Sunday 14 November 2010

Habitable Planets

Despite centuries of theory, conjecture and fiction on the subject, nothing prepared us for other worlds, and life on other worlds, to be so familiar.

Many planets (estimated at 1 per 10,000 solar systems) exist within the narrow band of temperature, gravity and atmospheric composition that allows Earth evolved life to thrive. And although undeniably strange, exobiology on these worlds bares striking similarity to what we know.

Oceans of water, plant-life with roots and photosynthetic leaves, herbivorous creatures that graze, carnivorous creatures that hunt. Soil, seeds, eggs, eyes, wings, Life as we've always known it.

Gburrek's World .Equatorial Jungle Isopod. 95cm Long. Harmless.
We can eat the fruit here, we can grow wheat and barley and maize, rear cattle. It's remarkable.


Testing has revealed common genetic markers on many worlds, evidence of a root biological ancestry. Although it hasn't been observed, many scientists support the theory that all worlds were 'seeded' by comets. Fewer believe this is undeniable evidence of the existence of God.

But in all our exploration, colonization and cataloguing of new life we have yet to find a planet with anything approaching the biodiversity of Earth, yet to find an alien organism with anything like human intelligence. Yet to find anything that could challenge the fierce colonial ambition of humanity.

Yet.

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