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 | Could the Star Wars Galaxy Really Be Out There? |
 For those of you interested - yes I did cross over to the Dark Side of Blogging by posting an entry title that I know that I couldn't resist clicking on and commenting "Of course it can't! Dear Old George made the whole darn thing up!".
Shame on me, but Mr. Infinite Force put ideas in my head! 
But it's not a true "bait and switch" title, because it is a big universe out there.
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Luke Skywalker stood on Tatooine looking at the horizon. He already lived in a world we can only now begin to imagine happening. A world of robots, aliens, starships, hovercars, and rayguns. Still he looked for more. And that's a good thing.
Consider this image: [Cosmic Lightshow]
Every single blip of light in that image is an entire galaxy - the easily seen ones being quite close in cosmic terms and the faintest dots in the background being beyond our best abillities to see clearly. The image was taken in 2003 by the Hubble Space Telescope by focusing on one TINY section of the sky for three months, taking in all the light it could. They chose a section of sky that appeared completely empty to the naked eye so that no stars would drown out the light from things behind them.
A single section of sky. A fragment... Contains countless galaxies.
I'm of the school of thought that with that much stuff there has to be "something alive down there" - hopefully at least as smart as Yoda 
Of course most of those possible jawa and wookiee look-alikes (and perhaps an entire society of Harrison Fords) are probably long gone. We started sending radio transmissions in the early 1900's and we had the ability to blow ourselves up with nuclear weapons by the mid 1940's. Entire civilizations could be flaring up into existence and dying into oblivion in this wide-wide universe at a rate exponentially more extreme than our own birth/death rate of individual human beings. How's that for feeling insignificant?
So that's why the creation of SpaceShipOne and more importantly SpaceShipTwo could be the most significant piece of news in a long long time. Named - appropriately enough - the VSS Enterprise after that other "Star" thing. It represents individuals taking an interest - creators putting their financial necks on the line to build it and ticket purchasers spending millions of dollars for a few minutes in space - in reaching beyond this tiny blue dot we live on.
Maybe someday we'll learn the secrets of "Hyperspace" or something similar and be able to break the speed of light and enter a new age of humanity. Or maybe that really is impossible as Einstein theorized and we're stuck at sublight speeds forever. Even if that's true there are 100 odd stars within 20 light years of our little blue rock just begging to be explored. Epsilon Eridani b is one of the hundreds of planets we've detected outside of our own solar system and is only 10.4 light years away from Earth. With our current rockets that would take something on the edge of 35,000 years to reach. A bit out of our reach for now I suppose Nevertheless if you showed someone fifty, thirty, or perhaps even ten years ago what computers would be doing today, they'd be a bit shocked. Who knows what advancements in propulsion we could make in the next few decades?
So what does this little late-night insomniatic philosophical discussion have to do with anything? Nothing for our generations most likely. Anyone reading this now will hopefully see Mars touched by human feet and the moon begin to have permanent outposts placed on it - or even colonized if you're feeling really long-lived (you don't smoke do you?)
So while our own little world is nice: Niagara Falls being one of our most spectacular water shows and Mount Everest being the truest test of human endurance... I look forward to us seeing what's really out there.
I'm done being all deep and melodramatic now. I promise to post something fun next time to make up for it
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◄ Rive "One Giant Leap for Mankind" Caedo►
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http://blogs.starwars.com/rive/132 |
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Apprentice of Wisdom
Star Wars is a Way of Life -- Accept it (by a "Dutch Yoda")
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 2:43 AM
I'm of the school of thought that with that much stuff there has to be "something alive down there" - hopefully at least as smart as Yoda So am I. With such a wide galaxy, it's not imposible there is something like the Star Wars Galaxy, or something completely different - because what exactly do we know? - out there. And maybe someday we'll know. As you stated, our technology is going fast forward. But until then, the question will always be, can we understand what we'll find out there? We're used to our own galaxy, and the borders of our own mind.
Anyway, nice blog. Very interesting.
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Darth shadow85
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 6:22 AM
very intresting its got me really thinking now lol but anyways good block
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FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 6:31 AM
When people talk about life on other planets I always hear similar things that I tend to disagree with...
(1) If they are there, why haven't we heard from them? Maybe they are extinct?
Well, how many of the THEM have really heard from us? I mean, they could be in their pre-technology stage (the one we were in until about the last 70 years), OR they could be SO far advanced that they cannot detect our attempts at communication (after all, our sensors aren't trying to pick up a kid's walkie-talkie)
catinued...
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FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 6:34 AM
(2) First off, I am NOT accusing this blog of this, because it didn't happen, BUT when some people talk about life on other planets they say: "This would prove there is no God". Why would it do that? I think that aliens would prove it COULDN'T have been an accident. Even if we "look different", desert animals look different from polar bears, but I believe the same God made them.
Catcluding thoughts:
I would like to believe there is life on other worlds, similar to "Star Wars", or where's the fun? The Bible does say that Christ reedemed the "cosmos", which, of course, is Greek for "the entire universe".
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jedilily1026
Years Matter Not (Gone Crazy...Be Back Soon)
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 6:53 AM
He already lived in a world we can only now begin to imagine happening. A world of robots, aliens, starships, hovercars, and rayguns. Still he looked for more.
Just goes to show you, even in a imaginary Galaxy...people are not satisfied with what they have...they always "want more"..
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Dark-Jedi25
Hard to see, the dark side is
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 7:57 AM
yes I think that the Star-Wars Galaxy revolves around the idea of "hyperspace" travel and "trade-routes" (wormholes). I think that the bigger theory behind Star-Wars is that some ancient race developed hyperspace travel, seeded the galaxy with their tecnology, and then upstart evolving races were born into a galaxy with the ability to interacted with other systems.
I personally believe that we will establish interstellar travel without developing "hyperspace" tecnology. The use of anti-matter as a propulsion fuel will make this possible. A few ounces of anti-matter would be enough for us to send a ship to the nearest system at an average of 1/2 the speed of light...
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Dark-Jedi25
Hard to see, the dark side is
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 8:02 AM
the problem with anti-matter production is that it takes nearly as much energy to produce as what you get out of it as a fuel. If all the energy in the world being produced right now went to anti-matter production, it would take us a few thousand years to produce this much ant-matter. I think that when we break our oil/coal habit and develop new forms of energy production (perhaps fussion power plants) we will have the ability to produce anti-matter in the amounts needed to use it as a fuel source.
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Dark-Jedi25
Hard to see, the dark side is
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 8:06 AM
high amounts of excess energy, combined with our ability colonize other parts of our own System, are the only two things holding us back right now. We have the tecnology, we just havn't found a way to implement it yet.
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zach starwalker
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 9:18 AM
we just barely got control of nuclear fission and now you want fussion are you insane. good blog rive there has to be something out there. id be happy if i found a hutt that wad 3 inches long
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"The Ewok"
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 9:28 AM
This is a good blog. I really don't have anything to say, well, not the time to write a novel about this.
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 9:32 AM
I read somewhere (don't remember where) that NASA is looking into Star Wars technology to see if it is possible to create a hyperdrive system so we may someday visit other planets. Also looking into things like landspeeders. I did find a link to NASA for some info:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/sc19may99_1.htm.
I believe it could be possible there is life on other planets, possibly in other galaxies. But, like fan4yrs, I believe in God, too.
vadersgirl33
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jkthunder
Seven Pieces
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 9:35 AM
Hmmm. Deep thoughts. Strangely enough, even though I often like to dwell on this subject, it was fresh on my mind after watching Close Encounters the other night.
Or maybe that really is impossible as Einstein theorized and we're stuck at sublight speeds forever.
They haven't even aged! Einstein was right!
Einstein was probably one of them.
I've been holding off on trying to trade in my truck until I can get myself a real X-Wing
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Japanese Fett
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 9:47 AM
I like this blog. It really makes us wonder. I know there is advanced lifeforms out there in our galaxy, somwhere. We just have to look up. And vadersgirl33, that website is very interesting.
Sayonara, & MTFBWY
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Dark-Jedi25
Hard to see, the dark side is
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 10:08 AM
we just barely got control of nuclear fission and now you want fussion are you insane
Contained fusion reaction has already been acheived. The next challenge in fusion power is to extend to "burn-time" to greater than 35 seconds (long enough for it to produce more energy than it to to jump-start the reaction.)
The prototype for the first fusion power plant is already underway, check out this web page on the ITER Project: http://www.iter.org/
Originally, they were going to build it in Ontario, but when Canada pulled out of the project, and the USA decided on a larger contribution, they decided it would be built in France.
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nob01
Oil Bath Bubbles
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 10:11 AM
Well, when you think about it, due to the nature of infinity - being infinite an' all - and the possibility of the universe being cyclic (are we expanding, or contracting? The jury's still out) - then I'll be sitting here, reading this blog, an infinite number of times.
And one of those times, I'll be an Ewok.
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Jedi Master Mina
Jedi blogging, go back to your drinks!
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 11:55 AM
I'm done being all deep and melodramatic now. I promise to post something fun next time to make up for it.
Thank the Force for that. You had me worried for the entire duration of this blog.
and the possibility of the universe being cyclic (are we expanding, or contracting? The jury's still out) - then I'll be sitting here, reading this blog, an infinite number of times.
And one of those times, I'll be an Ewok.
 ...And not Jar Jar Binks?
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.:[AG]:.
AG's Warehouse
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 12:19 PM
Really deep, this blog is. Just one fragment of the sky, one tiny piece, and we have all those galaxies. It's really, really amazing. I believe in God. I also believe that what the telescopes see aren't just illusions or anything like that. I believe God has created all those stars, those galaxies which number in their billions, for a reason. Someday, humanity will find out what that reason is. God created us one way or another, and he created us with a mind able to discern the secrets of science for a reason.
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.:[AG]:.
AG's Warehouse
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 12:19 PM
I do believe in evolution, but I also believe God planned for the species' evolution to take place so we could become what we are. He intended for evolution to happen and in that respect, God really did create us. And he created all those stars for a reason too. Does he know that the Earth will run out of resources in the distant future and created those galaxies so we could explore space in search of a new home? Did he create other species out there that would come to us? Only time can tell. For now, all I can do is be patient and wait.
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JadenNightsaber
THX 118?
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 2:25 PM
Wow, that's one crazy picture. But I agree with you. It's too big to be empty. You really got me thinkin' though.
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Dark-Jedi25
Hard to see, the dark side is
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 3:39 PM
He intended for evolution to happen and in that respect, God really did create us
Me too. But then again, I am Catholic. Catholosism accepts this viewpoint. or the literal-7-day-creation viewpoint. Where the church takes is stand is on random (or aitheistic) evolution. The purpose of the Church is the salvation of the Human Soul, not to tell people how to interpret science. Almost all of the scientist from the renosance period used church funding.
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Jedi Arwen Skywalker
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 4:23 PM
I can't wait for hyperspace and repulser technology. I too believe in God, but just because HE hasn't told us that other beings are out there doesn't mean there isn't a galaxy like GFFA somewhere. If civilian space travel becomes possible in my lifetime, I'de be so excited.
And its ok to be deep once in a while...but only once and a while.
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independentjac
"How long can any man fight the darkness, before he finds it in himselft?"
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 4:37 PM
sorry I'm late, but this blog needs your mace windu opening thing.
Is the Star Wars Galaxy Fake?
Yeah, probably. What's the fun in that though?
that title was as awesome as the blog. nice blog. I would definitely hope that it was real. not gonna get into the religious debater but I learned not to do that a looong time ago.
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Marvolo7
Marvolo's Misanthropic Musings
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 4:48 PM
That picture is incredible. Mr Caedo, consider my mind officially blown!
I, like many others here, are of the conviction that there must be someone else out there. Space, after all, is vastly hugely mind-bogglingly big. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space!
I'm waiting for the day when we all find out that our planet is completely backward and primitive compared to the other species of the universe, who have had hyperdrive mastered for ages. Or maybe it's just my wild imagination going again.
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jkelly
There Is No Conflict
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date Posted: Oct 15, 2006 8:56 PM
Of course most of those possible jawa and wookiee look-alikes (and perhaps an entire society of Harrison Fords) are probably long gone.
I think it was an episode of Family Guy, or maybe South Park, perhaps The Simpsons (well, one of the three).
Anyway, the punchline was that the aliens put all the different races of people on one planet in a Survivor-Like reality TV show setting for their own amusement. I figure that's true and that's why only one see one race/ specie per planet in SW. That's how the planets made it that long.
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Rogueish
W.I.E.R.D.
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date Posted: Oct 16, 2006 4:28 AM
Whilst I agree with most people that there must be other life out there, what I'm really hoping is that there are Zeltrons, Twi'Lek's and Correlian Ale out there.
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Darth Rex0
So be it....
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date Posted: Oct 16, 2006 10:01 AM
Nice entry and I echo your sentiment. There just has to be something out there. Carl Sagan once said something to the effect of:
The chance for life to come into being is impossible. There are too many factors that have to happen just right. That being said, the universe is a great place for odds like that. The possibilities are endless.
I agree with him and his over dramatic tone. Its possible and likely.
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General Tarfful
The Kachirho Daily Journal
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date Posted: Oct 17, 2006 4:01 PM
Apparently, according to various theories of parellel universes and such, every universe that could possibly exist, does exist, and any event that possibly can happen, is happening. Which would imply that the GFFA IS out there. Maybe Luke Skywalker is 1 millimeter away from you right now, and Yoda's 1 millimeter away from me - but if that 1 millimeter is in a higher dimention, we can't perceive it, so we wouldn't know. Eventually perhaps we'll figure out ways to bridge that gap.
I just reminded myself of His Dark Materials........
Anyway, I think it's generally unwise to count anything out of the question altogether. I agree with Darth Rex0 and Sagan - the possibilities are endless. Good blog.
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RiverTam
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date Posted: Oct 18, 2006 1:51 PM
That was so deep that I swallowed a bug...
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Darth Rex0
So be it....
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date Posted: Oct 19, 2006 2:53 PM
Apparently, according to various theories of parellel universes and such, every universe that could possibly exist, does exist, and any event that possibly can happen, is happening.
Aww, the ole quantum physics. That still hurts my head.
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21212121212
"So be it.......21212121212"
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date Posted: Oct 20, 2006 6:07 PM
If there are Jedi out there, I hope they organize another Outbound Flight, and journey to this galaxy far,far, away..........
(Plus I might be able to contact them concerning my elevation to Jedi Master)
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EvilDarthBear
The Grand Admiral's Club
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date Posted: Dec 04, 2006 6:42 AM
I with you, Rive 
It drives me nuts that so much exist out there in the Universe, and I've only seen a sliver of the tinest fraction...
Nice picture by the way, is that Hubble?
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