Tales of Science and Imagination

A Jupiter-sized planet (artists impression) passing in front of its parent star. The planet was discovered by the NASA/ESA COROT satellite. (Read  here for more COROT information.)
A Jupiter-sized planet (artist's impression) passing in front of its parent star. The planet was discovered by the NASA/ESA COROT satellite. (Read here for more COROT information.)

Exoplanets are grabbing the headlines these days. There are something around 220 or so planets around other stars that we about, and the number keeps growing as astronomers refine their planet-searching techniques and upgrade specialized telescopes to do the searches. There have been several discoveries announced in recent weeks, and at least one more that I know of will be announced soon. So, there’s a bonanza in planet discoveries going on.

One of these days we’ll find an Earth-like planet and know it’s an Earth-like planet (we think we’ve found one, but the “Earth-like” part is still unconfirmed). That’ll set off a huge firestorm of discussion about what life might be like on such a world. Of course, for science fiction readers, such discussion topics are old hat, but as an SF reader myself, I suspect that the reality of an Earth-like planet and its life will probably be nothing at all like what we’ve imagined in SF magazines and books for the better part of a century now.

When I was a kid, I used to imagine going to Mars and finding life there. I didn’t know about the Edgar Rice Burroughs “life” on Mars until I was much older, so my childish imaginings were not limited to fighting men and princesses. Most of the time I was finding strange red plants, weird talking worms, rabbits, etc. I guess the life I imagined was what was familiar to me as a child. Although, since I lived part of my life on a farm, I don’t recall imagining Martian sheep and cows and chickens.

Life on other planets around other stars didn’t even enter into my world view until I was somewhat older and had read my first science fiction. And, of course, that life was humanoid, water-based, and still somehow weird. Science fiction tales are made up by humans, so it’s pretty obvious that our stories of alien life will have some attributes of humanity, no matter how that life looks. I suspect that’s because if somebody came up with a truly weird life form, the story would founder along until one of the characters found a way to communicate with it. (Shades of Star Trek, and the many ways Hollywood tried to imagine the truly weird and talk to it.)

So, SF fan that I am, I can’t wait til the first life-bearing planet outside our solar system is found. The debates and discussions are going to be amazing to witness and take part in!

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