For centuries, people have been searching for answers to confirm that we are, in fact, not the only beings in the universe and that we are, therefore, merely small beings, changing the universe day-by-day. The Earth takes up only a speck of the whole universe and it seems fairly selfish to believe that alien life does not exist at all.
Life on Earth exists because of some basic building blocks- carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. All of these molecules are produced by chemical reactions and biological activity. Earth is not alone in these building blocks, however, and most planets have a similar make up.
Pieces of meteorites, asteroids, and comets have contributed to the carbon-rich surface of early Earth. These bodies carry many organic compounds and are present in every part of the universe that has been explored. Meaning that the same organic building blocks of life we find on Earth are present all over the universe. I think people are inherently curious and are constantly searching for more, which is why finding alien life will be easier than many people think.
Since the 1960’s, pictures and exploration of other planets and moons proved that there was, or is, water in other places in the universe. Satellite and rover explorations and pictures show ice on Mars’s surface. There is also evidence of liquid water based on the erosion patterns and formations.
In 2010, three moons were confirmed to have water in some form- Jupiter’s Europa, and Saturn’s Titan and Enceladus. Under shells of ice, all of these moons have spots of large underground oceans. Water is necessary for life, as we know it, on Earth, so if it can be found on other planets, we are closer to understanding how life can exist elsewhere.
The fact that we can find water, an important building block to life, along with other elements needed on other planets and moons, shows that life, as we know it, could exist elsewhere. However, humans tend to be pretty one-track-minded and think about humans first. So, looking for life that looks similar to humans may entirely be the wrong way to go.
Life on other planets might look different than what it looks like on Earth, but it is life nonetheless. The search for alien life can be more thorough once we change our perception of life, and perhaps past explorations need to be repeated with widened search parameters. One thing to begin looking for is archaebacteria on other planets. This type of bacteria was developed in Earth’s early history with little to no oxygen, which was previously considered to be necessary for life, but, if things can survive without oxygen, then things can survive on planets with entirely different atmospheres than ours.
There have also been organisms discovered that live off of energy from geothermal sources rather than depending on the energy from the sun to develop. These are called thermophiles and they use chemosynthesis which allows them to convert chemicals, rather than sunlight, into an energy source. Thermophiles and other extremophiles do not fit into the mold of what was previously believed to show how all life exists and they push the boundaries of life as we know it.
Life may look different than what we are used to, but these discoveries are leading to a more encompassing view of not just the world we live in, but the whole universe we are a part of.
Knowing that the universe holds many places that fit the criteria for life as we know it on Earth, and that the universe is infinitely large, supports that extraterrestrial life is possible. It is also important to know that life does not solely exist in the universe as it does on Earth. The universe is incredibly and increasingly large and infinite, so other life is undeniable. As space exploration technology becomes more adaptable to how we understand the many ways of life now, more evidence of alien life will become evident.
Emma Farina
Opinions Columnist