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Are there Aliens?

People often report sightings of UFOs or Aliens, some even saying that they have communicated with them. These are often on the media for a few days before people figure out the truth behind the story or the photo. Nonetheless, aliens and extraterrestrial life does indeed sound plausible since space is vast; this raises the question: Where is everyone?


Scientists expect to encounter aliens in a matter of years. Yet, from the 1950s, people have not gotten a single signal that proves the existence of such lifeforms. The universe has been existing for around 13.8 billion years and with its vast area, people believe that aliens have already colonized the entire universe. Some people argue that the aliens created us or that the human civilization is trapped in a simulation created by aliens (like the Divergent series). Movies often portray aliens as intelligent, advanced species that try to destroy everything. However, the same question is asked: where is everyone?


Another theory is that we are alone. People tend to avoid this idea because it is so simple and boring. Everyone wants to see another lifeform that does not look like you or your friend, right? Well, no one truly knows the real answer. Aliens might come knocking our front doors but is this really what is going to happen? But how can we be alone?


There is a possible answer to this whole mystery. Try and think of the creation of complex lifeforms this way. There are four key barriers that life needs to pass in order to thrive and evolve.


Habitability is the first one. This requirement determines whether the planet has a suitable environment that is in the habitable zone, where water is a liquid. Earth is a planet in this habitable zone, around 149.6 million kilometers. However, a planet that is not in this habitable zone will either fry when it is too close to the sun or freeze when it is too far from the sun. Mercury is the closest planet in our solar system to the sun and has temperatures at around 801 Fahrenheit (427 Celsius). On the other hand, Neptune is the furthest planet in our solar system to the sun and has temperatures at around -353 Fahrenheit (-214 Celsius). We are not the only planet that is in this zone, however. A nearby star called Proxima Centauri has a planet in this zone. Thus, to house lifeforms, planets first have to be inside the habitable zone to evolve into intelligent species.


The second barrier is Abiogenesis. It is the creation of life from non-life. In other words, it is the creation of life from only items and phenomenons without interferences from other lifeforms. Life similar to ours is definitely unique. However, the building blocks of Earth is not too rare. Amino acids can be found in comets, complex organic molecules are in interstellar dust clouds, and water is found in exoplanetary systems. Hence, the ingredients are there but it is not combined to create life.

Are there Aliens?: Text
Aliens.jpg
Are there Aliens?: Image

The development of technological civilizations is the third barrier. Life can possibly be created but without technological breakthroughs, it rests at the level of simple cells. The critical step from simple organisms to intelligent lifeforms is the advancement of technology


Lastly, communication across space is the fourth barrier. Civilizations will either remain silent or are eager to communicate. The ones that rest will never reach their potential and will not seek the advantage of total power. On the other hand, the ones that reach out to other galaxies and colonize other planets (the ones we see in movies)  are the aliens that have evolved into their best forms. They are intelligent and have the technology to explore the world. These are the barriers that lifeforms need to pass to become advanced and intelligent creatures.


Considering all, are we are alone? According to math, there are thousands of civilizations in the galaxy, but we have found none. Complex life is more unique than humans can ever imagine. There are more factors that define such lifeforms. Earth is lucky since it has long term climate stability that keeps the planet from freezing or frying. Moreover, Earth has a big moon that stabilizes the axial tilt and gives the planet a slow rotation rate. Research shows that if our moon was a few miles bigger, the Earth’s spin axis would wander chaotically and there would be rapid climate change. We are truly fortunate to have a moon at the right size.


To demonstrate how impossible the creation of complex lifeforms is, estimate that the galaxy has a trillion planets. There could be more or less but this is the rough estimate. Now, there are eight critical requirements that lifeforms must meet. The requirements roughly have one in a thousand chance of meeting it. Again, some requirements may be easier or harder to achieve. The first requirement is habitability, mentioned before.  From the trillion possible planets in the galaxy, this shrinks it down to the billions. Then, there is stability. This takes the billions to the millions. The chance of life starting now decreases the million possible planets to the thousands. The creation of complex life forms and the evolution from simple to intelligent organisms shrinks the thousands to only one; only one planet in a galaxy. Going further, the use of sophisticated tools makes the chance one planet in a thousand galaxies. Techniques of science and math make it one in a million galaxies. The birth and evolution of social creatures capable of discussing abstract concepts with each other using complex grammar make it even more unlikely with one planet in a million galaxies. Finally, the chance of avoiding both self-inflicted disasters and catastrophes from the skies decreases the chance to one planet in a billion. One planet in a billion galaxies.


We are probably alone in this vast universe. The chances of another civilization coming close to humans on Earth is incredibly small. We may be truly alone in this universe.

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