Michael_H

I got some sweet books! "A First Course In String Theory" -Zwiebach "The Elegant Universe" -Brian Greene (already read the library's copy though) "The State of The Universe, A Primer in Modern Cosmology" -Pedro G. Ferreira "Pushing Ice" -Alastair Reynolds I'm still finishing a bunch of books that are overdue at the library so I haven't really started reading any of them yet. The string theory textbook is really awesome though!

I think the chances are extremely small because of the way in which our planet developed into a habitable planet. First off you'd all the things discussed already. Such as liquid water, the right distance from the star, etc. After all that you also have the probability of microscopic life developing and evolving to a point where all the life combined can change the conditions of the planet to be more friendly to higher forms of life. While at the same time avoiding catastrophic events that would bring the developmental level of lifeforms back down to the microscopic form. So in order for a planet to be habitable for life (beyond the microscopic) it would need a significant amount of time to evolve to a level where it can transform the planet into a self adjusting biosphere that is required for advanced forms of life to be around. The chances of there being a planet with the right conditions for microscopic life, then also the chances that that life can evolve with out being blown up back to the basic level... is extremely small maybe even one per galaxy? Then there is the matter of time. The chance of life existing at the same time that we are alive as a species is even smaller. There could be other planets developing life in our galaxy but the odds are that those planets have already developed the life and then died off, or have yet to develop.

I am very glad to join this online community. Im obviously very passionate about science. ever since I was starting highschool I wanted to become an astro-physicist. Im currently still studying the sciences in college, my interests are still in astro-physics but more towards cosmology now. I was greatly influenced by Richard Feynman, Albert Einstein, Fritz Zwicky, Stephen Hawking. I really enjoy reading "hard" science fiction. I've read a few books that were recommended on this forum and they were great books. I am looking forward to getting enough posts to gain access to the political forum

I really like vocal trance music, its basically progressive trance with female vocals. I used to like a wide variety of music types but after I found this online radio website "www.digitallyimported.com" or simply "di.fm" I have pretty much started listening exclusively to their vocal trance channel. I also really like Paul Oakenfold fisherspooner daft punk infected mushroom GiGi D'Agostino Boards of Canada Its weird but I really don't enjoy "rock" anymore, anything with just normal instruments is pretty boring and bland compared to the incredible range of sounds that come from "electronica" style music. Especially when combined with great female vocals. I really like the genres: "house" "Goa-Psy" "trance" "Euro-Dance" and I still enjoy classical music too

* "Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value." * "The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle." ~Both by Albert Einstein