The Earth teems with life. No matter where we look, we find life that thrives and evolves, even in the most unexpected places.
There are microbes and bacteria that live in undersea volcanoes, organisms that live well where life seems impossible. Because
life is so abundant on Earth, can we assume that it is found elsewhere in the Universe?
We have yet to find evidence, but we have found signs that other planets and moons in our solar system may support life. If
forms of life – even the simplest microbes – are found there, then it’s likely that life also is found in other solar systems.
Finding forms of life outside our Earth would be the foremost discovery of our age, as it would mean that intelligent life
probably exists elsewhere in the Universe. If so, we might some day be able to communicate with these intelligent beings,
and share knowledge, experience and philosophy with them. How would such an exchange affect humanity and its evolution? One
of the greatest challenges facing space scientists is to find evidence to prove that we are or are not alone in the infinity
of the Universe.
We’re not certain that life is probable only on planets and their moons. Perhaps there’s life on comets or in gas clouds.
If so, how might it behave? We have yet to find out and cannot assume that life forms as we know them are the only ones possible.
The search for life
Are we alone in the unimaginably huge Universe? Is the Earth the only planet among billions of planets where life has originated? Both questions seem equally improbable.
