From Fox News.com (Oct. 25):
We know our galaxy is huge, and that there’s an untold number of other galaxies out there in the unimaginably large universe. We also know that there’s bound to be plenty of planets in those galaxies, and at least a portion of them are bound to be habitable by some form of life. So, why haven’t we detected, spotted, or at least heard the faint whispers of another intelligent civilization outside of Earth? A planetary scientist from Colorado’s Southwest Research Institute believes he might have the answer, and it’s literally chilling.
Speaking at a meeting of the American Astronomy Society Division for Planetary Sciences Division, Alan Stern proposed an incredible answer to the question which has long puzzled astronomers and first contact hopefuls: aliens aren’t living outside.
It sounds like total bunk to us since humans are spread across just about every nook and cranny of planet Earth, but there’s a very real possibility that life could form, evolve, and even gain advanced intelligence without ever seeing the surface of their own planet. This would be most likely on frigid ocean worlds where underwater thermal vents would provide the heat energy to sustain life, and with the sheer number of frigid ocean worlds we already know exist, there’s no shortage of opportunities for this to happen. [read more]
I suppose it’s possible. But if an intelligent species never sees the stars of their universe I wonder if they will ever contemplate other intelligences in the universe.
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