planets

If we're not on two planets in any meaningful way, it only takes one big rock to be on zero planets.

For all we know, not only are planets the norm, not only are rocky planets the norm, but life is also the norm.

I added the Sun and the Moon and eventually, I'll add the other dwarf planets and perhaps some of the larger moons of other planets.

But the contra is that the young sun evolved just when the metallicity of the gas was high enough to actually form rocky planets and the solar system.

Of course you would have to do this a number of times with different planets using some as controls.

Those two planets are made up mostly of a water/ammonia/methane mixture with a solid core and a H/He outer atmosphere.

Since Pluto is included, will you add the other large dwarf planets too?

The distribution of planets we know about today _is a function of the instrument, not the actual planet distribution_.

We'd have to colonize a lot of planets to find the rare group of humans who would not resort to destructive power struggles.

Instead, collect some data and leave, moving on to other planets and systems.

There are a few planets between 4 and 42 light years from here.

But hey, it is good training for terraforming other planets I guess, at least the research will be more mature.

There are three basic ingredients which go into making planets: rock (including pure metals), "ice" (a catch-all term which includes all phases of water along with methane and ammonia) and hydrogen/helium mixture.

Personally, since we're running full-tilt towards needing something to replace "jobs," I'd like to hope that, at some point, that some places ( countries, planets(?)) might institute a universal minimum income, along with a flat-rate fair tax.