A MEETING WITH THE UNIVERSE
Things to Come
The new information on planetary
formation, extraterrestrial chemistry,
and the effect of the Earth's environment
on the origin and development
of life now provides a strong basis for
looking for life (in fact, intelligent life)
beyond the solar system. Such a
search requires a much different approach
than sending astronauts and
spacecraft to nearby worlds. Because
of the incredible distances to even
the nearest stars, we need to search
for some long-range manifestation of
life that can be detected from Earth.
We need to detect radio signals rather
than metabolic chemical reactions.
We need to explore different stars
rather than just the planets around
our Sun. And finally, we need to use
a different technology, radio astronomy,
rather than spacecraft. We can
now define a program to search for
intelligent signals of extraterrestrial
origin by using our existing radio telescope
antennas with only a small
amount of sophisticated auxiliary
equipment. The technology needed
for such a search is clearly at hand at
this very moment.
After only two decades of active
research, scientists have compiled an
impressive list of accomplishments
and discoveries in the search for the
origin of life. Studies pursued under
the auspices of the space program
have contributed to a more universal
understanding of the phenomenon
of life as a whole. We now have considerably
more details than we did
thirty years ago. We have direct
knowledge of the properties of the
Moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter.
We have a wealth of information
on proteins and cells, on the low likelihood
of life on other planets in the
solar system, and on the forces that
led to the formation of the solar system
and biomolecules. We have found
simple organic substances, believed to
be the precursors of life, in planetary
atmospheres, in meteorites, in comets,
and in interstellar space. We can also
synthesize them quite readily in laboratory
To discover an independent life
form on another planet, or even beyond
the solar system, still presents
a challenge unequalled in the history
of scientific inquiry. Although our
knowledge has increased dramatically
over the past few decades, our
ability to obtain new knowledge has
increased even more. The Earth's oldest
rocks, newly found meteorites, our
laboratories, and our huge, sensitive
radio telescopes all have important
roles to play as we continue our efforts
to learn the chemical and biological
secrets of ancient Earth and our
studies on the existence, nature, and
distribution of life in the universe.
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Life Beyond Earth
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