The model suggests that not only could there be intelligent life on
other planets, but that -- considering everything we know about
astrobiology to this point -- it would be very nearly impossible,
mathematically, for Earth to be the only inhabited planet in the
galaxy. In fact, the computer model suggests that at least 361 intelligent civilizations have emerged in the Milky Way, and perhaps as many as 38,000 exist in total. "The computer model takes into account what we refer to as resetting or extinction events,” lead researcher Duncan Forgan told CNN. “The classic example is the asteroid impact that may have wiped out the dinosaurs. I half-expected these events to disallow the rise of intelligence, and yet civilizations seemed to flourish."
Of course, our knowledge of astrobiology is still woefully limited, and computer models don’t actually prove anything. I found this out the hard way last year when I fed baseball spring training statistics into the ANGUS-7000, our new supercomputer here at Dyscern World HQ, and bet the mortgage on the Detroit Tigers winning the World Series.
Anyway, thought you might like to know about the other civilizations out there. Maybe one of them has figured out a way to institute a fair system of digital rights management over peer-to-peer networks. That would be nice.
Bookmark this article:
Trackback(0)
TrackBack URI for this entryComments (0)
Show/Hide commentsWrite comment
Show/Hide comment form