Thoughts on Alien Life

This is one of the most controversial subjects of our time - is there life on other planets ? We are bombarded with the theme on television, in advertisements, in magazines and newspapers, and yet it is still considered a question that is a little risky to ask. There are scientists who are studying possible radio signals coming from other planets, there are droves of people driving out into the deserts at night to watch for the hoped-for arrival of alien visitors, and there are military pilots who sight unexplainable flying objects that many think are alien ships. We do not have enough information anywhere in the world that we know of to answer the question - Is there life on other planets ? But we do have some interesting food for thought about the idea that there might just be life we have yet to discover out there some where in the universe... maybe some interesting neighbors in the Cosmic Neighborhood ?

EXPLORING FOR LIFE "OUT THERE" - by Michael Lindemann, for the Camp Internet Explore the Cosmic Neighborhood Project

INTRODUCTION

Ever since people first began staring at the sky thousands of years ago, they have wondered if there is life "out there." Over time, many myths, legends and theories were devised to describe possible life beyond the earth. Similarly, many people have wondered if life from somewhere else could travel to our planet. Who were the "gods" and "sky people" spoken of in almost every ancient culture? What are the UFOs and "alien abductions" of today? For that matter, could lowly Martian bacteria travel to earth on a meteorite? Today, we may finally be getting close to some real and very exciting answers. This program examines three major ways we humans are exploring for evidence of life "out there." These are: 1) Sending our spacecraft to explore other planets and stars 2) Using radio telescopes to look for signals of life 3) Examining UFOs and other "alien" evidence here on earth Do you think there really is life "out there?" Do you think we will find it? Do you think "they" have already found us? These may turn out to be some of the most important questions of our time.

PART ONE: EXPLORING OTHER PLANETS AND STARS

We humans have already entered the space-faring period of our history. We have already sent people to the Moon and machines to the farthest reaches of our solar system. Our spacecraft Galileo will continue its close-up viewing of Jupiter and the remarkable Jovian moons; and two new spacecraft will reach Mars. But this is just the beginning. Barring some unforeseen catastrophe, human beings will soon venture far beyond the confines of earth, first to explore and later to colonize other worlds. We could send people back to the moon whenever the US government decides to do so; and it is likely that we could send people to Mars by the year 2020 or sooner.

Some people feel we should be doing everything possible to explore space. But others think it is a needless waste of taxpayer dollars when there are so many problems here on earth. Of course, space exploration is expensive. But is it worth the cost? In a time of huge public debt and shrinking government budgets, money for space exploration is bound to be controversial. However, several recent discoveries have increased public interest in space exploration to the highest level since the time of the moon landings. Assuming space exploration continues, it is quite possible that human explorers will encounter life on other planets.

Just as on our own world, most of this life would undoubtedly be of "lower" kinds, that is, not intelligent. It is also possible that we will find, not living specimens, but fossils. This is now considered a strong possibility on Mars. Some people think that discovering life on other planets will be one of the most important discoveries in all of human history, with *profound implications* for many aspects of our lives. Today, most space scientists do not expect to find intelligent life on any other planet in our solar system. However, some researchers think we might be surprised to find that "cosmic tourists" or explorers from far away may have stopped off at Mars, for example, and left evidence of their visits. After all, we humans have already left *evidence of our visits on several other worlds.*

Mars has always been a popular candidate for life. In the early part of this century, the famous astronomer Percival Lowell said he could see "canals" on Mars through his telescope, and he believed these canals were made by intelligent beings. This idea fired the public imagination. Today it is clear that Lowell was wrong about the "canals." But there is now some new evidence of possible life on Mars, and several unmanned spacecraft will arrive there this year to learn more.

One kind of evidence for life on Mars came from a meteorite. Do you know where it was found? Do you know what kind of evidence it contained? *Check here to find out.*

Another kind of evidence for possible life on Mars came from photographs of a region called Cydonia taken by the Viking spacecraft orbiting Mars in 1976. These photos are VERY controversial, and many scientists have tried to ignore them. NASA announced that they would try to get better photos of Cydonia, using the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. NASA has always said the Viking photos of Cydonia just show various rock formations that cast interesting shadows. Other researchers say the Cydonia land forms are artificial structures. Everyone hopes the new photos will settle the question. *Find out more about Cydonia here.*

As far as we know, almost all forms of life need water. It turns out that water is more common in our solar system than we once thought. In fact, water was even found on the Moon recently, although we don't think there is any life there. But there is a lo t of water on Mars. And there is also a lot of water on some of the moons of Jupiter. One of those moons, Europa, might actually have oceans of liquid water under a permanent outer layer of ice. Some scientists think Europa is a very good candidate for so me kind of life. But Europa is VERY far away from the sun. How can it be warm enough to have liquid water? *Find out here.*

For a long time, astronomers have believed that other stars, like our sun, probably have planets. But it wasn't until 1995 that they got really good evidence of a planet around another star. After that, they began to find good evidence for planets around lots of stars. Now it seems that planets might actually be quite common. This is a major new idea in astronomy, and of course it increases the possibility that there might be life "out there."

If we really want to learn about planets around other stars, it would probably be good to go there, just as we're going to nearby planets today. We've all seen movies and television shows about interstellar space travel, such as Star Trek. But are these stories pure imagination? Will we ever be able to travel that far? Some scientists think such travel is very unlikely. But a new breed of physicists and engineers say it can be done.

There are lots of unanswered questions: How fast can a spacecraft go? What is the best kind of power source? How expensive will it be -- and can we afford it? How dangerous will it be? Can humans adapt to very long periods in space? Could a spacecraft continue to communicate with the earth if it got very far (light years) away? One of the really big questions is: Can a spacecraft go faster than the speed of light? Any fan of Star Trek knows that "Warp Drive" allows faster-than-light travel. Something like this would probably be necessary if humans are ever going to visit distant stars. And, conversely, visitors from "out there" would probably need it too, or they couldn't reach the earth. *Is "warp drive" possible? Find out here.* Of course, if we humans realize that "warp drive" is possible, then it's also possible that someone "out there" is already doing it. And then... maybe those stories about "flying saucers" aren't so crazy after all!

PART TWO: LOOKING FOR LIFE WITH RADIO TELESCOPES

It's very expensive, difficult and dangerous for humans to fly to another planet on a spacecraft. So some scientists think we should stay here on earth and look for signs of extraterrestrial life with telescopes. In 1961, an astronomer named Frank Drake formulated an equation, now called the Drake equation, which demonstrates that there could be many thousands of advanced intelligent cultures in our own galaxy, and millions in the universe as a whole.

Drake was th e first to try looking for extraterrestrial signals using a radio telescope. Today's SETI program, the official scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is based on *Drake's pioneering work.* However, even if there are millions of advanced cultures in space, this doesn't mean it will be easy to find them via radio signals. Theoretically, most of them are so far away that we could never hear them at all. And even if they're smart, they might not use radio, either because they haven't invented it yet, or because they've already got something much better. But if they are fairly close -- say, within 100 light years -- and happen to be broadcasting clear and powerful radio signals, then we might very well hear them, if we listen very hard and get lucky.

Today, there are quite a few radio telescopes looking for intelligent signals from space, and the majority of mainstream space scientists believe we will hear such a signal within the next few decades. Some scientists even think we might have heard such signals already, but they didn't last long enough for us to be sure what they were. Of course, it would be extremely exciting and important if we did hear such a signal. But there would be various problems to solve before we could get very much benefit from this discovery.

First of all, even if we recognize the signal as intelligent, it might be very difficult to decipher and understand. What if it's just a random bit of dialogue from the alien equivalent of "I Love Lucy" that has drifted for years in space? In fact, this is just the kind of "intelligent signal" that extraterrestrials might pick up from earth, if they happen to be listening. Of course, we would like to find a signal that was deliberately sent our way, and some SETI scientists think we will find such a signal. In fact, humans have actually sent a number of *deliberate signals* into space, hoping they might one day be found by someone "out there."

The people who designed these intentional human signals, including Frank Drake and the late Carl Sagan, tried very hard to make them both meaningful and easy to understand, keeping in mind that extraterrestrials would not know anything about human language. But when they showed their ideas to other scientists, they realized that even most humans could never decipher the signals they had so carefully created. So, even under the best of conditions, understanding the signal is the first big problem. And the next big problem is: If we get a signal, whether we understand it or not, how should we respond? This is not just a question of responding back to whoever is "out there." Even more important is how we humans should respond amongst ourselves, here on earth, to the fact that we have heard from someone "out there."

NASA and SETI scientists, not only here in the United States but in other countries as well, have thought a great deal about what to do if, or when, we receive a definitely intelligent signal from "out there." They realize that even one such signal has profound implications for the human future. They also realize that some people might panic, others might start new religions, others might demand information that simply isn't available, others might try to profit by offering all kinds of dubious new E.T. related products and services, still others might push the government to "do something" -- long before it becomes clear what to do.

Indeed, governments might argue among themselves as to "who is really in charge" of such information, or who should speak for the people of earth. In 1992, NASA received $100 million from the US Congress to undertake the most ambitious SETI project ever. This was called the High Resolution Microwave Survey, or HRMS, and its purpose was to scan thousands of stars on millions of radio frequencies, looking for signs of intelligent life. One year later, Congress withdrew most of that funding, but the SETI project managed to continue with private support. In the meantime, anticipating that they would soon discover definite proof of life "out there," SETI scientists prepared a *declaration of principles* and a report on *the cultural aspects of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.* This report applies to all of SETI's projects, including their latest effort called Project Phoenix. It should be pointed out that SETI scientists are convinced that extraterrestrials cannot reach the earth. Hence, they reject all suggestions that UFOs could represent technology from "out there." However, it is possible that they are wrong. EVIDENCE OF "ALIEN" LIFE ON EARTH

Most mainstream scientists don't like to consider the possibility that intelligent extraterrestrial life might find us first. They prefer to equate UFOs with silly ideas about "little green men," and dismiss all claims of human/alien encounter here on earth as hoaxes or flights of fancy. However, opinion polls consistently show that about half of all adults in America think it is possible that earth has been visited, or will be visited, by technically advanced extraterrestrials. Of course, some people are sure they have already met extraterrestrials -- some even say they have been "abducted" against their will by aliens in a UFO. While such claims may sound crazy, a growing number of researchers and mental health professionals are starting to take them seriously.

A "UFO" can be anything from a fuzzy light in the sky to a solid flying machine in your backyard. Lights in the sky are the most common kind of UFO report, and most of them probably have a "normal" explanation. But what about solid looking objects that are close enough to describe in detail? There are many such reports -- and some of them come from military officers, police officers, or reputable scientists. They represent serious evidence of "unexplained technology" here on earth. And, of course, sometimes these reports include "aliens" as well. Some people think there really is "unexplained technology" all right, but they say it comes from secret government projects, not aliens.

There is no question that the US government, as well as the Russians, British, French and some other governments, are working on advanced flying machines that might look "out of this world" to an uninformed observer. Possibly these human aircraft account for some UFO reports.

Advanced Flying Machines

Area 51, a super-secret airbase at Groom Dry Lake in central Nevada, has long been a testing site for America's most advanced aircraft, including some that officially don't exist. Perhaps for this reason, Area 51 is also a hotspot for UFO sightings. Years before the strange-looking F-117a Stealth Fighter was publicly shown, it was spotted by ranchers and UFO-watchers in the high desert. Flying almost silently and looking like something fit for Darth Vader, there can be no doubt that this bizarre plane provoked some perfectly sincere UFO reports. And why not? If a person saw it swoop by and then called the Air Force, they would have been told that no such thing exists. If it doesn't exist, it can't very well be identified -- and that makes it an unidentified flying object, or UFO.

Similar reports were generated by the weird, bat-shaped B-2 Stealth Bomber, another plane that officially did not exist during its testing phase some years ago. Is it possible that other strange aircraft, still top-secret, are being tested today? Most civilian analysts say yes. The most-often named example is the so-called Aurora, which is thought to be a super-secret, super-fast replacement for the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft. Two of the most authoritative aerospace magazines -- Aviation Week & Space Technology, and Jane's Defense Weekly -- have both declared that the Aurora does exist and is flying. Yet, the US government insists there is no such aircraft. When will we know the truth? That's hard to say. Meanwhile, if anyone actually sees the Aurora, it qualifies as a human-built UFO.

Some UFOs are seen flying over secure military bases and are reported by military personnel, suggesting that even the military units involved cannot recognize what they are seeing. These reports are harder to dismiss as human aircraft. In several instances, "flying saucers" have entered the airspace over nuclear weapons sites and caused great alarm. One such incident happened in Russia, at a place called Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region, on the night of July 28-29, 1989.

Seven officers and soldiers at a missile base clearly saw a "flying disc" with a dome on top flying and hovering over the base for nearly two hours. At times it shined a bright beam of light down on some of the building, including the rocket weapons depot. Reports and *illustrations* of this incident were provided by the witnesses. Similarly, during 1989 and 1990, thousands of people in the nation of Belgium saw large triangular shaped UFOs in the sky. The sightings were often captured on film and video; and many witnesses made *drawings.* The Belgian military sent jet fighters to chase some of the UFOs. In at least one instance, a military jet locked radar on one of the UFOs at the same time as it was being tracked by a ground-based radar. Both radars measured the UFO doing maneuvers that would be considered impossible for a human aircraft; and because of the two separate radar readings, these findings are considered highly reliable. Finally a Belgian military spokesman went on TV to say that he could not explain what was happening.

Belgium is not the only country to report large triangle-shaped UFOs. Similar sightings happened in the Hudson Valley of New York during the mid-1980s. And many such sightings have happened in England in recent years. In March of 1993, for instance, a huge, silent black triangle-shaped *UFO flew over two air force bases in England.* Military personnel immediately reported to the British Ministry of Defense, which then tried but failed to explain what had been seen. Nick Pope, who headed the UFO investigation for the Ministry of Defense, later said he believed that this incident involved an aircraft of non-human origin. If even a few UFOs are real aircraft not built by humans, as many investigators think, then we must consider the possibility that they represent "alien" technology. Could this mean we're being invaded from outer space?

Today, many popular movies and television shows depict terrible encounters with aliens, such as the 1996 film "Independence Day," or the TV show "Dark Skies." Of course, there are positive images as well, such as the film "E.T." or the interesting TV series "Alien Nation," where the aliens look very similar to humans and learn to fit in to human society. If extraterrestrials are visiting the earth, it might not be easy to decide if they're friendly or dangerous. First of all, if they're really here, they aren't being very obvious (at least not to most of us), so we would tend to consider them elusive and inscrutable. Does that mean they could be up to something? Or are they simply trying to study us without scaring us to death?

If it turns out that they are very strange looking, we might automatically be afraid of them -- and once afraid, we might have a hard time judging if they are friendly or not. This could lead to dangerous confrontation. So, getting to know our "alien" neighbors might be somewhat difficult, even if they mean us no harm.

There are many well-documented encounters with UFOs and "alien" beings that have never been explained. Here are just a few of the best cases: April 1964: A police officer named Lonnie Zamora in Socorro, New Mexico, saw a *strange machine on the ground,* along with two small "people." He saw the people get into the machine, and he saw the machine take off and fly away. It was broad daylight, and he was only a few hundred feet away. There was a lot of physical evidence left behind, such as landing marks, footprints and burned vegetation. Official investigators from the FBI, NASA and the military tried but failed to explain this encounter.

October 1973: Four Army reservists were flying a helicopter near Mansfield, Ohio at about 11 pm when they saw a large, *cigar-shaped UFO* very close to their own aircraft. The UFO shined a green light on the helicopter, after which the helicopter's radios , compass and controls stopped working. This lasted for several minutes. Then the UFO turned off the light and flew away. All four men on the helicopter reported the same thing. Five people on the ground also saw the whole event.

November 1975: Lumberjack Travis Walton and six other men saw a "flying saucer" hovering in a clearing in the woods near the town of Snowflake, Arizona. Travis got out of their truck for a closer look, but was struck by a beam of blue light and fell down. His friends drove away in fear, but soon came back to find that Travis was gone. He stayed missing for five days, then turned up on a road near town. He said he had been on board the spacecraft and saw *two kinds of aliens.* He and all his friends passed lie detector tests. This is a well-documented case of "alien abduction."

Do UFO "close encounters" prove that aliens are visiting the earth? Not necessarily. But some UFO cases, including those described in this program, simply have not been explained, and more UFO sightings keep happening all over the world.

The year 1996 was a particularly big year for UFO sightings and close encounters all over the world. Among the nations that reported high levels of UFO activity were: Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Israel, Mexico and South Korea. There was also a great deal of UFO activity in various parts of the United States. Major UFO events happened over many capital cities around the world, including Pretoria (South Africa), Seoul (South Korea), Brasilia (Brazil), Amman (Jordan) and Tel Aviv (Israel). Though many people simply do not believe that UFO events warrant serious attention, a growing number of scientists, military officers, astronauts and other professional people are calling for government action to resolve the UFO controversy once and for all.

If that happens, what will we learn? Is it possible that the earth really is being visited by beings from somewhere else? Perhaps so. Time will tell. In any case, we hope this Camp Internet program has convinced you that there are many ways to explore for life "out there," and the chances of eventually finding such life are very high indeed. Happy hunting!