Fine tuning: a discussion for the rest of us mortals

Shh writes

quote:

---

An estimated 100million in our galaxy alone

---

First of all, please use the paragraph structure.Even Karen Masters, the person who claimed the estimate, admitted that all of these estimates are based on very incomplete data. While it is true that these estimates came from the best data we have, which isn't very much, you have to understand that we still only have ONE single data point to work from when we're dealing with planets that have life. As far as we know, there aren't any other like Earth.

Shh writes

quote:

---

I'm pretty sure this dealt with the capailty for life not the fact itself.

---

I'm not sure you understood my point before. Even if we deal with the planets for the capacity for life, we are still dealing with, at best, 3 datapoints (Venus, Earth, and Mars). That's THREE datapoints.Because of our limited technology right now, we can only find planetary systems that have gigantic gas giants within the so-called habitable zones.

quote:

---

If we're only dealing in planets which have life then at one point in history, we'd have to say that no life was possible.

---

Well, there wasn't anyone around to say anything, yes?

quote:

---

That's enough to show that Earth isn't unique.

---

Uniqueness is a subjective word. Personally, I'd say that every planetary body is unique.

quote:

---

Why? The vast majority of the values needed are common to the entire galaxy.

---

Aside from the fact that the Sun is a typical main sequence star, we know almost nothing else.But for a starter, could you name some of these "values"?