Is Anyone Out There? Essay -- Astronomy

Earth is small. Many people find it hard to believe, but when one thinks of earth in its context, amongst billions of galaxies, stars, planets, and an infinite universe, earth is a mere grain of sand on the beach that is space. With this in mind, one may, quite understandably, find it hard to believe that earth is the only planet that sustains life. With today’s advanced technology and science, extensive evidence has been found suggesting a great likelihood of life on other planets. The discovery of life on other planets has huge implications for humankind, as it would likely give a more thorough understanding of what human life is, how it came to be, and possibly even insight into why humans exist. Oftentimes, people ignore rhetoric regarding the possibility of life on other planets. This may be for religious reasons or because many people see it as more science fiction than scientific, but there is a substantial difference between Hollywood’s perception of aliens and what is likely to be the first extraterrestrial life discovered (Borenstein). In all reality, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and a few other basic elements are all it takes to create the miracle of life, and these chemicals could exist in countless places other than earth (Bryson 2). Some life may not even require that, like the microbe found in a lake in California, which was able to survive on arsenic and phosphorus alone (Borenstein). According to Borenstein, the â€Å"life† that scientists are looking for is more accurately described as a life form or microbial slime, much like the microbes that became humans via evolution. Approximately 140 billion galaxies inhabit the universe, with somewhere between one hundred billion and four hundred billion stars in Earth... ...rawstory.com/rs/ 2010/12/08/evidence-mounting-daily-proven/> Bryson, Bill. A Short History of Nearly Everything. New York: Broadway Books, 2003. Print. Cohen, Daniel. The Ancient Visitors: Have Creatures from Other Planets Ever Lived On Earth? Garden City, NY: Double & Comp., Inc., 1976. Print. Kaufman, Marc. â€Å"Reaching for the Stars: It’s Alive Out There! Scientists Seek Out the Evidence.† McClathy-Tribute News Service. 17 June 2011: n.p. Web. 15 Mar 2012. Spotts, Pete. â€Å"In Search of Life, More Planet ‘Candidates’ Are Found. Are Any Just Right?† Christian Science Monitor. 12 Sep 2011:n.p. Web. 15 Mar 2012. "Story of the Universe." European Space Agency, 2011. Web. 15 Apr 2012.