Are There Planets Better at Supporting Life Than Earth?

Are There Planets Better at Supporting Life Than Earth?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

There is, in this crazy world, one thing we know for sure: Our world is the world. Our planet is the planet — for creating life, for supporting life, for letting us humans and our fellow species become what we are. And so, as we take our first tentative steps from a warm, watery Earth out into the universe, we set our sights toward the worlds that look like the one we know — toward planets that are, in their way, “Earth-like.”

But: What if there are planets that are better at being Earth-like than Earth itself? What if there are worlds that are more homey than home? What if other planets are better at supporting life than our own?