New Planet: Good or Bad?

This week, new Hubble photos revealed an image of a planet hovering around a star called Fomalhaut. This planet, called Formalhaut B, is not the first extrasolar planet or "exoplanet" to be discovered, but it is one of the first to be photographed. A UC Berkeley scientist named Paul Kalas (Go Bears!) captured several images of this gas giant as it revolved around its huge star.

For me and for others, seeing is believing. Discovering planets by observing the "wobble" of the star is not enough to hit me in the gut. But actually seeing an image of a planet -- especially one that orbits a star looking like the Eye of Mordor -- now that is convincing.

At this point, we can only detect big gas giants, usually bigger than Jupiter. But once we have better optics, we should be able to find smaller, rocky planets like our own. This is especially important because ultimately we are all interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

The discovery of exoplanets is monumental for a number of reasons, not least of which is because the Drake equation, first formulated in 1961, is quickly crystallizing. Frank Drake drafted his equation to determine the chances for extraterrestrial life. Among the different parameters he included were the percentage of stars that have planets and the number of those planets that can sustain life. With our detection of exoplanets, particularly by direct observation, we are filling in the unknowns of the Drake equation. When each unknown is converted to a "known," then we will be more confident about the chances of extraterrestrial life.

At this moment, the world's astronomers are as joyful about these discoveries as the world at large feels about Obama's election. However, I say, "Not so fast." Speaking for myself, I am as fearful about these discoveries as the world's bigots feel about Obama's ascendancy. After all, our science fiction is littered with stories of extraterrestrial adventures. Rather than leading to greater appreciation for our place in the universe, such discoveries instead accelerate the plunder of our own world. (Consider Battlestar Galactica, Wall-E, and Blade Runner, just as a small sampling.) Knowledge of other worlds furthers the "foreclosure" mentality that informs our treatment of Earth's environment. We will look around and say, "Let this one go. There are better planets out there, maybe ones without Sarah Palin. Besides, we already owe a huge carbon debt on this one."

In the end, other planets are ultimately not good for us. They provide unreasonable escapist fantasies. And I am against fantasies. I am conservative in the sense that I favor traditional time-tested planet values such as

• "do not destroy the earth"
• "take care of the earth so that it is not destroyed by people who want to visit another planet"
• "write a blog so that people take care of the earth so that it is not destroyed by people who want to visit another planet."

(These could probably be simplified, but since they are time-tested, I'll leave them be.)

For the sake of our planet, please remain focused on the challenges we face here. It is acceptable to look at the pictures of other planets, but do not look with a covetous heart. Admire the pictures as you would Giorgione's The Sleeping Venus. Don't stare at the particulars. Whatever you do, don't imagine yourself within the image. Just glance quickly and get back to your life.