the creation of life... Logic says this is true; however, my faith does not. Curiousity... another one of life's simultaneous gifts and curses. Such a shame we shall likely never figure out the truth in. Ah mortality... another gift, another curse. In death we find truth. In life... we search for it. But in life pertaining to death, we fear. Vicious cycle, if you can comprehend.

Anyways, life's beggining is a nearly impossible to diagnose topic. Have fun concocting your own thoughts and theories; if not true, they are nearly always entertaining.

Anyways, to keep on-topic. I believe there is life on places other than Earth, however, I think all life originated from one place. I strongly believe that a "start", if you will, to life was only performed once. Somehow, this beginning may/must have branched off into other galaxies and such.

And for the record... I don't think it's impossible to travel faster than the speed of light. Who says light's the only thing zippin' around before our eyes? Light may just be the fastest detectable thing out there.

Have fun, and think deep thoughts!

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