The Questions of Extraterrestrial Life
The questions "are we alone in the universe?" and "is there life on other planets?" have persisted for a long time. Are we really alone on Earth? Many people believe we are alone, while others claim we are not.
Exploring the Possibility of Extraterrestrial Life
In an effort to discover extraterrestrial life and other intelligent civilizations, many scientists devote all of their attention to this subject. I explore the idea of extraterrestrial life throughout this essay in order to support my thesis. Overall, there is enough evidence to support the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
The Discovery of Bacteria in Other Planets
I analyze various points of view to bolster my thesis by studying both opposing and supportive versions of it. To begin with, the discovery of bacteria in other planets points to the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Essentially, if a bacterium can live in a planet that is separate from earth, then it is possible that there are undiscovered species in the determined planets. Since bacteria lives and thrives in an environment that is often conducive to human life, the possibility of extraterrestrial life cannot be disputed. For instance, Russian scientists discovered the possibility of extraterrestrial life after discovering bacteria on the hull of a space station (Parsons, 2017). The bacteria could not have been from earth since the vacuum of space found in the higher atmospheres does not support life. It is unexpected that bacteria from earth would be able to survive the harsh realities of extraterrestrial setting. Subsequently, discovery of bacteria with extraterrestrial origins is proof that there is life on the extraterrestrial bodies.
The Discovery of Planets That Could Support Life
Recently, Nasa claimed to have discovered a planet that could support life. The Kepler-425b provides an immense discovery given that it adds credence to the possibility of extraterrestrial life. According to Palmer (2014), the discovered planet has the ability to support human-like life. Thus, all, or the majority, of living things would be supported in the region. The name of this planet is Kepler-452b. The planet, Kepler-452b, is defined as 4 times larger than our Earth and is located around a star which is 1400 light years away from Earth. This is a topic that few people know about it, but it is a very important scientific topic that has extensive implications for more than just those who are doing scientific researches and scientists. Essentially, since one planet has been discovered to be able to host human life, then the probability of the existence of life is high. Wall (2015) contends that the discovered planet is Earth’s closest cousin. The presence of life-supporting resources and machinery points to the existence of an efficient planetary system with more than one species. Still, the environment in the planet would lead to significant human body changes. Colonists who inhabit the region will be forced to contend with high-gravity. Subsequently, many individuals will tend to be stockier after some duration within the colony. The possibility of life on The Kepler-425b proves that there might be extraterrestrial life. A planet is a reflection of its inhabitants and the resources in the planet point to an efficient human-supporting machinery.
Environmental and Historical Conditions of Other Planets
The next proof of extraterrestrial life is provided by the environmental and historical conditions in other planets. For instance, despite the relative impossibility of discovering life on Mars given its present conditions, the chemical makeup of stones in the region point to a history of extraterrestrial life (Zimmer, 2005). If Mars had supported life at some point, it is possible that there is still extraterrestrial life in the subject setting. Other planets might also have hosted life in the past. Alternatively, planet 452-b has similar characteristics to the features observed on Earth, then it is likely that there is life on the planet. Factors such as temperature are critical to life and living things (Rundle, 2015). Therefore, the close affinity of the second Earth to our universe provides proof that there might be extraterrestrial life. The discovery of "Second Earth" in deep space will be very beneficial to humanity. The second Earth is very much like our Earth and orbiting around its own star. It has signs of life like water, green areas, and a solid and rocky surface. Right now, more than seven billion people are living on Earth and accessing healthy food, clean water, and an environment without a higher rate of pollution is very vital to humanity. Finding an Earth-like planet may solve our worries about all the issues humanity has. Essentially, overpopulation provides one of the critical issues today. It threatens the human fabric since it results in the rapid consumption of natural resources, which portends a danger to Earth’s stability. Some of the consequences of overpopulation include deforestation and civil wars as a result of limited resources.
Differing Views
There are some differing views on this topic. The contrasting viewpoint of my argument is made by Enrico Fermi. He believed that if other intelligent beings existed then we should have been able to discover them by now. He also believed that since the universe is billions of years old and the Earth is fewer billion years old, that is adequate time for other intelligent beings to have been formed. Fermi states that there are no other civilizations more advanced than us, if they ever exist (Lovett, 2017). His arguments led to the creation of the Fermi Paradox. The Fermi paradox suggests that if there was an alien civilization, it ought to have been discovered by now. Principally, since the alien civilizations have not been discovered, then it is unlikely that there is extraterrestrial life on the other planets (Lovett, 2017). I disagree with some parts of the viewpoint of Enrico Fermi and unlike him, I believe that extraterrestrial life does exist and they are more advanced than us based on the UFO sightings that we see in media and the internet. Additionally, research suggests that extraterrestrial beings have the ability to thrive in subsurface oceans, hence making their discovery a complex phenomenon.
Conclusion
Conclusively, there is extraterrestrial life. The fact that they have not been discovered does little to discredit the possibility of life on the other planets. The discovery of bacteria, the second Earth, and historical possibilities of life on the other planets provide proof that there is some life on the identified planets. For instance, the present conditions on Mars point to the existence of life at some point in the past. Overall, the current structure of the surface on Mars provides cover for the extraterrestrial beings since they can survive in the submerged waters. In my opinion, finding extraterrestrial life can be very helpful to our human race. Discovering life on other planets can help humans find other clean and healthy living environments in order to solve our modern problems and issues. It also holds the promise of a future for the ever-increasing population of human beings.
Changes Made in the Paper
There are several changes that were made in the paper. They include:
- Entire deletion of the first evidential paragraph. The introduction of the discovery of bacteria as proof of extraterrestrial life provides the most appropriate evidence with regards to the topic at hand. The previous first paragraph was a mere extension of the arguments that I had made in the introduction. It failed to add to the proof that extraterrestrial life is possible.
- Extension of paragraphs 2 and 3. The extension of the subject paragraphs provides an acute and academic examination of the topic at hand. Each of the paragraphs is structured to ensure that the first sentence reflects the main argument, the subsequent sentences expound on the main topic. The extension of the paragraphs enables the determination of succinct arguments.
- The addition of seven references and in-text citations provides a critical review of the topic at hand. It is intended to meet the metric of proof of sub-claim. The references that were used were derived from internet sources. Their identification was predicated on the relevance of their titles to the issue of extraterrestrial life. They enable organization and validity in the research process. Essentially, since I can prove my claims with scientific evidence, then it follows that my arguments are valid.
- Lastly, I streamlined the conclusion to reflect my opinion on the matter and an encumbering comment that reflects both the pro- and against movements.
References
Lovett, R. A. (2017). Fermi’s Paradox finished? Perhaps ET is abundant and we just can’t see it. COSMOS. Retrieved from https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/fermi-s-paradox-finished-perhaps-et-is-abundant-and-we-just-can-t-see-it
Palmer, R. (2014). Is there Life on Kepler-186f? The Trumpet. Retrieved from https://www.thetrumpet.com/11774-is-there-life-on-kepler-186f
Parsons, J. (2017). Proof of alien life? Russian cosmonauts find bacteria on the hull of the ISS that’s NOT from Earth. Mirror. Retrieved from http://www.mirror.co.uk/science/proof-alien-life-russian-cosmonauts-11596348
Rundle, M. (2015). Nasa announces discovery of ‘second Earth’ in deep space. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.co.uk/article/nasa-announces-earth-exoplanet
Wall, M. (2015). Kepler-452b: What It Would Be Like to Live On Earth’s ‘Cousin’. Space. Retrieved from https://www.space.com/30034-earth-cousin-exoplanet-kepler-452b-life.html
Wall, M. (2017). Where Are All the Intelligent Aliens? Maybe They’re Trapped in Buried Oceans. Space. Retrieved from https://www.space.com/38577-fermi-paradox-alien-life-buried-oceans.html
Zimmer, S. (2005). Life on Mars? Smithsonian.com. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/life-on-mars-78138144/
