Comments on: Living in the Story http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/ Memories and dreams of Humankind Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:14:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Memory Cemetery « Reflections, Ideas, and Dreams http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-75 Memory Cemetery « Reflections, Ideas, and Dreams Sat, 08 Dec 2007 19:08:27 +0000 http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-75 [...] 8, 2007 in dreams, memory I recently started contributing to Memory Cemetery, a place for human memories and dreams to rest. I enjoy the [...] […] 8, 2007 in dreams, memory I recently started contributing to Memory Cemetery, a place for human memories and dreams to rest. I enjoy the […]

]]> By: Jacob Haqq-Misra http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-73 Jacob Haqq-Misra Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:16:53 +0000 http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-73 Evolution is diversity, I agree. The odds of getting <i>exactly</i> the same life as we have here are next to zero. However, it is reasonable to think that similar biological phenomenon could occur elsewhere (that is to say, some form of life that requires liquid water and above-freezing conditions). This does not preclude the existence of other life, of course, but instead simply provides a starting point for an empirical search. There may in fact be life forms that bear absolutely no resemblance to anything we know, but (at least right now) detecting such life would be almost impossible. But inevitably, our search for other planets will lead us to learn things we did not expect at all. Evolution is diversity, I agree.

The odds of getting exactly the same life as we have here are next to zero. However, it is reasonable to think that similar biological phenomenon could occur elsewhere (that is to say, some form of life that requires liquid water and above-freezing conditions).

This does not preclude the existence of other life, of course, but instead simply provides a starting point for an empirical search. There may in fact be life forms that bear absolutely no resemblance to anything we know, but (at least right now) detecting such life would be almost impossible. But inevitably, our search for other planets will lead us to learn things we did not expect at all.

]]> By: boris kislitsin http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-72 boris kislitsin Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:08:10 +0000 http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-72 Hello, Jacob Thanks for the explanation and nice words... Looking forward to see your new posts; I guess you shouldn't be shy about reprinting the excerpts, go ahead! I hope you will excuse my ignorance, but in regard of your remark about scientists looking for the planet similar to Earth... I guess it's not wise to put all the eggs in one basket. Why should the same lifeforms be replicated? And I don't think it's possible to reproduce the same conditions...I have read in Michio Kaku's book what the probability of life is somethat under 0,0000000001 per cent; to put it short its a miracle. I guess evolution is in diversity. By the way, great links on your site too... I particulary was interested in lucid dreaming... All the best, Boris. Hello, Jacob
Thanks for the explanation and nice words…
Looking forward to see your new posts; I guess you shouldn’t be shy about reprinting the excerpts, go ahead!
I hope you will excuse my ignorance, but in regard of your remark about scientists looking for the planet similar to Earth… I guess it’s not wise to put all the eggs in one basket. Why should the same lifeforms be replicated? And I don’t think it’s possible to reproduce the same conditions…I have read in Michio Kaku’s book what the probability of life is somethat under 0,0000000001 per cent; to put it short its a miracle.
I guess evolution is in diversity.
By the way, great links on your site too… I particulary was interested in lucid dreaming…
All the best,
Boris.

]]> By: Jacob Haqq-Misra http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-71 Jacob Haqq-Misra Thu, 06 Dec 2007 02:45:52 +0000 http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-71 Hi Boris, We have not found any sure signs of life elsewhere in the galaxy, but we are discovering new planets around other stars at an extraordinary rate! (We have observed organic molecules in many parts of the galaxy, though, so there is reason to think that biological life could form elsewhere.) Astrobiology is the study of life in the Universe; it includes introspective study of life and the biosphere of Earth as well as remote detection of new worlds that may signify the presence of life. The proposed <a href="http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/TPF/tpf_index.cfm" rel="nofollow">Terrestrial Planet Finder</a> mission, which will fly within 20 years or so, will be able to identify the gases in the atmosphere of distant terrestrial planets in addition to the planet's position from its star. Though from a distance we cannot prove the presence of life, if we find a planet the size of Earth that orbits a similar star as the Sun and contains the same biologically-produced gases in its atmosphere as we do, then we will have some observable evidence that we--our planet Earth--is not alone. The story about Solatia is an excerpt from the book I just finished (which discusses more about this planet-finding and the philosophical implications of such a discovery). I'm going to let it sit for a bit before I start in on the editing process, but I'll be sure to let you know when it's finished. I may end up posting more excerpts on my blog as I edit, as well. Great site here, by the way! Jacob Hi Boris,

We have not found any sure signs of life elsewhere in the galaxy, but we are discovering new planets around other stars at an extraordinary rate! (We have observed organic molecules in many parts of the galaxy, though, so there is reason to think that biological life could form elsewhere.)

Astrobiology is the study of life in the Universe; it includes introspective study of life and the biosphere of Earth as well as remote detection of new worlds that may signify the presence of life. The proposed Terrestrial Planet Finder mission, which will fly within 20 years or so, will be able to identify the gases in the atmosphere of distant terrestrial planets in addition to the planet’s position from its star. Though from a distance we cannot prove the presence of life, if we find a planet the size of Earth that orbits a similar star as the Sun and contains the same biologically-produced gases in its atmosphere as we do, then we will have some observable evidence that we–our planet Earth–is not alone.

The story about Solatia is an excerpt from the book I just finished (which discusses more about this planet-finding and the philosophical implications of such a discovery). I’m going to let it sit for a bit before I start in on the editing process, but I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s finished. I may end up posting more excerpts on my blog as I edit, as well.

Great site here, by the way!

Jacob

]]> By: boris kislitsin http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-70 boris kislitsin Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:25:13 +0000 http://www.memorycemetery.com/memories/haqqmisra/living-story/#comment-70 Hello, Jacob That's a nice post... and I can admit I can't stop but wonder about astrobiology... maybe I've missed something living in Thailand :) ... were actually some forms of organic life found out there? Are they carbon based? :)Or is it an extension of theory (Terence McKenna's, if I'm not mistaken) about extraterresterial origin of life on our planet? Mushroom sporas flown in from outer space by cosmic winds and staff...:) Could be nice if you could write a bit more about it here... I guess I'm not the only one curious about it. And, by the way... Thanks for the link...The story about Solatia is very interesting, there not many utopias written these days...Is it possible to find somewhere the full text, not excerpt or this is the book you are writing at the moment? I'd love to read it. Cheers, Boris Hello, Jacob
That’s a nice post… and I can admit I can’t stop but wonder about astrobiology… maybe I’ve missed something living in Thailand :) … were actually some forms of organic life found out there? Are they carbon based? :)Or is it an extension of theory (Terence McKenna’s, if I’m not mistaken) about extraterresterial origin of life on our planet? Mushroom sporas flown in from outer space by cosmic winds and staff…:)
Could be nice if you could write a bit more about it here… I guess I’m not the only one curious about it.
And, by the way… Thanks for the link…The story about Solatia is very interesting, there not many utopias written these days…Is it possible to find somewhere the full text, not excerpt or this is the book you are writing at the moment? I’d love to read it.
Cheers,
Boris

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