Given that a gamma ray burst can now be recorded almost weekly, there is evidently quite a lot of stars in the cosmos. We have that the onset of a GRBurst occurs only after a few billion years have elapsed in a star's life. From an assessment of an eminent physicist who's name, unfortunately, I have forgotten there is probably at least one star having a planet with hyper-intelligent life in proximity to an incipient GRBurst . Does any-one care to comment on this "observation" of mine? - JimEJD

It depends which type of gamma-ray burst we are considering. The most common type seems to be due to a massive star exoploding in a very energetic supernova, which directs most of the energy into two opposing polar jets. This sort of GRB would occur in a very young, massive star, perhaps a few million years old.

The other hypothetical type of GRB occurs when two neutron stars- or perhaps two black holes- collide; these were also once short-lived, massive stars themselves, but the collision could take place at any time after the (smaller but still impressive) explosions which formed the neutron stars (or black holes)concerned.

Certainly neither type of GRB would have any chance of an Earth-type planet in orbit aound it when it went off.

However any number of advanced civilisations on nearby planets in other systems may have been wiped ut by GRBs in the past;
we inhabit a cruel, heedless universe.

__________________
Orion's Arm . The Starlark . Voices: Future Tense- Novella Contest Issue! . OA Flickr set

Never been one to sit on the fence; I shall blunder in here with this...
There is a probebilaty that an advanced civilisation could evolve and thrive in as little as a few billion years. If you conceed this is possible then it could also be possible that they developed the abilaty to leave thier world. They could see the impending distruction and left. They traveled at five times the speed of light and came here and inhabited Earth. Having intermigled with the life forms found here. We are the descendants of these people you have just witnessed the distruction of the home world. becouse they got here befor the light image. . . . well they do say truth is stranger than fiction. But this is defnatly fiction, like my spelling. Rubbish.

Hey, I think that would be awesome if there was life on another planet, it would be crazy....but I don't believe that even if there was life on anotherr planet, I highly doubt that the life would be as intellegent as you stated, there may be life, but it would probably just be bacteria or some sort of micro-organisms.....nonetheless, life does exiost out there somewhere...........

good bit of lateral thinking astromark

i can just imagine nipping off to another world and watching you own one go pfft.

we our selves are the result of the fusion of hydrogen in some long ago event
so we are made of star dust

__________________
inventing and writing forum
You dont know how little you know.
till you know enought
to know that you still know nothing