[Vision2020] Earthlike Planet Found Orbiting at Right Distance for Life

[Kenneth Marcy]

On Tuesday, December 06, 2011 12:33:03 PM Paul Rumelhart wrote:
> I'd really like to see what this planet really looks like.
<[snip]> 
> Space is big.
> 
> On the other hand, if we can get a conversation started with whatever
> may live there via radio or lasers or something, we only have to wait
> 1200 years to ask them to send us some pics and to wait for them to get
> here.  That's not so bad.

Well, maybe not. If it turns out that the smallest of them is a look-alike of 
an adult Tyrannosaurus Rex, who might consider humans as hors d'oeuvres, 
perhaps Terran humans would do well to reconsider establishing Facebook 
accounts for "them" before we have a clue about "their" characteristics.

The exploratory extroversion of Captain Kirk likely is better replaced with 
the investigative introversion of Lieutenant Commander Spock, science officer in 
charge of, among other things, sensor scan analysis. Many humans would 
undoubtedly concur with Mr. Spock's judgment of "fascinating" concerning the 
analysis results, but that does not relieve Terrans of completing those and 
other prerequisite space occupation tasks before attempting extra-human 
contacts.


Ken