A matter of time...

Costache Alina Mihai Ana Maria Petrache Valentina Uncheasu Bianca Clasa a XI-a I1 CNNS

 Have you ever looked up to the sky at night, gazed at the stars or planets and wondered if they might be able to support life? This stirs up the question: Is

there extra-terrestrial life in the universe?

Today, this question is still considered by many, especially astronomers and scientists. Through technology, they are able to study the question more efficiently and try to arrive at a conclusion. However, there are many theories and not all agree with the probable existence of E.T. life.

The Possibilities of E.T. Life

The possibilities of the existence of intelligent life are great, but the possibility of finding them is not. Since 1960 a group of astronomers have dedicated themselves to the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI). One of these searchers is Frank Drake, a radio astronomer who invented the Drake equation used to figure out the number of civilizations capable of communicating through radio signals outside the solar system. Although this equation is not an accurate way to estimate the number of communicating worlds, it encourages radio astronomers to listen for signals from intelligent alien life.

 Every day astronomers are listening for any kind of noise that could indicate another world trying to contact us. The only impediment to this is that if a civilization exists, the nearest one to Earth might be thousands of light years away. Communicating would take a long time and the radio wave might not reach its destination because of the estimated distances from one civilization to the next.

 Another question remains: If we ever received a signal, could we decipher it? But even more intriguing is this question: Could we communicate through words or by other means? Humans are now able to communicate with dolphins, elephants, domesticated animals, etc. If humans and animals can now understand each other, with animals having less intelligence, it is very probable we could do the same with intelligent E.T. life. It may seem easy to accept the idea that E.T life does not exist because there has not been any hard evidence to prove it. And if, as some believe, the formation of life is one of a realm of possibilities, it would mean that there is a good chance that we are alone in the universe. For now, those who believe in the existence of E.T. life can just hope and study the question.

Our opinions
Discovering life and intelligent beings outside our solar system will be among the greatest scientific discoveries of all time.(Bianca) If we meet aliens in the universe or if we would contact them,we have something to learn from them and they from us.(Valentina)

Bibliografie

http://www.descopera.ro/descopera-misterele-universului/7429470-suntem-singuri-inunivers-nu http://www.bejeus.com/2009/11/vaticanulexista-extraterestri.html http://www.google.ro/search?hl=ro&q=univers&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1 680&bih=928&um=1&ie=UTF8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=QSLXT8fyBo3xsgb3sfnRDw