Whenever I read science discoveries like this one, I recall listening to various preachers and “creation science” speakers back in the 1950’s and 1960’s make planet earth exceptionalism arguments—including “The Earth is the only place in the universe where water is present to provide a home for biological life.”
Another exceptionalism argument was the claim—a true one, obviously—that “our sun is the only star known to support a system of orbiting planets.”
For years I wondered how long it would take before such arguments would have to be retired.
I think their creationist stuff is getting less and less plausible. Their cosmological claims don’t seem any less plausible to me.
Does anyone know what the mainstream scientific community has to say about the probability of life supporting (something as complex as human-life) planets in the universe?
Its not creationists its just a few creationist thinkers. One must watch sampling.
The earth is unique but not for ideas about water.
I liked this picture greatly for creationist reasons.
One of the things they find are geomorphical creations on some of these places. So how?
they try to say, like here, they are from long time processes. Some now say they are from fast mega flood actions.
Seeing this frozen lake shows how a sudden heating, like from a near comet impact, would heat it and swend it in a direction and instantly create canyons etc.
Finding crator water lakes on mars is a Christmas gift for creationists and good guys everywhere.
That life itself is probably widespread and common but complex and intelligent life is extremely improbable. Too many seemingly independent events have to come together at the right time and location for complex life to have a chance (right distance from its star, right size moon at the right distance, right position in the galaxy, plate tectonics, volcanic activity, etc. etc.)
How? I would suggest that because the same laws of physics which apply on Mars and others planets (both within and outside of our solar system) also apply on earth, I would expect to find “geomorphical creations” on those planets. Thus, it shouldn’t be anything shocking that scientists found a water feature on another planet which is somewhat similar to water features on earth. (Of course, that doesn’t make it any less striking, awesome, and interesting!)
I don’t mean that. I mean why is there action on these quiet rocks. The physics is indeed the same.
Yet what is the trigger? This ice crator is evidence for a trigger. its not that these places have normal water processes but only a special case of ice then melt. They are not living planets like earth.
Earth only is alive with forces in nature. the others are secondary minor reflections of physics.