Astronomer: We Can’t Just Assume Countless Earths Out There

The question of existence of planets similar to ours is something that is becoming more and more significant as we explore possibilities of inhabiting a planet that could sustain our life. For many scientists, the existence of our planets is not significant. Others point out that this question is highly philosophical, as it is impossible to determine this without have a better understanding of celestial bodies outside of solar planetary system. The diminished importance of Earth itself is not difficult to accept, but when you expand the classification to life on our planet in general, the theory starts to look unconvincing.

Key Takeaways:

• Marcelo Gleiser has criticized the Mediocrity Principle, which states that the Earth isn’t special in the universe.
• Gleiser writes that it’s a “massive non sequitur” to conclude that if Earth is not special, then life must not be either.
• Intelligent life may be far more tenuous than other forms of life.

“He concedes that the Principle can be quite sound under controlled circumstances: If most balls in a box are red, you are more likely to randomly draw a red one.”

Read more: https://mindmatters.ai/2021/11/astronomer-we-cant-just-assume-countless-earths-out-there/