Life on Other Planets CH 03

Commentary: This posting is in a series of posts summarizing the book, "Lights In The Sky and Little Green Men" by Hugh Ross, Kenneth Samples, and Mark Clark. Hugh Ross is a scientist in physics and Clark has a PHd in political science. The other authors specialize in social sciences, philosophies, and international relations.  The full series can be reviewed at UFOs an Alternative Look.

Between Hollywood films and years of indoctrination in the naturalistic worldview have set to conditions for the public to believe the fairy tale that life is spread all over the heavens. Ross makes a call to suspend the assumptions of naturalism and to apply scientific method to the inquiry. These methods shine light on the UFO phenomenon.  The scientific method corrals the UFO mystery through the process of elimination in order to discover what gives rise to the UFO phenomenon. Applying the process of elimination gives rise to three questions:

1. The number of planets in the known universe
2. The probability that some planets have essential life support characteristics
3. The availability of planets where life may reside 

The discussion and investigation of this chapter focuses on these three questions.

Theories regarding the number of planets has migrated from those who thought every star had planets to those who believe that the Sun is a rarity as instruments, techniques, and theoeretical models improved.  Thus, solar system styled planets are not numerous at all. Nonetheless, scientists have found planets outside  our solar system.  These planets are either bathed in the deadliest radiation known in the universe or they are far more massive than Earth.

The measure of star capable of producing a planet to support life is a young metal rich star. Of the stars observed in the Milky Way that can produce an Earth-like planet, fewer than 2 percent are capable and 98 percent are too old or too metal poor. In fact, stars and solar systems that match our solar system becomes exceptional or rare.

Our solar system formed adjacent to a Type I and II supernova that arrayed and commingled their blast with various heavy metals in a nebula before collapsing into our Sun and solar system.  This unusual convergence of circumstances makes the candidates for life even smaller. In other galaxies star formations are older and contain no metal rich stars, hence, no planets. The hubble telescope confirmed that the probability of other planet systems around potential stars to extremely slim. In fact, it found nothing compared to mathematical models that predicted seventeen in 47 Tucanae star cluster.

The statistics in the end indicate are that less than a tenth of a percent of the stars in the cosmos have planets of any size or type and significantly smaller than earlier predictions. Now one must consider those suitable for life.

The only life form sustainable is carbon-based given the periodic table as determined by physicists Robert Dicke. This enabled scientists to organize a list of planetary characteristics necessary to support life.  The current list exceeds 140 parameters. In this list, parameters must fall into specific limits and interdependent ratios to avoid disrupting the planets ability to support life. This gives rise to zoning of the level of life and type possibilities.

1. Zone 1: Unicellar, low metabolism life that persists for brief periods
2. Zone 2: Unicellar, low metabolism life that persists for long periods
3. Zone 3: Unicellar, High metabolism life that persists for brief periods
4. Zone 4: Unicellar, High metabolism life that persists for long periods
5. Zone 5: Advanced, that persists for brief periods
6. Zone 6: Advanced, that persists for long periods

There are complicating factors to be discussed in the next posting.Computing the probability of of life based on the parameters turns out to be a statistical improbability leading many scientists to search for exotic life sites.

An exotic life site would be someplace out of the ordinary such as a moon, comet, or free floating planet. These, when examined, possess harsh environomental conditions that are hostile to carbon based life.  

Commentary:  Another book, The Privileged Panet, postulates the possibility of life elsewhere concluding an impossibility for life even here on Earth. Video Chapters of a Privileged Planet;  Book: The Privileged Planet

This completes the third chapter. I'll summarize chapter four in the next posting. From time-to-time, I may post a commentary section highlighting a specific point.

References:

Ross, H., Samples, K., & Clark, M. (2002). Lights in the sky & little green men: a rational christian look at UFOs and extraterrestrials. Navpress. Colorado.