re: Astronomers announce 7 earth size exoplanets around dwarf sun

We will develop new propulsion technology one day that will allow us to travel past light speed.

114 years ago the Wright brothers built a flimsy little thing that flew 200 feet.

Currently we're sending probes into the outer reaches of our solar system.

It is ignorant to think we could never get there.

quote:

---

We will develop new propulsion technology one day that will allow us to travel past light speed

---

I'd love if we did. But... LINK and LINK

quote:

---

114 years ago the Wright brothers built a flimsy little thing that flew 200 feet.

---

The advancement in aircraft since the invention of the airplane Has been impressive. However, the advancement in current spacecraft to what would be required to reach another star system is not comparable.

quote:

---

Currently we're sending probes into the outer reaches of our solar system.

---

And it's taken over half the average lifespan of a human for the earliest of these toceven reach the edge of our solar system. At its current speed Voyager will reach the nearest neighbor Star in roughly 40,000 years. LINK

quote:

---

It is ignorant to think we could never get there

---

Sorry kids, it's possible but highly unlikely we ever get there. Between the limitations of propulsion, available enegey, to the frailty of the human body, the odds are stacked heavily against us.

quote:

---

I would assume because those stars are red dwarf's. Those planets will look completely different. I can't remember why, but we can't look at G type stars with our current technology (our sun is a G type).

---

Just to expand on this from yesterday, I did some reading on how we are looking for planets ATM. Our main problem is we can't see planets because the host star is too bright, hence why we are only looking at red dwarfs with our current telescopes. We have some new hardware that will be launched soon that will allow us to reduce the star we are observing brightness (basically dimming that mug) and from there we can look for planets orbiting in that system. This will allow us to start viewing G-type stars like our own which will crank up the hunt for life. Post this equipment, the next generation telescopes will search the chemical elements of these planets for gas that isn't suppose to be in that world (would be released by vegetation or intelligent life). I guess the working assumption is some other planet has already done this to us. Exciting and scary at the same time.

Reading the tea leaves, every expert in the field seems 99.9% confident that the universe is abundant with life, but we have no way of finding out. They all seem to think the next two batches of telescopes will confirm. We should know something by 2040. There is no plans of hiding any information from the public. When they know something, they will do some serious due diligence, and release the information.

how long before we collect all the dragonballs?

quote:

---

Sure they will if all goes well with the James Webb Telescope launch next year.

---

I'm so psyched for that thing. Gonna be awesome.