Are We Alone?

As you look into the night sky from your bedroom window, what do you see? A night sky and stars, but what else is beyond?  Astronomers have concluded that there could be as many as 40 billion Earth-sized planets within the Milky Way Galaxy alone. With an estimated one hundred billion galaxies in the universe, anything is possible. So does this mean that aliens are real? Perhaps, but it is still uncertain.

Whether you’re hiding behind a blanket while watching “War of the Worlds”, or eating a bowl full of popcorn while watching “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” the concept of living beings beyond Earth is undeniably fascinating. American filmmakers began to produce movies featuring aliens in 1902, sparking the country’s interest in UFOs, abductions, and strange phenomenons such as crop circles. If aliens could interact with humans on Earth, would the meeting be peaceful, or violent?  Although hundreds of Hollywood movies featuring extra-terrestrials have been made, the human obsession with extraterrestrials may be primarily driven by fear instead of curiosity.

If you asked me, I’d say, “Yes, I am afraid.” Xenophobia, the fear of outsiders or foreigners, plays a significant role in human psychology, and could be the answer to our alien-craze. Although scientists continue to desperately search for signs of life on other planets, they have found some clues. In 2011, a scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Richard B. Hoover, argued that the remains of cyanobacteria had been found while examining 9 meteorites. Though tiny forms of bacteria have been the closest humans have come to discovering any green-skinned, large-eyed, intelligent stereotypical aliens, the question of “Are we alone?” still remains a mystery.

Because the truth about aliens remains a mystery, all options can be considered.

It could be possible that humans are the most intelligent life forms in the universe; it could be possible that humans have remained undiscovered by extraterrestrials; it could be possible that aliens have been aware of our presence, while planning a peaceful meeting; it could be possible that aliens are currently living among us, and it could be possible that humans on Earth are being analyzed for a future invasion — so is it possible that what we don’t know could possibly hurt us, or even benefit us?