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  • WEDNESDAY APRIL 25 2007 5:00 PM

Sci-fi Fans Everywhere Rejoice, Despair

Submitted by st_even

Edited by erin_broadley

Tags: Space, planets, sci-fi, aliens



Scientists have discovered, for the first time, a planet outside our own solar system that is "potentially habitable," with Earth-like temperatures. The planet is a similar size to Earth, may have liquid water, and, at a mere 120 million miles away, is practically down the block.

Oh shit! Just the other day, while perusing the pages of Analog, I read a very similar story wherein the inhabitants of a similar planet forced humanity into slavery. Great.

It's a significant step on the way to finding possible life in the universe," said University of Geneva astronomer Michel Mayor, one of 11 European scientists on the team that found the planet. "It's a nice discovery. We still have a lot of questions."


Yeah, right. Possible life.

The findings have been published in the scientific journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. Unlike Earth, the planet circles a Red Dwarf star, which is much smaller and much cooler than our Sun, meaning (of course) that the inhabitants will have tremendous tolerance to extreme temperatures. Fucking fantastic.

The new planet, in NASA's boundless creative force, has been named 581 c. No word on whether the 581 c-ians have massed up their arsenals, but I'm still wearing tinfoil on my head, just in case.

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st_even

st_even

Milwaukee, WI
September 2006

APR 25, 2007 07:57 PM

Darke said:

geo35 said:

Noctua said:
I think it's more than 120 million miles away. The distance from the earth to the sun is 150 million km.




Wow, what's in the air today? Extrasolar planets aren't "millions" of miles away - this planet is 120 TRILLION miles away (give or take...)

Tonight on the NBC evening news while reporting on this story, Bob Faw, NBC's long-time science editor, stated that the speed of light is 186,000 miles per hour.

Bob Faw. NBC Science Editor. Doesn't know the speed of light. 'Baffling.




shocked st_even and Bob Faw are officially banned from all science related stories... blackeyed



Actually, blame AOL.

PatrickY

PatrickY

Vancouver, WA
December 2003

APR 25, 2007 08:05 PM

Neitherspace said:
Earth like planet with a colder atmo sounds like a ideal planet Fauna Sapians (Furries)

I think the wrong kind of gekks will me getting excited about this *shudders*



And yet, there's the potential for a mass furry exodus, a space quest in search of the Anthropomorphic Shangri-La. This might be the beginnings of a new, less icky age.

punk

punk

Phoenix, AZ
January 2004

APR 25, 2007 08:09 PM

Now that would be a hell of a first contact: we send the furries.

An alien space craft lands on your planet and out pours a race of huge, furry creatures who immediately start humping each other on the lawn in front of their ship.

mojo007

mojo007

New Zealand
September 2005

APR 25, 2007 08:09 PM

Yeah... how many billion did it cost for NASA to plunge the last probe straight into the surface of Mars because they 'mixed up' the imperial and metric calculations in the manufacture of said probe.

3 billion dollars if i remember right.

Gee... how many third world meals would that buy?

be_elzebe

be_elzebe

China
May 2006

APR 25, 2007 08:14 PM

neat!

Skywisdom

Skywisdom

Portland, OR
December 2005

APR 25, 2007 08:47 PM

HOLY SHIT NO! No Listen! First Kryptonite! NOW A PLANET WITH A RED STAR!! How does this not mean superman is coming? Huh?! Argue with that convoluted sentence, I DARE YOU! CONVINCE ME SUPERMAN IS NOT COMING! YEAH!

Now someone needs to murder my parents so I can dedicate myself to learning science and martial arts in order to viciously combat crime.

I'm also going to need a mansion and a fast car.

And a young boy in tights.

NinjaTech

NinjaTech

Minneapolis, MN
November 2003

APR 25, 2007 08:56 PM

Why aren't we linking to source material?

Here is the actual article without swearing and babble.

Heathen_Dave

Heathen_Dave

Birmingham, AL
July 2005

APR 25, 2007 09:10 PM

mojo007 said:
Yeah... how many billion did it cost for NASA to plunge the last probe straight into the surface of Mars because they 'mixed up' the imperial and metric calculations in the manufacture of said probe.

3 billion dollars if i remember right.

Gee... how many third world meals would that buy?



Not to be coarse, but...

Interstellar exploration is much more important for the survival of mankind than any other problem we now face.

How long do you really think we'll last piddling around on this little ball of dirt?

Pyromethious

Pyromethious

Silver Springs, FL
October 2006

APR 25, 2007 09:10 PM

Skywisdom said:
HOLY SHIT NO! No Listen! First Kryptonite! NOW A PLANET WITH A RED STAR!! How does this not mean superman is coming? Huh?! Argue with that convoluted sentence, I DARE YOU! CONVINCE ME SUPERMAN IS NOT COMING! YEAH!

Now someone needs to murder my parents so I can dedicate myself to learning science and martial arts in order to viciously combat crime.

I'm also going to need a mansion and a fast car.

And a young boy in tights.



Needs: Mansion, Fast Car, Young Boy in TIghts?

Sounds like someone's been sniffin the KY too hard :-p

Heathen_Dave

Heathen_Dave

Birmingham, AL
July 2005

APR 25, 2007 09:18 PM

The exoplanet - as astronomers call planets around a star other than the Sun - is the smallest yet found, and completes a full orbit of its parent star in just 13 days.



Holy moly, that planet is bookin' it--doing about 70,000 miles an hour. Last time I checked that is way above the legal limit.

Blaxton

Blaxton

New York, NY
September 2005

APR 25, 2007 09:42 PM

120 trillion miles away? Psh. Let's go right now. Let's see...my Toyota...going about 70mph...we should get there in about...

196 million years.

Don't forget your fucking word puzzles.

travisja

travisja

Portland, OR
July 2002

APR 25, 2007 10:03 PM

Fortunately any life forms are victims of physics just like us. They can only go so far so fast. I must say though just by looking at the history of our species, the more technologicaly advanced society/races will always dominate. Look at the United States did to the indians with the move westwards in the 1800's. What did they call it? Manifest Destiny? If you are going to go knock on their door make sure you have a big stick, just in case. I would think twice about letting anyone know we are here. skull

dragonflower

dragonflower

Austin, TX
January 2007

APR 25, 2007 10:05 PM

Kleio said:
I'm not ready to despair yet. They could be sexy possible lifeforms.



ooh, good point! oh how i have nerdily dreamed of alien poon.

Metaverse

Metaverse

USA
March 2005

APR 25, 2007 10:24 PM

It's all about folding space...we get that working and we can all go on vacation to 581-c next week! wink

Hey, they did it on Robotech the series! It's not unpossible! EL SUICIDO LOCO

legionnaire

legionnaire

Belgium
November 2003

APR 25, 2007 10:34 PM

mojo007 said:
Yeah... how many billion did it cost for NASA to plunge the last probe straight into the surface of Mars because they 'mixed up' the imperial and metric calculations in the manufacture of said probe.

3 billion dollars if i remember right.

Gee... how many third world meals would that buy?



I wonder how many streets could have been paved with the stones used to build Chartres cathedral?

Some things are just worth doing.

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