Current Events > Do you think the Rare Earth Hypothesis is true?

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The Rare Earth hypothesis states that Earth-like planets (ones that can bear complex life) are very rare in the universe.

I disagree with this premise. I think life (and complex life, at that) is very adaptable. It can adapt to whatever conditions thrown at it. This can easily be seen on Earth itself (multicellular organisms which thrive in geothermal vents deep in the ocean, for example.)
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Our own solar system kinda supports that theory
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I think they're rare due to sheer numbers of planets. Until complex life is proven on extreme planets and such.
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all the planets I've been to have supported life
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I think it's a very arrogant point of view to take honestly. Just because "our" life is a certain way doesn't mean all life will be the same.
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What exactly is the definition of "rare" here?
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MakoReizei posted...

Our own solar system kinda supports that theory

Exactly. I think every other system we have found has the gas giants where the inner planets should be.
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UnholyMudcrab posted...

What exactly is the definition of "rare" here?

I'd say one planet per galaxy or something like that.
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The rare Earth hypothesis is just a hypothesis and afaik our current understanding of the universe and abiogenesis concludes that there is more likely other life out there.
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It's probably very rare. When so many things have to line up in exactly the right way and also be stable for extended periods of time, the odds could quickly become astronomical.

Also it took 4 billion years for intelligent life to rise on Earth, and it could have easily not arisen at all if yet another specific sequence of events hadn't happened in just the right way to re-roll the dice at precisely the right times.

I think people grossly underestimate the number of variables and that's why everyone thinks it's so common.
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it could be true, but the sheer size of the universe means that there could be many other lifeforms anyway
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Doe posted...

The rare Earth hypothesis is just a hypothesis and afaik our current understanding of the universe and abiogenesis concludes that there is more likely other life out there.

Hell, the prospect of there being alien life in our own solar system is beginning to seem likely.

Conditions that exactly match up to Earths - maybe. But I think fairly intelligent life could show up on an array of planet types.
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The Rare Earth Hypothesis disagrees with the sheer size of the universe imo. Furthermore, as some have already said, life springs up VERY quickly, we're talking a few hundred million years after the birth of our solar system, as well as in extremely harsh conditions.

The fact that we haven't seen it is merely proof that we are small, small beings in a very large universe, that's all. We don't have the ability to reach out and detect other earths, and likely never will.
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Simple lifeforms are probably common, It's the complex ones that might be rare.

Since our own planet's history is all we have to go on, it's not unreasonable to think it would be rare IMO. A comet here, a super-volcano there and any chance of complex life is either sent back to square one or ended permanently.
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