Running Head: ARE WE ALONE IN AN ENDLESS UNIVERSE?

Are We Alone In an Endless Universe?

Joshua Ray
West Jordan High

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Abstract
This paper explores many possible answers to the question of, are we alone.
Examples of programs developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
and the European Science Administration (ESA) to find life are written as well as Drakes
Equation of factors needed to find a galactic civilization. This paper also explores many
preparations humanity as a species is making towards becoming a galactic civilization and
possibly making contact with another or several other galactic civilizations. Many of the most
important facts that we know about the surrounding systems and galaxies are listed along with
what it would take to find another civilization. This paper also clarifies where humanity currently
remains during this hunt for other beings throughout the cosmos.
Keywords: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Science Administration

Are We Alone In an Endless Universe?

Throughout time, humanity has looked up into the night sky and asked: Are we alone? To
this day we have never been able to answer this question. As time continues to pass and as we
rapidly gain new knowledge of the cosmos the questions shift from: Are we alone? to; could
there be alien species more advanced than ourselves? Have they visited us? Or have they just
passed us by?
Many agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have
been scanning the stars for decades trying to find signs of other life in the galaxy. With

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technology such as the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA has been able to quickly examine
thousands of worlds. While they have not found any signs of life anywhere in nearby systems,
they continue to look. Even with all the claims of alien abductions and sightings of unidentified
flying objects more commonly known as UFOs, there is no accepted scientifically credible
evidence that extraterrestrials have ever visited Earth (LaFee, 1999). The astronomer Carl Sagan
rote that there were at least 100 quintillion stars in the universe (Flam, 2009). With there being
1020 stars in the universe, on an astronomical scale, it is easy to come to the conclusion that we
are not alone in this universe.
Our Preparations
Around 2300 years ago, the Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 B.C.E.) believed and
stated that, There are infinite worlds both like and unlike this world of ours (LaFee, 1999).
While currently we have found no planets that are like ours and countless that are unlike, many
still believe Epicurus to be correct and continue to search for proof. The mathematician Galileo
Galilei, was one of the first to take a telescope and really examine the stars. It was Galileo who
found many facts supporting the Copernican Theory that Earth was not the center of the
universe; such as the planet Venus and its rotation around the sun; Jupiter and its moons,
including the moon Europa which happens to be one of the top suspects to contain
extraterrestrial life. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA have begun programs that
will help locate habitable planets and possibly, the life that could be on these planets. To do this,
ESA has created the DARWIN program and NASA has created the Terrestrial Planet Finder
program (Cowen, 2006). Both of these programs consist of a series of satellites with enhanced
photo receptors. These photo receptors allow the satellites to see a more in-depth and closer

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image of planets very far away. These programs are far from ready for this mission. Because of
recent budget cuts, these programs might not take flight until the year 2020.
The Facts
On this hunt for life, modern scientists have composed a list of requirements for certain
factors. There is one requirement scientists believe that is necessary for life; the element Carbon,
which every living thing on Earth contains. There are also the requirements for a habitable
planet: The planet must orbit a star similar in size and age to our star; The orbit must lie within .
95 of an astronomical unit and 1.7 astronomical units away from the local star, a single
astronomical unit being 92.96 million miles; The planet must also have an atmosphere similar to
Earths (LaFee, 1999). Assuming that there is other life in the universe there are three factors
which may explain our lack of contact: Extraterrestrial life is not technologically sophisticated
enough to make its presence known to us; It doesnt know life exists on Earth; it simply is not
interested in making contact (1999).
Listed in Drakes Equation, N = R* x Fp x Ne x Fl x Fi x Fc x L, are the factors he
believed are necessary for the ascendance of alien societies: the rate of formation of stars suitable
for the development of intelligent life, R*; The fraction of those sun-like stars with planets,
Fp. The number of planets in the habitable zone, Ne; The fraction of those planets where life
actually develops, Fl; The intelligent life, Fi; The fraction of intelligent life that build
advanced technological civilizations able to send detectable signs of their existence into space,
Fc, and L is the life span of this intelligent life (1999). There are many complications to this
equation the main complication being time. So far, we can only assign numbers to one or two of
these variables and even then the numbers are debatable. Even without accurate numbers the
variables are a sound base for what we believe is necessary to find extraterrestrial life.
Conclusion and Where We Go From Here

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While we have spent most of the 20th and all of the 21st century looking up into the
cosmos hunting for new worlds able to harbor life, we have found none. Statistically, we believe
there has to be other life in our galaxy as well as the rest of the universe, but as of right now, we
cannot find them or any sign of their existence. This very well might change in the near future
with the introduction of new satellite technology, developed by NASA and the ESA, which will
help uncover the truths to many mysteries and possibly answer many very important questions
such as: Are we alone? Though the possible scenario that we may have been observed or an
advanced alien species has just passed us over still stands. In an interview with Rookie
Magazine, Neil deGrasse Tyson stated,
You could argue that the reason that we havent been visited is that aliens have already
observed us and concluded theres no sign of intelligent life here. I mean, if you have a spaceship
that can cross the galaxy, youre way smarter than us, because we have nothing that remotely
approximates that. So why would we assume that we would be interesting enough that they
would want to study us? Thats just humorous. How interested are you when you walk past a
worm crawling on the ground? Do you ever say, Hey, I wonder what that worm is thinking? Im
sure youve never had that thought in your life. You might have even just stepped on the worm.
So, imagine a species with that intelligence gap interacting with us. They could not come up with
a stupid enough thought that could stoop as low as to fit inside of our brains. (Hazel, 2012).
Perhaps this has happened, and we have simply just been overlooked by an advanced race
because of our ignorance and stupidity. We just dont know, but perhaps were close to finding
out.

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References
Cowen, Robert C. (2006) The Hunt for Other Earths. Christian Science Monitor
Hazel. (2012) Embrace Your Ignorance: An Interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson.
LaFee, Scott. (1999) Scientists Search for Intelligent Life.
Flam, Faye. (2009) A Serious Search for Extra Terrestrial Life.