A young radio astronomer, Frank Drake, conducted the first extensive search for alien civilisations in deep space near Green Bank, West Virginia, in 1960 (Overbye, 2012, p.120). And so began the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, SETI, a form of astronomical inquiry that aims to find evidence of live forms beyond earth (along with research in other fields) and has captured the imaginations of many people around the planet. That’s partly because of the cultural role that extraterrestrials play in books and films. But also because of the genuine interest of many researchers and their belief that a discovery of this kind will change humanity forever and yet SETI has to face an ongoing funding issue. However, whether to invest in SETI or …show more content…
Baum et al. further point out that ETI could harm us intentionally as they could attack us out of selfishness or out of a more altruistic desire to protect the galaxy from us or harm us unintentionally as they might give us a biological or computer disease that our defences cannot handle (p.2122-2125). While there is some justification for this point of view but there are reasons to believe that extraterrestrials would be cooperative, ETI being more intelligent and intellectual beings would tend to choose cooperative options as a non-cooperative measure is a risky strategy and can hinder the evolutionary process ( Baum et al., 2011, p.2119) .Searching for life beyond the confines of our very own planet, Earth, has been an ongoing obsession by astronomers and merely detecting the existence of ETI can be beneficial because it will be such a monumental discovery - arguably the most important discovery in human history (Baum et al., 2011, p.2118; SETI, n.d., p.109). If ETI cooperates with us, then they might be of assistance to many of humanity’s biggest challenges such as poverty, global warming, and enlighten us to the truth of our existence. Furthermore, if extraterrestrials are uncooperative and attack on human race and somehow if humanity manages to defeat them then we gain a major moral victory, and the opportunity to reverse-engineer ETI technology (Baum et al., 2011,
Finding life in our solar system could potentially answer the questions humanity has been asking for thousands of years. Sarah Seager, a professor at MIT, mentioned some of these thought provoking questions, “why are we here? Why does our universe exist? How did Earth form and evolve? How and why did life originate and populate our planet?” Answers to these questions could give humanity a deeper understanding of who we are and what our place in the universe is. Steven Dick believes that humanity has “… deep psychological yearnings for companionship, superior wisdom, or ‘an ineradicable desire to see the skies filled with life’.” Those opposed may argue that a biological universe will have little effect on humanity’s understanding of our place in the universe because a biological universe simply does not exist. One may argue that life is exceedingly complex and the odds of conditions being just right for the production and the sustainment of life are slim. Our civilization may have managed to beat the odds, but many its unlikely to for this to occur elsewhere in our solar system. The proof to back this argument is the N =1 equation. The only solid evidence we have proves that only one planet has beaten these insurmountable odds and produced life. While this argument makes logical sense, relying solely on evidence we have at the moment, takes our focus away from the
Why should scientists be impelled to work tirelessly to search the vast reaches of space? There’s one crucial answer that we all must come to terms on if we wish to ensure the continuation of the human legacy; Resources. Studies have shown that by 2030, inhabitants of our earth will need another two earths worth of resources to satisfy the constant needs of the 7 billion people around the world. Today we are using resources 44% faster than nature can regenerate. Many feel that our world is still rich with what resources we need, but this is only a contemporary statement. The reason for this is our constant dissipation of resources that are, and will always be diminishing. Humans have consistently looke...
“In a fraught fiscal climate, NASA should focus on what it does best and on what offers the best return on investment. Solar system exploration meets both criteria: the U.S. has long led the interplanetary charge, and the resulting scientific benefits have come at a relative bargain. This year NASA 's planetary science program cost about $1.5 billion -- less than what NASA spent designing a congressionally mandated rocket, the Space Launch System, which appears more likely to satisfy aerospace contractors than to aid the cause of space exploration. Such directives from lawmakers all too often land in NASA 's lap without the funds to carry them out (To The
Just because the military doesn't tell civilians about their aircraft does not mean that there must be alien intervention. It simply means that the government is trying to protect it new toys. They have every right to keep their top secret aircraft a secret.....that's why it is called top secret, right? The government is like a little kid. How many of you when you were little wanted to share your new toys? I didn
The unexplained have been adored and admired for decades appearing fascinating. Yet there still will always be someone to disapprove of them or try and cover them up, but not all secrets can be kept hidden. Whether the aliens will come to us or we will come to them in the end; believing we are not the only ones stuck in the variety of stars and planets in outer
Over a 1950 summer lunch at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the great physicist Enrico Fermi asked his colleagues an unexpected question – “Don’t you ever wonder where everybody is?” Laughter went around the table as everyone immediately knew that he was talking about extraterrestrial intelligence [1]. If life arises fairly commonly, as Fermi believed, it follows that there should be advanced civilizations with the desire to visit and colonize Earth close enough to do so. However, there is no incontrovertible evidence of aliens on Earth, either now or in the past. This is called the Fermi Paradox. The lack of observational evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence is known as the ‘Great Silence.’[13]
Now if there are aliens in space and we are not alone chances are they aren’t how we think of them. They probably won’t be all green and evil. They probably won’t even be able to walk, but again that is what SETI and the other programs in space are trying to find out.
The mission of Breakthrough Initiatives, which includes such names as Stephen Hawking, Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri Milner, founder of DST Global, as board members, is to search for extraterrestrial life beyond this solar system. And so the organization will be providing a large fraction of the necessary technologies and development costs for this VISIR experiment; and the European Southern Observatory will be providing the telescope, technology, and
These are the reasons why I believe there should be more investment in space research and technology. It would be a time consuming and financially draining quest, but the pay off in new technology, applications, resources, and expansion opportunities make it a goal to strive for. As our rate of consumption of Earth’s natural resources continues to increase, it is imperative that we invest in the research of outer space as a possible solution to sustaining the human race.
The existence of life – Aliens, beyond our planet has been a controversial topic for several centuries, and is a debatable issue even today in the 21st century. What is our topic you may ask? Aliens, Do, Exist. According to theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, it would be improbable for life not to exist somewhere other than Earth. This is a bold claim, but there is evidence to support this statement. The evidence we seek is in the many Alien occurrences we have experienced throughout human history.
Another inspiration is the progression of science and technology. Those who strived for space had a desire for knowledge of this vast space of unknown. Scientists wanted man to be put in space for the purpose of discovery and science. Some scientist were angry and criticized the space program whenever it diverted from this motivation. These extraterrestrial discoveries could possibly bring new technology and benefit s...
As human beings, our world is tiny. With the limitations of technology and the vastness of the universe, it is difficult to go beyond the boundaries of the personal prison called the atmosphere. Because of this, many are quick to assume that we are the only lifeforms that fill this empty void of space and that Earth is the only one of its kind. In Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous With Rama, however, the year 2130 proves to be the turning point of the future. No longer can humans be naive and insecure about the existence of extraterrestrial life.
NASA’s research and innovation looked promising, but it came at a cost. Money, resources, and spacecraft accidents, most famously Apollo 13 all hindered NASA’s research. In the 21st century, the debate over funding for NASA is at its peak since the birth of the organization in 1958, especially when there are numerous problems throughout the world. Is the money spent on space exploration worth the advantages and advances it contributes to society? When considering this topic, one might ask themselves, why explore space?
Do aliens exist? For eons, mankind has pondered over this peculiar question and a revealing truth has yet to be answered. However, one thing is known for sure, the discovery of intelligent alien life outside of Earth would provide support to prove and/or disprove fundamental beliefs that have been held for centuries. In any case, the discovery would serve as a cornerstone for humanity to make the quantum leap in understanding the purpose of our existence. Based on numerous examples, it is impossible to deny the existence of extraterrestrial life outside of Earth. Reportings of sightings, ancient civilizations beliefs, and scientific proof from scientists and astronomers are all key factors that contribute to this statement.
Since the beginning of time, mankind has sought after learning about and exploring the universe. This yearning drove us to achieve such great things as the journey to the moon and the discovery of water on mars. Nowadays, several people argue as to whether or not space exploration is worth the effort. I believe that it is humanity’s instinctual nature to pursue a better understanding of ourselves, and our universe. Further understanding of our universe will lead to the discovery of new technologies and ways to secure humanity’s survivability. As such, this essay will argue that space exploration is a necessity to our kind and that NASA should be progressively more financed.