The question of whether we are alone in the universe has been debated by philosophers and scientists for years.
The most common conclusion is that it is impossible to know for sure. However, Dr Michelle Tanner, a NASA scientist, believes that alien life exists and is closer to us than we think.
She thinks that we will find life on another planet, possibly even in our own solar system, but we don’t have enough evidence to say for certain.
Dr Tanner suggests that Mars is the most likely candidate, as we have observed chemistry on the planet that is similar to what we would expect to see if there was life on Earth. She acknowledges, however, that there may be other explanations for this chemistry that we haven’t considered.
Dr Tanner also thinks that Venus is a possibility. Although the planet’s surface is inhospitable, the atmosphere contains elements that could be produced by bacteria.
Similarly, there may be signs of life under the ice on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Dr Tanner cautions that we need to be absolutely certain before making any claims about extraterrestrial life, as false alarms could cause unnecessary panic.
Dr Tanner was speaking at an exhibition called Beyond the Light, which aimed to provide an immersive deep space experience. She believes that there is simple, microbial life in our solar system, but we need to find 100% proof before we can say for certain.
