Technology Can Help Us Find Aliens; Discovering Signals of Extraterrestrial Life Will Revolutionize Science
We have been searching for signs of extraterrestrial life for years. With the advancement of our technology, experts believe that we are getting closer to finding aliens in the universe.
Finding Alien Life Is a Matter of When
Numerous astronomers no longer doubt the existence of extraterrestrial life. Instead, they are wondering, "When will we find it?"
Many people hope that we will find evidence of life on another planet during our lifetimes, possibly within the next few years. A scientist in charge of a Jupiter mission even goes so far as to declare it would be "surprising" if there weren't life on one of the ice moons of the planet.
The number of stars and planets in the universe in which we dwell is endless. And many of us have realized that we cannot be the only intelligent species on the planet, according to Prof. Catherine Heymans, Scotland's Royal Astronomer.
Yes, experts believe that the intriguing issue of whether we are alone in the universe can now be answered thanks to technology and capabilities. Compared to other methods of searching for indications of life, looking for a signal "might seem the most improbable, but it would also be the most clear, and it could happen at any time," per Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, head of the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe at Seti.
The hunt for radio transmissions from extraterrestrial worlds has been ongoing for decades, not least by the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (Seti) Institute. Some scientists believe this question belongs to science fiction and is an impossibility.
Their searches to date have been haphazard because space is a vast area. But because observatories like JWST can pinpoint the regions where alien civilizations are most likely to reside, Seti can narrow its search.
Cabrol added that this has given the project new energy. The institute has updated its telescope array and utilizes tools to scan for signals from potent laser pulses from far-off planets.
Dr. Cabrol, an astrobiology expert, is aware of why some researchers doubt Seti's hunt for a signal. However, according to her, it is possible to analyze chemical fingerprints from distant atmospheres, intriguing readings from moon flybys, and even Martian microfossils.
Extraterrestrials Could Revolutionize Science
Per Cabrol, we didn't have any proof of planets orbiting other stars thirty years ago. Astronomers and astrobiologists may now study more than 5,000 of them in unprecedented detail.
Cardiff University's Dr. Subhajit Sarker, a member of the research team studying K2-18b, said that all the pieces are in place for a discovery that will be more than just an amazing scientific accomplishment.
"If we find signs of life, it will be a revolution in science and it is also going to be a massive change in the way humanity looks at itself and its place in the Universe," she said.
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