NASA estimates 1 billion ‘Earths’ in our galaxy alone

[Dexter]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/07/24/nasa-estimates-1-billion-earths-in-our-galaxy-alone/

There are a billion Earths in this galaxy, roughly speaking. Not a million. A billion. We’re talking 1 billion rocky planets that are approximately the size of the Earth and are orbiting familiar-looking yellow-sunshine stars in the orbital “habitable zone” where water could be liquid at the surface. That’s a billion planets where human beings, or their genetically modified descendants, as well as their dogs and cats and tomato plants and crepe myrtle trees and ladybugs and earthworms and whatnot, could plausibly live.

[bkepley]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/07/24/nasa-estimates-1-billion-earths-in-our-galaxy-alone/

There are a billion Earths in this galaxy, roughly speaking. Not a million. A billion. We’re talking 1 billion rocky planets that are approximately the size of the Earth and are orbiting familiar-looking yellow-sunshine stars in the orbital “habitable zone” where water could be liquid at the surface. That’s a billion planets where human beings, or their genetically modified descendants, as well as their dogs and cats and tomato plants and crepe myrtle trees and ladybugs and earthworms and whatnot, could plausibly live.

Hurumph..completely wrong.  Are they on drugs?

[Dexter]

Hurumph..completely wrong.  Are they on drugs?

Why do you think they are wrong?

[bkepley]

Why do you think they are wrong?

Well I'm looking at Simona...our dog.  I don't believe there is a chance in hell that there are 1000 of her here on earth let alone the in the whole Milky Way..at least you'd have a hard time convincing me.

[jmyrlefuller]

Why do you think they are wrong?

Because it takes a very delicate balance of distance, timing, chemical composition, planetary size and other variables to create life as we know it. Look at our own solar system for the many ways it could go wrong: too much atmosphere and you get Venus, an inhospitably hot Hell. Too thin of an atmosphere and you don't have enough pressure to support liquid water; you thus have Mars.

There could certainly be life elsewhere in this galaxy, but not as we know it.

[EdinVA]

Well, I sure hope one of them is doing better than we are with this whole intelligent life thing.. :)

[Dexter]

Because it takes a very delicate balance of distance, timing, chemical composition, planetary size and other variables to create life as we know it. Look at our own solar system for the many ways it could go wrong: too much atmosphere and you get Venus, an inhospitably hot Hell. Too thin of an atmosphere and you don't have enough pressure to support liquid water; you thus have Mars.

There could certainly be life elsewhere in this galaxy, but not as we know it.

You don't think the NASA scientists considered all of that before they made their estimation? By the way this is not suggesting that a billion planets in our galaxy have life; it is suggesting that up to a billion planets in our galaxy could potentially sustain life.