Chatter surrounding extraterrestrial aliens has intensified, buoyed by the appearance of Ret. Maj. David Grusch, after he appeared before Congress to discuss this subject. An increased number of people now believe there is such a thing as alien life. Yet, citizens still have a great deal of disbelief worldwide.
This brings many questions to mind, such as whether aliens exist and whether they show themselves to us on Earth. If so, what are they doing here, and why can’t we interact with them regularly?
Well, let’s try and make some sense of all the confusion surrounding this subject.
- Existence of Extraterrestrial or Alien Lifeforms: Can you think of anyone who has not wondered whether there was any possibility alien life might exist? Some people wholeheartedly believe they do exist. Others think the idea is bonkers!
Physicists have worked for years to answer this question, but before they could do so, basic questions needed to be answered through exploration and experimentation. The assumption is that water is required for all life to exist.
Yes, this is true on Earth, but is it true for all living things in the solar system or even the universe? Wouldn’t such questions open the possibility of life existing somewhere in the universe that is not human and does not exist by human standards elsewhere?
Moving right along.
- Alien Abductions: There have been many claims of sightings of both alien spaceships and alien beings, as well as abductions perpetrated by alien beings and tales of experimentation conducted on abducted humans.
Often, abduction accounts and the events that take place during those encounters are discounted by all sorts of people. Regular citizens want concrete proof, and those in government either don’t believe the tales told by victims or think the stories are possible and would prefer the public to believe the stories are hoaxes or that the victims are having these experiences due to lack of sleep or some psychological issue. Some assume this is because the government wants to avoid a panic situation. Still, many believe the government wants to keep the public in the dark because there might be ulterior motives. Why? Read on.
- Area 51: Area 51 is part of an active military base at Groom Lake in the Nevada desert, just 85 miles from Las Vegas. Interestingly, it is illegal to fly over this location. Up until recently, this location was not visible on satellite images. The US government had not even confirmed or recognized its presence until 2013.
This base was created in 1955 during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. It was intended to be used for testing and facilitating military aircraft. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the facility due to its secrecy.
The most well-known conspiracy that sparked international interest in the site is the claim that an alien spacecraft, a “UFO” (Unidentified Flying Object) now referred to as “UAP” (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), crashed at Roswell, NM in 1947. Supposedly, debris, including possibly an alien body or two, was recovered. But the government said there was no crash of an alien spaceship; it was a weather balloon.
Many conspiracy theorists claim that governments around the world, particularly the United States government, are aware of the existence of extraterrestrial life but are aggressively suppressing information to avoid panic and maintain control.
Supporters of theories that aliens visit Earth believe these visits are nothing new and that aliens have been abducting and conducting experiments on humans for ages.
- Ancient Aliens: Theories abound about aliens visiting Earth in ancient times and influencing human civilizations by helping build enormous structures such as pyramids, suggesting advanced technology beyond a mere human being’s capabilities. This line of thinking is known as “pseudo-archeology,” and there are many books you can pick up to read about this subject. However, these theories are not considered legitimate because citations referring to “findings” aren’t particularly scientific and come from other believers.
Many in the industry are uncomfortable with the ethnocentricity (the idea that we as humans can judge other cultures based on how we exist in our world) of the group. It has been said racism plays a role here as well.
- The Fermi Paradox and The Great Filter: What keeps us from completely accepting the idea that aliens exist and that they have encounters with humans? The answer is two-fold: The Fermi Paradox and The Great Filter.
What is the Fermi Paradox? One day in 1950, Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi was heading out to lunch with three other physicists when the subject of recent reports of alien sightings and “faster-than-light travel” came up. At some point, Fermi exclaimed, “But where is everybody?”
Thus, the Fermi Paradox describes the struggle that ensues when arguing that scale and probability posit intelligent life must exist outside of Earth, with the flip side being that there is no evidence to support the existence of intelligent alien beings.
What is the Great Filter? The Great Filter is considered a possible answer to the Fermi Paradox. It suggests that alien life must first take nine critical steps before achieving mobility throughout the universe.
Aliens must:
- Find a planet capable of supporting life in an inhabitable zone of a star.
- Be capable of developing alien life on the visited planet.
- Ensure those life forms can reproduce using DNA and RNA.
- Use simple cells that evolve into more complex ones.
- Be able to develop multicellular organisms.
- Have the ability to reproduce sexually.
- Have enough mental complexity to use tools.
- Have the ability to create advanced technology needed for space colonization.
- be able to do all the above without destroying themselves.
There are many complex possibilities when contemplating alien life on Earth. What do you think? What if such beings visit other star systems, including ours?
Are we taking fantasy too seriously?
You be the judge.
