Since ancient times, the heavenly bodies floating around in the ether have been a subject of interest to mathematicians, astronomers, astrologers, etc., for purposes relating to mathematics, science, and religion. Occasionally, one might come across generations-old folktales of how the world might come to an end due to invasion by outer-world creatures or the Sun swallowing the Earth. These instances reflect, directly or otherwise, the fascination of mankind for the universe and its uncovered secrets, and the fear of the unknown.
The advancement in space technology and the expansion of humankind’s knowledge about the universe has led us to become more and more curious as to what lies beyond the blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Various major milestones have been achieved by the astronomical fraternity since the successful launch of Sputnik-1 (the first artificial Earth satellite) by the erstwhile USSR on 4th October 1957. We have successfully sent astronauts to space and made numerous Moon landings in the latter half of the 1900s. Further innovation in space tech has enabled us to send unmanned spacecrafts to the Moon, Venus, and Mars, among other celestial bodies, and gather valuable samples and data that have helped us deepen our understanding of the similarities between these celestial bodies and the Earth, and whether life could thrive on them. This gives rise to various speculations about the existence of aliens and extraterrestrial civilizations other than our own.
The National Academy of Sciences has said that contact with other civilizations “is no longer something beyond our dreams but a natural event in the history of mankind that will perhaps occur in the lifetime of many of us.” It is said that there could be a possibility that these extraterrestrial civilizations have tried to establish contact with us, just like we are trying to get in touch with them.
Just like how we are awaiting their response to the signals we have sent out to establish communication with them, they might be waiting for us to respond to their messages. In 1962, a Morse code was aimed at Venus by Soviet astronomers that read: Mir (meaning: peace or world), Lenin, and SSSR (meaning: Soviet Union). This was a rather symbolic incident in the history of space exploration.
A NASA-funded study into the Search for Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life (SETI) brought forward the possibility that our first contact with aliens could be with a civilization more technologically-advanced than ours. This could be attributed to the fact that we are yet to invent instruments that would be sensitive enough to detect signals from a planet that is as technologically-developed as us, if not less.
Another thing worth mentioning while we are talking about extraterrestrial civilizations is the controversy surrounding UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects). In 1947, Kenneth Arnold, an American aviator and businessman claimed to have sighted 9 objects flying in a ‘V’ formation at an estimated speed of 2700 kilometers per hour while flying near Mount Rainier in the State of Washington while looking for a transport plane that had gone missing in the area on 24th June. He likened their movements to ‘saucers skipping on water’. This claim hit the media like a thunderstorm and these mysterious flying objects were named as ‘Flying Saucers’ by the media at the time. Soon, this unusual claim was incorporated into theatre and entertainment, eventually growing into the question: does life exist outside the Earth, and are these ‘flying saucers’ sent to us by them?
Several scientists have tried to answer our questions revolving around extraterrestrial life and UFOs and other habitable celestial bodies in the universe. The universe is expansive, and it appears unlikely that we humans have got it all to ourselves. The existence of aliens has been sensationalized by the entertainment industry – some depicting them as benevolent beings trying to cooperate with humankind to establish intergalactic peace and brotherhood, while others depicting them as cruel creatures willing to dominate the universe by invading other planets. This has caused many of us, if not all, to form an opinion about these puzzling creatures.
Intriguingly, a rare – in over 50 years- public congressional hearing was held in May 2022 in the US concerning inexplicable sightings recorded by the US military where some Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) i.e., UFOs in the military terms, apparently moved sans any discernible means of propulsion!
Public fascination concerning extra-terrestrial beings, flying saucers, glowing lights and otherworldly aircrafts remains unceasing. Hopefully, further advancements in science and space technology would bring us answers to our curiosity. What remains to be seen is what would be the consequences of the knowledge that we may gain, and whether they are for the benefit, or the doom of humankind.
Written by Sana Gilani
Edited by Akanksha Choudhary
