www.bbc.com
Big if true, level 10.
Scientists find promising hints of life on distant planet K2-18b
Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.
Excellent explainer video:
Big if true, level 10.
Scientists find promising hints of life on distant planet K2-18b
Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.
Excellent explainer video:
This is not about what I'd call "excitement," at this point, and I hope you're being facetious about the rest there. However, if this is confirmed it does a number of things for both science and our regard for our place in the universe that would be incomparable. No thoughtful person could ever again even glance at a night sky full of stars and think of what is out there in the same way. Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan, the lead scientist on this project put it in the following terms: "When we would look at the sky, we would see not just physical objects, stars and planets, we would see a living sky. The societal ramifications of that are immense. It will be a huge transformational change in the way we look at ourselves in the cosmic scene."
Nature Editorial:
As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump face off, the fate of US democracy, science and evidence-based policy hangs in the balance.
The world needs a US president who respects evidence
As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump face off, the fate of US democracy, science and evidence-based policy hangs in the balance.www.nature.com
Like all elections, the 5 November vote is about much more than science. However, the fate of scientific research, evidence-based lawmaking and the government’s receptiveness to independent science-policy advice will be key determinants of the country’s future course and long-term well-being. And, as we reported in a News Feature on 23 October (Nature 634, 770–774; 2024), US science could be at an inflection point: the election and a range of domestic and global forces could challenge the primacy that the country has held since the Second World War.
You sure?
Fair.
That, plus I’d guess most thoughtful and reasonable people already assumed myriad forms of life were out there, and eventually the science would substantiate that assumption (whether in our lifetimes or not).
I consider myself a thoughtful person. I score pretty high on that metric. I don't think this would affect the way I think of the night sky one iota.
Many years ago, I did a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon where we slept under the stars. I'll never forget waking up in the middle of the night the first night and thinking, "What in the HELL is that???" When you've seen the night sky in its full glory, you're never the same, and I agree it doesn't matter at all what else might be out there. It's equally overwhelming either way.
Ha, both true to form
Huh? What sweeping absolute? I was talking about myself and myself only. I cannot imagine any scenario in which my thoughts about our sky or outer space or what the medievals called "the heavens" would be affected at all by this discovery. In fact, I suspect I will forget about this discovery in short order.One proclaims “no thoughtful person ever,” the other counters “not one iota…”
It’s a clash of the zzl sweeping-absolutes titans! I’m here for it
Ha fair enough — it’s more the context of posting histories and styles for both of you, more so than the particular details here. You both tend to go very big and staunch with your language and positions, that’s what elicited a chuckle from me
Sometimes I do, agreed. I try to limit those instances to open-and-shut issues, like "can Congress overrule the constitution by statute?" but am perhaps not always as disciplined as I would hope.Ha fair enough — it’s more the context of posting histories and styles for both of you, more so than the particular details here. You both tend to go very big and staunch with your language and positions, that’s what elicited a chuckle from me
