Technology
Hunt for alien life should focus on the MOON where aliens may have left spacecraft and other artefacts, scientist claims
EVIDENCE of alien life could be hidden on the Moon, according to a recent scientific paper.
A US physicist has developed a new version of an alien life hunting equation and thinks we should be looking for artefacts and spacecraft designed by extraterrestrials.
James Benford, a physicist at Microwave Sciences in Lafayette, California, thinks we could be missing alien artefacts on the Moon[/caption]
James Benford’s paper in the journal Astrobiology theorises that aliens could have left artefacts behind on the Moon and other rocky bodies near Earth.
He created a version of the Drake equation, which is a scientific formula that estimates the number of active and communicating alien civilisations in our Milky Way galaxy.
Benford’s version estimates the number of artefacts and probes that extraterrestrials could be leaving behind.
The physicist also argued that the alien civilisation may be dead but their artefacts may still be able to communicate with us.
Benford thinks we might be overlooking artefacts in favour of listening for signals[/caption]
He also theorised that aliens might think leaving artefacts in space is a more cost-effective contact strategy than broadcasting signals.
We have science projects on Earth that listen out for strange signals but we don’t yet have a team that’s looking for evidence that aliens have been to the Moon.
Benford states in his paper: “I propose a version of the Drake equation to include searching for alien artifacts, which may be located on the Moon, Earth Trojans, and Earth co-orbital objects.
“The virtue of searching for artifacts is their lingering endurance in space, long after they go dead.”
He adds: “Scenarios are quantified that suggest that looking for alien artifacts near Earth is a credible alternative approach relative to listening to stars.
“This argues for emphasis on artifact searches, ET archeology.”
The physicist thinks we should start by analysing images of the Moon for signs of alien probes.
He thinks artificial intelligence could analyse the millions of images Nasa has already taken.
Next, Benford plans to discuss his theory with researchers working on the Breakthrough Listen project that’s currently listening out for alien signals.
Fermi Paradox – what is it?
Here’s what you need to know…
- The Fermi Paradox isn’t strict evidence for alien life – but more of a thought experiment
- It’s a famous contradiction posed by physicist Enrico Fermi
- Fermi suggested that the enormous size of the universe – and the billions of Sun-like stars in the galaxy, and their planets – makes it highly likely that there is intelligent life out there
- Some of these civilisations may have developed interstellar travel
- But Fermi also noted that there’s a significant lack of evidence for life on other planets
- The chances of aliens being able to reach us are high, but there’s no evidence that aliens ever have
- This paradox has baffled scientists for decades
Most read in Science
In other space news, a stunning video of the Milky Way has been captured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Nasa has baffled space fans by releasing an image of what appears to be a rainbow on Mars.
And, the mystery surrounding what looks like giant spiders on the surface of Mars may finally have been solved.
Do you believe there is alien life out there? Let us know in the comments…
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