I'm fascinated by space. The vast-ness (if that is a word) of space is incomprehensible. I can sit and listen to people try to explain it to me all day long. I will not tire of it. There is something amazing about being 1 of 8 planets rotating around a star which is our solar system. Our sun being one star of a billion stars in our galaxy, and our galaxy being one of countless other galaxies in our known universe. Even the phrase "known universe" implies there is something more than we can even understand now. That is amazing.
I watched a documentary tonight about UFOs that discussed the possibility of life existing elsewhere in our universe and how likely it is that those civilizations have visited us in some form. I am not sure other civilizations have visited us or not. I like to think about how likely it is that other life exists beyond planet earth. Lets assume there are 8 planets around each of the other billion stars in our galaxy. That makes about 8 billion other places on which life could exist. So in order to answer "Yes, there is life other than ourselves in this galaxy." all we need is 1 out of 8 billion? What is the percentage chance of that?
Thinking of 1 in 8 billion made me think of sand on a beach. Eight years ago my wife and I visited Hawaii. We went to the black sand beach and the green sand beach in addition to the "normal" beaches. Saying that there is no chance that life exists except on earth is like finding a grain of black sand on a white sand beach and saying "There is no chance at all that there could be another grain of black sand on this white sand beach anywhere." (I realize that sand is made of many different shades, but take the analogy in its simplest form and work with me!) It sounds foolish in the context of sand on a beach, but that is essentially what a person is saying when that person makes the claim that there is no possible way life could exist except on earth. I can't prove it, but it just doesn't add up to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment