Is there non-intelligent life on Earth?
And finding non-intelligent life is far more likely; Earth existed for most of its history, 4.25 billion years, without a whisper of technological life, and human civilization is a very late-breaking development. Is there life beyond Earth? So far, the silence is deafening.
Are We the only life-bearing worlds?
In a galaxy that likely holds trillions of planets, ours is so far the only known life-bearing world. Are we really alone? Life in the Universe: What are the Odds?
What is the origin of life in the universe?
It begins with the rate of star formation in the galaxy and the fraction of stars that have planets, leading step-by-step through the portion of planets that support life and – most speculatively – to the existence and durability of detectable, technological civilizations.
Are We ‘Home Alone’ among trillions of planets?
Among the stunning variety of worlds in our solar system, only Earth is known to host life. But other moons and planets show signs of potential habitability. Among Trillions of Planets, Are We ‘Home Alone?’ In a galaxy that likely holds trillions of planets, ours is so far the only known life-bearing world.
Is it possible for intelligence to evolve in the universe?
The universe is large, and old, with time and room for intelligence to evolve, but there’s no evidence of it. Could intelligence simply be unlikely to evolve? Unfortunately, we can’t study extraterrestrial life to answer this question. But we can study some 4.5 billion years of Earth’s history, looking at where evolution repeats itself, or doesn’t.
How long did it take for life on Earth to evolve?
Curiously, all this takes a surprisingly long time. Photosynthesis evolved 1.5 billion years after the Earth’s formation, complex cells after 2.7 billion years, complex animals after 4 billion years, and human intelligence 4.5 billion years after the Earth formed.
Could there be a habitable world 31 light years away?
The recent discovery of a super-Earth planet 31 light-years away, and that it could harbor life, suggests that there could be a potentially habitable world outside of our solar system. Even within our own solar system there are several celestial bodies boasting the potential to support life.
Does life exist outside of Earth?
Here are three reasons for and against life existing outside of Earth. The conditions under which complex life on Earth was created are almost impossible to replicate.
Could extraterrestrials be hiding life on Earth?
Extremophiles on Earth suggest that scientists may not have to study some distant star to find evidence of extraterrestrial life. They may not be intelligent, but single-celled life-forms could be hiding relatively close by.