Under the heading of billions of habitable planets found in Milky Way:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9170683/N...

For a start red dwarfs aren't, as mentioned in the article, the most stable of stars. I'm not sure how a planet in the 'goldilocks’ zone', which would have to be quite close given its output, would fare under the bombardment of X rays and 'stuff'.

Perhaps troglodytes? The Time Machine anyone?

The most populous type of star might be the most popular for life. Interesting.

There was a report some time ago of Jupiter-sized planets around a number of red dwarfs, and multiple planets around some, but this, with the emphasis on earth-sized planets, seems new.

Or life there has evolved to use 'X-rays and stuff' as an energy source...

Once anything has been proven to exist, as life has, the chances of it only existing once, in one place, are very low indeed.

Billions, and Billions, and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions,and Billions..........


/Dr Brian Cox


;-)

Hmm, now let me think...

I reckon if:

N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible;
R* = the average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy
fp = the fraction of those stars that have planets
ne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets
fℓ = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point
fi = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life
fc = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space
L = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space

Then you get:



Sorted!




ETA: Oh damn, beaten to it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

It has been decided (and this is absolutely true) that, in the event of contact being made with another civilisation, the word 'alien' MUST NOT be used as it is offensive, implying that they are being categorised as a life-form that is living in the wrong environment. They must be referred to as EBE's - Exo-Biological Entities...

Brussels can even wind its red feckin' tape around the necks of people from other stellar systems!

Humanely challenged is probably less offensive to those green bds

Probably best if we don't find any. Think of those extra religions.

Doubt it, I would think that they have evolved beyond the need for superstitions etc.

But... It has evolved here only once in the planet's entire history. We all have one common ancestor. Life has only sprouted once.

That is what I am led to believe.

Now, although that makes it very special, it doesn't of course make it impossible for it to start from scratch again somewhere else in the universe.