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We Are Not Alone
We Are Not Alone
By Will Hart
The idea that the earth is an exceptional planet, the only one with life and intelligent beings on it, has been passé to scientists for 50 years. The late astronomer Carl Sagan summed it up succinctly:
“It now seems quite clear that Earth is not the only inhabited planet…The selective value of intelligence and technical civilization is obvious, and it seems likely that a large number of planets within our Milky Way
In fact, that life exists out there can hardly be disputed since existing water has been found on several moons — and the traces of flowing galaxy – perhaps as many as a million – are inhabited by technical civilizations in advance of our own…”
These statements were made in 1963, five decades before the Kepler telescope began identifying earth-like planets in our galaxy.
The public has somehow been given the false impression that scientists think we are alone however such is not the case.
Scientists have found water on Mars—beyond that Hubble identified molecular oxygen in deep space in recent years; and extraterrestrial amino acids and other organic compounds have also been identified in several chondrite meteorites that have fallen to earth since the 1960’s.
At this point it seems that our old model of the universe is obsolete. Why did we ever assume that the earth was one-of-a-kind in the infinite universe containing billions and billions of stars and trillions of planets?
Biologists have a truism, where there is water there is some form of life — add organic molecules and even molecular oxygen – and you have the recipe for a biosphere.
With the basic ingredients of life now established as existing off of our planet, the game has completely changed. No doubt the cosmos is teeming with water and life and even other civilizations. In fact, it appears that life on Earth, and the human race itself, may be latecomers to the cosmic party…
About the Author: Will Hart is a journalist and the author of ‘The Genesis Race’ series. To learn more about his work visit link.
