Kepler 438b is one of the most Earth-like planets yet discovered.
It circulates its sun every 35 days, the sky is red, and its likely to be rocky and hot – but there might be life there. And it’s only 470 light-years away!
We keep wondering whether there is life on other planets but pay rather too little attention to life on our own. What sort of species is it that is responsible for wiping out so many of the fellow inhabitants of this one?
Earth, the most beautiful and life-filled place we know – why are we vandalising it?
PS If it is 470 light years away then the radiation we are ‘seeing’ was emitted in 1545. What were you doing in 1545? Earth was rather different then, wasn’t it? Apart from a bit of fighting there didn’t seem to be much happening. 1544 was quite an interesting year – rats arrived in North America.
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And while knowledge of the universe is interesting, for the money spent discovering a world 400 light years away, we could save lots of the life here. Or does anyone know any conservation programmes which are over funded?
I have always thought that all decision makers such as, every politician, every key civil servant and every director of a company shouls have a picture of the Earth taken from space on the wall of their office. It just helps to bring home to them how fragile our earth is, together with the frgility of all the other species present on it besides our own.
Alan – very good idea
A bit of fighting”?
The Battle of Ancrum Moor in 1545 where 5200 “English” (English, Germans, Spanish and Scottish borderers) lost to 2500 Scots was more than that surely?
800 “English” were killed. 1000 “English” were taken prisoner whereas the Scots only lost 2 men!
I’d say that was far more interesting than a rat being discovered in North America?
Maybe just me though.
We shouldn’t under estimate battles in the past. One of Julius Caesar’s in Gaul rivals the first day of the Somme for carnage. Not a bad effort considering the absence of modern weapons.
“We keep wondering whether there is life on other planets but pay rather too little attention to life on our own.”
Reminds me of something my late Mother once said to me.
“Douglas. Douglas! It’s all very well gazing at the stars [she meant this literally not metaphorically] but we have to live in this world, you know”
I still think it would be a shame to stop wondering about such big questions and indeed spending money on such questions.
Maybe just me though!