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dicktice, I think it's fairly determined that planets are abundent in the universe. We wouldn't necessarily need Earth-like planets, mind you. We could basically live anywhere. It's possible we'd be living on moons around other Jupiter-like planets!
Some useful links while MER are active. [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html]Offical site[/url] [url=http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Web.html]NASA TV[/url] [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/]JPL MER2004[/url] [url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html]Text feed[/url]
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The amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth totals some 3.9 million exajoules a year.
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This is only partly related to the Fermi paradox, but at least the silence from SETI maybe could have an easy explanation?
How much do we really know about the interstellar medium, for example space beyond the heliopause? Maybe there is something 'blurring' radiowaves to such an extent that only the biggest and loudest signals, like stellar objects, the thumping of pulsars etc, have a chance of getting through?
Advanced space faring civilizations would know about this and not use deliberate radio signaling to make contact at all, and we would be trying to tune in our recievers in vain for catching a message that would have been reduced to pure noice since long anyway.
Just a thought. ???
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Josh: I'm in agreement in principle, but not for the near term (like my lifetime) since habitats are within our present day capabilities. Selfish? Yes, since I don't believe there is a hereafter unless "we" (unfortunately not me) invent it technologically to suit ourselves, dontchaknow.
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