@ 17:50, Kipping makes a statement about the specific need for “earthlike” planets with similar histories and dynamic conditions as being necessary for intelligent life.
But given the same dynamical conditions such as existing on many different planets which share the same “chemistry” , then this number increases exponentially.
Moreover, he suggests that we have no clue about the number of chemical reactions that can take place on a planet that is somewhat similar (not identical) in available properties and the earth is an ideal candidate for life.
Does he mean to suggest that earth is an extraordinary planet, whereas all astrologers say that the earth is an average planet with average chemistry, nothing special that would make life impossible on planets that did not have this special “secret ingredient”
Hazen showed in his Carnegie lecture that an Earth-like planet alone can generate some 2 trillion, quadrillion, quadrillion, quadrillion chemical experiments .
I found many weaknesses and negative assumptions in Kipping’s presentation, where he never even addressed any of the positive qualities that earth shares with many other planets such as “water”. How many known planets contain water?
‘Water Worlds’ Are Common In Milky Way, Says Research. So Why Not In The Solar System?
Many of the 4,000+ planets so far discovered in distant star systems in the Milky Way are “water worlds” according to new research. The study into the distribution of planet sizes in other systems concludes that many planets found that are bigger than Earth, but smaller than Neptune, may be “water worlds”. It comes days after scientists also found [cold gas giant]
(At Last, Scientists Have Found The Galaxy's Missing Exoplanets: Cold Gas Giants) planets.
“Statistically speaking, these water worlds may be more abundant than Earth-like rocky planets,” says Li Zeng, Simons Postdoc Fellow at Harvard University, whose Growth model interpretation of planet size distribution paper was published today in the journal PNAS. Its simulations suggest that sub-Neptune exoplanets, which have radii two to four times that of Earth, likely contain at least 25% ices or fluids. It had been thought they were gas dwarfs with a rocky core surrounded by a gaseous envelope.
“Perhaps every typical sun-like star has one or more of these water-worlds … perhaps our solar system is less typical,” says Zeng.
'Water Worlds' Are Common In Milky Way, Says Research. So Why Not In The Solar System?
Now if Kipping is specifically addressing “intelligent life” at the level of humans, he may have an argument, but to completely discount the probability of life on any planet but earth is no more than an echo of Jacques Monod:
“Man finally knows that he is alone in the indifferent immensity of the Universe, from which he emerged by accident.” — Jacques Monod
Isn’t it amazing how the Robert Hazen lectures (backed by data) completely destroy Kipping’s superficial arguments.