Extraterrestrial life: Difference between revisions
EnWikiAdmin (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
|||
| (10 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{ | {{Wikipedia fork|import_date=6 November 2024}} | ||
{{about|any kind of extraterrestrial life|aliens with human-like intelligence|Extraterrestrial intelligence}} | {{about|any kind of extraterrestrial life|aliens with human-like intelligence|Extraterrestrial intelligence}} | ||
{{Use British English|date=June 2023}} | {{Use British English|date=June 2023}} | ||
| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
{{unsolved|astronomy|Could life have arisen elsewhere?<br />What are the [[Abiogenesis|requirements for life]]?<br />Are there [[exoplanet]]s like Earth?<br />How likely is the [[Extraterrestrial intelligence|evolution of intelligent life]]?}} | {{unsolved|astronomy|Could life have arisen elsewhere?<br />What are the [[Abiogenesis|requirements for life]]?<br />Are there [[exoplanet]]s like Earth?<br />How likely is the [[Extraterrestrial intelligence|evolution of intelligent life]]?}} | ||
'''Extraterrestrial life''', or '''alien life''' (colloquially, '''alien'''), is [[life]] which does not originate from [[Earth]]. No extraterrestrial life has yet been scientifically conclusively detected. Such life might range from simple forms such as [[prokaryote]]s to [[Extraterrestrial intelligence|intelligent beings]], possibly bringing forth [[civilization]]s that might be [[Kardashev scale|far more advanced]] than humans.<ref name="WP-20201231">{{cite news |last=Frank |first=Adam |date=31 December 2020 |title=A new frontier is opening in the search for extraterrestrial life – The reason we haven't found life elsewhere in the universe is simple: We haven't really looked until now. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/12/31/breakthrough-listen-seti-technosignatures/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20131118">{{cite news |last=Davies |author-link=Paul Davies |first=Paul |title=Are We Alone in the Universe? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/opinion/are-we-alone-in-the-universe.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/opinion/are-we-alone-in-the-universe.html |archive-date=2022-01-01 |url-access=limited |date=18 November 2013 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=20 November 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Pickrell |title=Top 10: Controversial pieces of evidence for extraterrestrial life |date=4 September 2006 |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9943-top-10-controversial-pieces-of-evidence-for-extraterrestrial-life.html |work=[[New Scientist]] |access-date=18 February 2011}}</ref> The [[Drake equation]] speculates about the existence of sapient life elsewhere in the universe. The science of extraterrestrial life is known as [[astrobiology]]. | '''Extraterrestrial life''', or '''alien life''' (colloquially, '''alien'''), is [[life]] which does not originate from [[Earth]]. No extraterrestrial life has yet been scientifically conclusively detected. Such life might range from simple forms such as [[prokaryote]]s to [[Extraterrestrial intelligence|intelligent beings]], possibly bringing forth [[civilization]]s that might be [[Kardashev scale|far more advanced]] than humans.<ref name="WP-20201231">{{cite news |last=Frank |first=Adam |date=31 December 2020 |title=A new frontier is opening in the search for extraterrestrial life – The reason we haven't found life elsewhere in the universe is simple: We haven't really looked until now. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/12/31/breakthrough-listen-seti-technosignatures/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20131118">{{cite news |last=Davies |author-link=Paul Davies |first=Paul |title=Are We Alone in the Universe? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/opinion/are-we-alone-in-the-universe.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/opinion/are-we-alone-in-the-universe.html |archive-date=2022-01-01 |url-access=limited |date=18 November 2013 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=20 November 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Pickrell |title=Top 10: Controversial pieces of evidence for extraterrestrial life |date=4 September 2006 |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9943-top-10-controversial-pieces-of-evidence-for-extraterrestrial-life.html |work=[[New Scientist]] |access-date=18 February 2011}}</ref> The [[Drake equation]] speculates about the existence of sapient life elsewhere in the universe. The science of extraterrestrial life is known as [[astrobiology]]. The study of [[List of extraterrestrial biological organisms|supposed extraterrestrial organisms]] is [[exobiology]], and the study of extraterrestrial ecological systemis is [[exoecology]]. | ||
Speculation about the possibility of inhabited worlds beyond Earth dates back to antiquity. Early [[Christianity|Christian]] writers discussed the idea of a "plurality of worlds" as proposed by earlier thinkers such as [[Democritus]]; [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] references [[Epicurus]]'s idea of innumerable worlds "throughout the boundless immensity of space" in ''[[The City of God]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crowe|first=Michael J.|title=The extraterrestrial life debate, antiquity to 1915: a source book/edited by Michael J. Crowe|pages=14–16|publisher=University of Notre Dame|date=2008}}</ref> | Speculation about the possibility of inhabited worlds beyond Earth dates back to antiquity. Early [[Christianity|Christian]] writers discussed the idea of a "plurality of worlds" as proposed by earlier thinkers such as [[Democritus]]; [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] references [[Epicurus]]'s idea of innumerable worlds "throughout the boundless immensity of space" in ''[[The City of God]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crowe|first=Michael J.|title=The extraterrestrial life debate, antiquity to 1915: a source book/edited by Michael J. Crowe|pages=14–16|publisher=University of Notre Dame|date=2008}}</ref> | ||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
Since the mid-20th century, active research has taken place to look for signs of extraterrestrial life, encompassing searches for current and historic extraterrestrial life, and a narrower [[search for extraterrestrial intelligence|search for extraterrestrial intelligent life]]. Depending on the category of search, methods range from analysis of telescope and specimen data<ref name="NYT-20150106-DB">{{cite news |last=Overbye |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Overbye |date=6 January 2015 |title=So Many Earth-Like Planets, So Few Telescopes |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/science/space/as-ranks-of-goldilocks-planets-grow-astronomers-consider-whats-next.html |url-access=limited |access-date=6 January 2015 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/science/space/as-ranks-of-goldilocks-planets-grow-astronomers-consider-whats-next.html |archive-date=2022-01-01}}{{cbignore}}</ref> to radios used to detect and transmit communications.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mann |first=Adam |date=2020-12-01 |title=Want to Talk to Aliens? Try Changing the Technological Channel beyond Radio |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/want-to-talk-to-aliens-try-changing-the-technological-channel-beyond-radio/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=Scientific American |language=en}}</ref> | Since the mid-20th century, active research has taken place to look for signs of extraterrestrial life, encompassing searches for current and historic extraterrestrial life, and a narrower [[search for extraterrestrial intelligence|search for extraterrestrial intelligent life]]. Depending on the category of search, methods range from analysis of telescope and specimen data<ref name="NYT-20150106-DB">{{cite news |last=Overbye |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Overbye |date=6 January 2015 |title=So Many Earth-Like Planets, So Few Telescopes |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/science/space/as-ranks-of-goldilocks-planets-grow-astronomers-consider-whats-next.html |url-access=limited |access-date=6 January 2015 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/science/space/as-ranks-of-goldilocks-planets-grow-astronomers-consider-whats-next.html |archive-date=2022-01-01}}{{cbignore}}</ref> to radios used to detect and transmit communications.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mann |first=Adam |date=2020-12-01 |title=Want to Talk to Aliens? Try Changing the Technological Channel beyond Radio |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/want-to-talk-to-aliens-try-changing-the-technological-channel-beyond-radio/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=Scientific American |language=en}}</ref> | ||
The concept of extraterrestrial life, and particularly extraterrestrial intelligence, has had a major cultural impact, especially [[extraterrestrials in fiction]]. [[Science fiction]] has communicated scientific ideas, imagined a range of possibilities, and influenced public interest in and perspectives on extraterrestrial | The concept of extraterrestrial life, and particularly extraterrestrial intelligence, has had a major cultural impact, especially [[extraterrestrials in fiction]] and [[ET conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories]]. | ||
Since as early as 1944, and arguably going back for thousands of years, hundreds of alleged [[witnesses]] — including [[whistleblowers]], [[experiencers]], [[targeted person|individuals targeted for harassment]], and purported [[controlled disclosure|controlled disclosure agents]] — have reported encounters or knowledge of extraterrestrial beings, typically without physical evidence. These accounts have led many conspiracy theorists to conclude that [[Concealment of non-human intelligent beings|a vast, reticulated, hyper-compartmentalized syndicate of elite individuals, governments, and corporations is systematically concealing the existence]] of [[non-human intelligent beings]] (NHIBs, including extraterrestrial NHIBs. Claimants have variously alleged hundreds of kinds of [[extraterrestrial being]]s and [[non-human intelligent being]]s. | |||
[[Science fiction]] has communicated scientific ideas, imagined a range of possibilities, and influenced public interest in and perspectives on extraterrestrial NHIBs. One shared space is the debate over the wisdom of attempting communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. Some encourage aggressive methods to try to contact intelligent extraterrestrial life. Others – citing the tendency of technologically advanced human societies to [[Slavery|enslave]] or destroy less advanced societies – argue it may be dangerous to actively draw attention to Earth.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31442952 |title=Scientists in US are urged to seek contact with aliens |work=BBC News |first=Pallab |last=Ghosh |date=12 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Would Contact with Extraterrestrials Benefit or Harm Humanity? A Scenario Analysis |journal=Acta Astronautica |first1=Seth |last1=Baum |first2=Jacob |last2=Haqq-Misra |first3=Shawn |last3=Domagal-Goldman |volume=68 |issue=11 |pages=2114–2129 |date=June 2011 |doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.10.012 |bibcode=2011AcAau..68.2114B |arxiv=1104.4462|s2cid=16889489 |issn = 0094-5765}}</ref> | |||
==Context== | ==Context== | ||