For years, humans have been on a quest to find out whether or not life exists in another
universe. By its right, the journey has been intriguing on many fronts, marked by significant
scientific, religious, and philosophical undertones. And interestingly, as early as 1950, scientists
like Enrico Fermi had started questioning the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations
that were around but could not be detected. Towards the end of his years on this research,
he asked a question that was later named the Fermi paradox: "where is everybody?" that
not only guided him to his defeatist conclusion on it being a nuclear annihilation but also
set into motion the current interest lives existing outside our own.
In 2021, with speculation mounting on UFOs and an obsession with making humans a multi-planetary
species, it is just a matter of time before we know more about aliens, what they look
like, what they are made of, where we find them, and how to look for them. But before
that, how much do we know? The most accurate depiction of an alien would
be a creature that closely resembles a human from movies and TV shows, but the main point
of departure is its big bald head, huge eyes, and green skin. On the surface, that would
suffice, but do foremost science experts and sci-fi authors agree with this?
Sci-fi author Kevin Anderson believes that because this creature is from a different
biochemical foundation, it would be impossible to have two legs, eyes, ears and nostrils,
and gender. Instead, he argues that an exoskeleton and
skull would be present because it is necessary to protect the brain and the body by extension.
Additionally, their reproductive system could be through egg-laying, seeding, or budding.
Further, they would need a sensory system to be in place similar to our eyes, nose,
and ears. However, their eyes would most probably be developed to the extent of their own star's
peak. An expert, Darren Campo, hints with a near-level
certainty that an alien's life form will be symmetrical because the concept applies to
humans and everything that lives and grows. In terms of size, much of an alien's body
would be anchored on the energy source, gravity, and ambient density.
So far, there have been studies to try and explain where aliens reside, and the first
candidate was Venus. In September 2020, scientists discovered traces
of phosphine in the planet's atmosphere. Phosphine is a chemical compound made up of one phosphorus
atom and three hydrogen atoms. This chemical is connected with non-oxygen breathing microbes
and some human activities. Production of this molecule is done naturally
by gas giants, and its presence on Venus spoke a lot to the possibility of some life form
exhaling it into the clouds. However, this line of thought was dispelled
because the observation contained so much noise, and phosphine could have been mimicked
easily. And even that was not the case; various geological processes produce phosphine hence
the inability to link specifically to a live organism.
Another possible place where aliens can be found is in 36 different planets in our Milky
Way. Researchers arrived at this number by using an alien-hunting riddle known as the
Drake equation. In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake debuted his
equation, which attempted to guess the number of alien civilizations available in our galaxy.
By employing variables that are known to date, like the typical rate of star formation, the
percentage of stars that produce planets, and the far lower percentage of planets with
the proper ingredients for life, Drake was able to establish that there are 36 planets
in the Milky Way that hosted levels of intelligence similar to Earth.
In addition to telescopes, the development of robotic space probes to investigate the
solar system remotely is ongoing, thanks to technical advancements.
Interstellar robotic missions are being seriously considered.
Further, to detect the physical presence of probes, modern solid-state sensing devices
and scientific instruments, along with high-speed computer technology, will play a massive role
in finding aliens. Hopefully, the results can help in answering
the Fermi paradox – are we alone? – And find the aliens, if they exist.
Finally, it is impossible to say with any level of certainty what aliens look like,
what they are made of, or even where to find them.
But because it is very thrilling to face the unknown and be thrust into this pendulum's
unpredictable nature, we should not be dissuaded from trying to find answers to these questions.