Let’s face it, very few things are certain in the world. Death and taxes, they say. As far as death goes, all I’m willing to acknowledge is that we leave our physical shell behind. That much I know is true.
So, managing our life is a matter of managing probabilities. On some issues, it might only be 50-50. But on most issues, it’s more like 99-01. That allows us to act. Otherwise, we might be paralyzed as the chattering mind keeps going back and forth between ‘should I’ or ‘shouldn’t I’.
We spend a huge amount of money and resources searching for life in outer space. I actually find it kind of interesting. I wonder why there is this urge and what the motives are. Is it just pure curiosity or do some people want to ‘prove’ there is no god if they can show there is intelligent life out there. That we’re not the center of a dead universe.
Well, I can tell you, based on probabilities and if you are able to even begin to fathom the size of the universe, that we are not alone and there most assuredly is more intelligent life out there than we can imagine. It’s just that it’s one of the rarest things out there.
All it requires is a little reason.
When you look at the picture above, you see just a tiny fraction of what’s out there in the universe. Our technology has allowed us to peer deeper into space than ever before. Astronomers estimate there are 100 billion galaxies each with around 100 billion stars. That should blow your mind, if you can even attempt to fathom the size of the universe.
Now, I acknowledge life requires certain conditions to thrive. But, and I’ve said this before, just by the very fact that we are here proves there is an ‘urge’ to life in the universe. A ‘life force’ if you wish. And we are a witness to that creative force.
So, even if there was only one star per galaxy with the right conditions, it would mean there are at least 100 billion planets with some form of life on them. And if you’re still skeptical, say only one quarter of the galaxies have a star with the right conditions, that’s still a lot of life out there. Keep reducing the probabilities; do you think the entire universe is dead except for us? I would argue reason suggests otherwise. The probability for life in the universe is overwhelmingly greater than zero.
