Not wishing to divert speculative conversations about the possible numbers of planets external to the Kepler dataset, at the heart of the research is clearly, the hunt for habitable environments and ultimately, the search for exo-life.
I notice that Mr SETI himself,
Seth Shostak says the following (after reviewing the Kepler dataset results):
Quote:
But here's the promise. If we crudely do the numbers, these early results from Kepler indicate that approximately 3 percent of all stars could boast a habitable planet.
Within a thousand light-years of Earth -- a distance that could be bridged by transmitters no more powerful than equipment we ourselves can build – there are at least 30,000 of these habitable worlds.
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Looking at these words in the light of the facts from the review team paper, (posted previously), about the uncertainties in the planetary temperature figures being upwards of
at least, 22% based on Stellar size, mass, temperature and planetary albedo .. with the presence/absence of an atmosphere being capable of
dwarfing this figure, one is brought back to reality, fairly quickly.
My point here is that comments such as Shostak’s tend to ‘stick’ in the minds of the public (for a very long time).
As likely as he makes it out to be, there is still no scientific basis for his optimistic views.
Cheers