Exobiology
Although science has yet to determine if life exists beyond earth, it is hedging its bets based upon several developments including: the discovery of extra-solar planetary systems, the discovery in space of organic chemicals essential to life, the abundance of water and the potential for life to be spread across the universe by comets, meteorites and even extraterrestrial civilizations.
Some scientists maintain that life is truly unique and uncommon, perhaps limited to our planet alone. However, most entertain the idea that life is common in the universe and that somewhere there exists an extraterrestrial intelligence perhaps far in advance of our own. In anticipation of this possibility, the fledgling science of Exobiology is beginning to make its case through the examination of the extremes in which life can endure and flourish on Earth as a model for how life may have gained a foothold on other worlds.
While no definitive proof of extraterrestrial life has been established yet, there are several good reasons to consider that there may be life beyond Earth. These possibilities include the statistical likelihood of the existence of planets like Earth. It has been suggested that in our galaxy alone there may be as many as 30 billion Earth-like worlds. Closer to home the possibilities include the likely presence of water on Mars that may harbor life. Life may be detected through both the revisiting of the results from the life-detecting experiments aboard the Mars Surveyor probe that were performed in the late 1960's as well as life-detecting tests on board four new probes that will land on the Martian surface sometime in the next year. The fact that the debate regarding the possible presence of micro bacteria in the Mars meteorite ALPH8001 continues is indicative of the potential that possibility represents.
Scientific acceptance of the probable existence of extraterrestrial life has expanded to include an investigation into the possible existence of extraterrestrial intelligence or ETI. There has been a lively discussion of this topic by some of the brightest astronomers, astrophysicists and biologists. Several well-funded efforts are attempting to establish the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations. The techniques include the examination of the radio spectrum for deliberate signals and the examination of extra-solar planetary bodies for visual (infrared) evidence of non-terrestrial civilizations.
A 1971 conference of American and Russian scientists was convened to address this question of communicating with ETI. The gathering included Schlovsky, Kardashev, Drake, Dyson, Sagan and a host of qualified, original thinkers. The results of this effort, based upon the work of Frank Drake and Project Ozma, was the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence or the SETI project. This project has been privatized and is now referred to as the SETI Institute. This organization enjoys funding in the form of government and private grants and is taking a two-pronged approach to the question of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence.
The first approach was to develop and improve the capability to scan the radio spectrum for potential extraterrestrial radio signals. This effort, according to participant Dr. Carl Sagan, resulted in the detection of a number of candidate signals. In his words, "[they] gave me goose bumps." Of course none of those signals could be detected a second time or through a second radio telescope so they remain unverified.
The second approach is through the Optical SETI or O-SETI, project which is bringing over 120 million dollars in equipment online, including the most sensitive infrared detectors available, to optically examine extra-solar worlds for signs of civilization.
Dr. Sagan once conceded that the likelihood that Earth has been visited by extraterrestrial civilizations sometime in the distant past is very high. Efforts to learn about those potential visitations have arisen through examination of legends, ancient artwork and historical documentation. There are those who question whether certain phenomena that have been documented at locations like Hessdalen, Norway may be indicative of ongoing activity on Earth - today, also by non-human intelligence.
Report 1 - The Physical Study of Atmospheric Luminous Anomalies
and the SETV Hypothesis
Dr. Massimo Teodorani
March 2002
On the basis of statistical calculations on galactic migration, this paper
explores the possibility that exogenous vehicles and/or probes may have reached
our solar system, including Earth. Available technology is able to conduct
sensing operations both in the extreme borders of the solar system and on
our own planet. The possible presence of probes of extraterrestrial origin
on Earth may be ascertained by using a network of sensing stations placed
in critical areas. One of them is the Norwegian area of Hessdalen, where two
scientific explorative missions have demonstrated the existence of anomalous
luminous phenomena. At present, nothing proves scientifically that our planet
is being visited by alien intelligences. Nevertheless, the remarkable, recurring
phenomena of extreme importance to fundamental physics discovered in some
areas demonstrate the need for further investigation with highly sophisticated
instrumentation.
Full Report: http://www.zeitlin.net/OpenSETI/Docs/EuroSETI2002_OSI.htm
Further Information: www.Hessdalen.org
Report 2 - The Physics of Extra-Terrestrial Civilizations
How advanced could they possibly be?
An article by Michio Kaku
Full Report: http://www.mkaku.org/articles/physics_of_alien_civs.shtml
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