On Sun, 14 Apr 2002, Keith Hudson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
[about missing mass, undiscovered physics, and ET's] I'm in general agreement, so I won't quote, but only add a couple of points. I feel lucky to be somewhat involved in the process of probing the edges of physics to find some solutions to the problems touched on, having among other things lent my two bits, in my small way to the effort to put a ballpark figure on neutrino mass, which then helps put a number on the mass of the elusive exotic matter. As to the ET's I only want to point out, firstly, that the quoted study had determined a wider variety of environments in which life can exist, which the media reports (and perhaps the authors) fail to make clear is a very different issue than the environments in which life can spontaneously initiate. The latter are very poorly understood, and may be in fact quite considerably more limited. So this does not really demonstrate a more favourable universe for life, except perhaps that organisms might have refuges to survive castastrophes more severe than previously assumed. And secondly, to point out that the differences in chemistry likely to exist between organisms from different initiation events have such potential diversity that actual physical contact between such organisms is almost certain to have some form or other of horrendously toxic results, so remote communication seems the only likely form of contact. I shall make no more comments on this to the list, as it seems to be geting pretty far off topic -PV
