Scientists discover as many as 100 other earths within 'talking distance'

New research suggests that Earth-like planets are teeming in our corner of the universe, and there may be a hundred within a mere 30 light years of Earth. The findings put new hope into the search for life outside of the solar system.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Let's face it, astronomers are obsessed with the possibility of life on other planets. Even the discovery of mere microbes could prove what is already widely suspected by scientists - that life is abundant throughout the universe. 

A result of this obsession is that astronomers cling to any scrap of information that lends hope to their suspicion and because the public is also obsessed with the notion, it catches headlines. Astronomers frequently publish discoveries that promote the idea that the universe could be filled with life.

But the reality is that science cannot claim that which cannot be tested and verified. Evidence for extra-terrestrial life, despite its "mathematical certainty" remains elusive. 

The two primary reasons for this are time and distance. Time, because evidence suggests (theoretically) that life can evolve and develop intelligence within a short timeframe (cosmically speaking) and then be snuffed out by its own devices or misfortune before it has time to reach into the cosmos and discover any neighbors. And distance, because highly advanced sophisticated technology is necessary before any distant discoveries can be made and even if they are made, the space between habitable worlds is so great as to be virtually insurmountable by any known means. 

Current speculation is based largely on math. Earthy life exists on a knife's edge - extreme odds in a universe that is outright hostile to life, which makes its existence a miracle (Creation) or the result of a cosmic lottery of epic proportions. 

However, despite the hostility to life, the stupendous scale of the universe and the sheer numbers suggest that humanity cannot be alone. But even if this were a given, there still remains the problem of how to find life beyond our planet. 

Realistically, there is little point to searching for life in the far-flung cosmos, such as across the galaxy. For even if evidence of life were discovered, we would not be able to do anything about it - the distances and time involved is too great. Such life would certainly be extinct on that world, or both (ours) by the time any communication could take place. 

But what if such a world were in our cosmic back yard? 

Thirty light-years definitely counts as our back yard in cosmic terms. 

Talking Distance

A planet just 30 years away is within "talking distance" meaning communication could occur well within a single human lifetime, and with existing technology. For example, radio waves move at the speed of light and humans have been broadcasting their existence on Earth with every radio and TV transmission we have ever broadcast for the last 100 plus years. 

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A sufficiently advanced race of aliens could already be watching the inauguration of President Regan, or if closer, the fall of the Berlin Wall, or even the events of 9/11. And should they choose to reply, it would take only a matter of years for their transmission to reach us. Then it becomes a question if we're listening on the right frequency.

But really, what are the odds?

According to new research, focusing on small stars known as "red dwarfs" scientists think there are enough in our neighborhood to harbor at least a hundred other earth-like planets. Specifically, planets made of rock and orbiting in the "goldilocks" zone around their star, the area around which liquid water can exist on the surface. If such conditions exist, then organic life as we understand it becomes possible. 

A hundred "earths" are within 30 light years' distance.

That's close enough to send a spacecraft, although the journey would require tremendous speeds and still take centuries. But while the physical distance will probably never be traversed without fantastical Star-Trek technology, other means of communication could reasonably occur. 

It is very likely that future efforts to discover life beyond our solar system will focus on this as astronomers tune their radio telescopes to these nearby solar systems. 

What they will find, and if it will prove fruitful, is a question that only God can answer for now.

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