New Scientist ran an article a few years back on orphan worlds. One idea was that the lower size limit for lone bodies could be quite low and that perhaps there were numerous gas giants even rocky world out there on thier own without a star. In my own future history I assume that these orphan worlds are quite common. They have thick atmospheres, even the rocky worlds retain amonia and hydrogen because there is no sunlight to give these light gasses the engergy for escape. The thick atmosphere can trap the heat of creation for billions of years so perhaps there is life. In my future history one such world spawn an alien civilisation for which what humans call visible light is an invisible and deadly radiation.

<-----Original Message----->
From: Sam McConnich [RingworldRPG@...] Sent: 4/24/2009 5:54:46 AM To: SF-Un@yahoogroups.com; STRPG-Discuss@yahoogroups.com; FASA_Who@yahoogroups.com; space-opera@yahoogroups.com; RingworldRPG@... Subject: [RingworldRPG] something I always thought Brown swarves more common than thought