• Question: Why are humans so enthused about the idea of life on other planets?

    Asked by to Anna, Elaine, Fiona, Kevin, Darren on 16 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Zhiming Darren Tan

      Zhiming Darren Tan answered on 16 Jun 2014:

      Do you worry about our current planet eventually becoming inhospitable?

    • Photo: Elaine Cloutman-Green

      Elaine Cloutman-Green answered on 16 Jun 2014:

      I think humans naturally look for patterns to make sense of the world. Therefore when it comes to space we are looking for a pattern (or planet) that matches our own. Humans don’t like to be lonely and I think this extends to how we see both our close and distant worlds.

      Plus it would be really cool and I think we all get a kick of using our imagination on something where it pretty much has no limits as no one can tell us we’re wrong.

    • Photo: Kevin O'Dell

      Kevin O'Dell answered on 16 Jun 2014:

      I suspect you already know the answer to this, as only someone who is enthused about the idea of life on another planet would ask a question about why people are enthused about life on another planet.

      But I would agree. It’s a fascinating prospect. It’s difficult to look up at the sky on a clear dark night, see all incredible numbers of stars (most of which presumably have their own planets) and not wonder whether there is life out there. To me it seems pretty unlikely that there are are so many planets out there yet none of them contain complex life!

      I’d be interested in knowing what the aliens look like, whether they are similar to us (at least whether they are made of carbon, need water to survive and breathe oxygen) or something wildly different.

      I also think the prospect is a bit scary, as intelligent aliens from another planet might not be fluffy and friendly.

    • Photo: Fiona McLean

      Fiona McLean answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      I think this started as curiosity. It is a very unique thing about humans: curiosity and wanting to learn more. If you can think of a question then you usually want to answer it. I think humans are now becoming more and more worried about Earth and whether it will last. Since humans basic instinct is to survive it is natural that we try and think of a solution-ie. moving planets. Personally, I think I would prefer to stay on Earth. We still haven’t unlocked all the mysteries here let alone ones on other planets!

    • Photo: Anna Bramwell-Dicks

      Anna Bramwell-Dicks answered on 19 Jun 2014:

      I think it’s all about our seemingly insatiable need to know about, and understand everything.

      The fact that we currently know so little about life on other planets just makes it even more interesting.

Comments