Page 52 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - Late January 2019

52 Odds Of Extraterrestrial Life Are Slim

Amateur astrophysicist

says odds of

extraterrestrial life are

slim

BY PATTI BRANDT BURGESS

TRAVERSE CITY — Is there intelligent life
somewhere in the universe besides on Earth?
"It's certainly a question that has been
asked for the last hundreds or even thousands of
years," says physicist, biochemist and amateur
astrophysicist David G. Penney.
But Penney, using an answer that could
have come from a Magic 8-Ball, says the
outlook is not so good.
The part-time Beulah resident recently
made a case against the existence of
extraterrestrial life at the Traverse Area District
Library.
Rather than the 8-Ball, Penney looks to
loads of data and the Fermi Paradox in making
his conclusion. Extrapolated by Nobel Prize-
winning physicist Enrico Fermi in 1950, the
Fermi Paradox points to the contrast between
the high probability of alien life and the lack of
evidence of it.
The odds that one or more alien
civilizations exist are high, according to Fermi's
theory. There are a huge number of stars; there
are a huge number of planets, some of which
may be Earth-like; there is the likelihood that
those civilizations would have developed
interstellar travel; and there has been an He became an expert in carbon
immense amount of time since the Big Bang monoxide toxicology and now runs a consulting Human Body Trivia
that started it all, giving aliens plenty of time to business out of his home, working on carbon
evolve and to travel to Earth. monoxide poisoning cases worldwide and A cough releases an explosive charge of air
"If there are so many other intelligent giving expert testimony at trials. that moves at speeds up to 60 mph.
beings in the universe, where are they?" Penney Penney discovered a love of astronomy
asks, pointing to the absence of alien bodies or in the fifth grade. Even then, he was not A fetus acquires fingerprints at the age of three
genetic material, crashed spaceships and convinced of the existence of extraterrestrial months.
artifacts. "The chances of discovering life in the life.
solar system are next to zero." "I was interested in the question," he A fingernail or toenail takes about 6 months to
Even so, surveys show that about 47 said. "You have to be a doubter if you're going grow from base to tip.
percent of people believe in its existence, he to be a scientist."
said. He did not come back to astronomy until A healthy individual releases 3.5 oz. of gas in
"Maybe they're hopeful. Maybe they're he retired about 12 years ago. a single flatulent emission, or about 17 oz. in a
just kind of going with the flow." "I had more time," he said. "Not only day.
Many cite alternate theories that say the that, I found retirement to be difficult without
evidence of aliens is too alien for us to constant intellectual stimulation." A human being loses an average of 40 to 100
recognize; the evidence is being suppressed, as He now gives lectures on topics like strands of hair a day.
in the Roswell incident of 1947; or alien dark matter, black holes and other mysteries of
cultures just aren't interested in Earth. the universe at libraries and schools in Traverse A person will die from total lack of sleep
"I don't believe that for a minute," City and in Florida, where he spends winters. sooner than from starvation. Death will occur
Penney said. "We have an extremely valuable He says fifth-graders are his favorite about 10 days without sleep, while starvation
piece of real estate." audiences. takes a few weeks.
Penney has no opinion and has drawn no "I find fifth-graders to be really
conclusions on crop circles, alien abductions or fantastic," he said. "Their brains are formed. A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 mph.
even UFOs, though hundreds — if not They don't have problems thinking they may
thousands — of people have claimed to have ask a dumb question." According to German researchers, the risk of
seen alien craft in the skies. Does Penney hope to some day be heart attack is higher on Monday than any
The son of a fireman, Penney grew up in proven wrong about the existence of alien life? other day of the week.
Royal Oak. He earned his master of science He likely won't be, he says, though there is
degree from Wayne State University and his always that chance. According to the Kinsey Institute, the biggest
PhD in physiology and biochemistry from the "I would go with the data that we have, erect penis on record measures 13 inches. The
University of California, Los Angeles. though science is not something where the smallest tops off at 1 3/4 inches.
He spent seven years as an assistant answer is cast in stone. It's fluid," he said. []
professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago After spending hours working at a computer
before coming back to Wayne State, where he Dare to Believe, Dare to be Heard display, look at a blank piece of white paper. It
spent the next 27 years teaching in the School of The ‘X’ Zone Radio / TV Show will probably appear pink.
Medicine and doing research. with Rob McConnell
www.xzbn.net