The Possibility of Extra-Terrestrial Life - Research Paper Example

The Possibility of Extra-Terrestrial Life With Stephen Hawking making news-waves with his opinion that there actually may be alien life on other planets more evolved and dangerous than our own (Leake), debates over whether there truly can be aliens out there are rife again. And Hawking is not alone in his assertion: Professor Brian Cox, in his BBC series, also suggested that there may be possibility of life existing other than on our planet. Martin Rees, UK’s Astronomer Royal from 1995, also concurs with Hawking and Cox on the possibility of extra-terrestrial life (Leake). When the leading experts in the field like Hawking, Cox and Rees begin to contemplate the possibility, the arguments in favour of life beyond the blue planet tend to gain more credibility. However, the question is not about which side of the argument has greater credibility or even about getting the majority to agree or refute the theory. When the issue in question has to be proved or disproved, only conclusive evidence should be included. Speculations, whether educated or misinformed, are still speculations only. In the absence of verifiable, conclusive proof, the status quo remains unchanged. Extra-terrestrial life cannot be assumed to exist till such irrefutable evidence is presented. This paper seeks to substantiate this claim by first discussing expert opinions on the issue, and how despite their scholarly backing the opinions remain speculative; then, by exploring how alleged encounters with aliens are possibly nothing more than psychological condition; and finally by looking at the implications of this kind of unrestrained speculation. Apart from the opinions of the scientists mentioned in the introduction, experiences of other experts who have dedicated their careers to researching this possibility are well-documented. Jacques F. Vallee in his paper “Five Arguments Against the Extraterrestrial Origin of Unidentified Flying Objects”, advances alternatives to the two conclusions that either UFOs do not exist or if they do, they must necessarily be from outer space. In his summarization of his arguments, Vallee declares: (1) unexplained close encounters are far more numerous than required for any physical survey of the earth; (2) the humanoid body structure of the alleged "aliens" is not likely to have originated on another planet and is not biologically adapted to space travel; (3) the reported behaviour in thousands of abduction reports contradicts the hypothesis of genetic or scientific experimentation on humans by an advanced race; (4) the extension of the phenomenon throughout recorded human history demonstrates that UFOs are not a contemporary phenomenon; and (5) the apparent ability of UFOs to manipulate space and time suggests radically different and richer alternatives … (Vallee 105). Vallee goes on to offer evidences against the extraterrestrial theory, but in doing so he also offers up new hypotheses like the Earth-Light Hypothesis, the Control System Hypothesis and the Wormhole Travel Hypothesis (Vallee 115), which again traverse the realm of unverifiable speculation. Apart from scholarly speculation, reports of ordinary people coming into contact with aliens have been crucial in fuelling popular imagination in this regard. But the validity of the sightings themselves is questionable. The increased frequencies of encounters with aliens only perpetuate a cycle of more such bizarre tales. The most common structure that these tales follow is usually that of the victims first being abducted by aliens, being forced to undergo some biological tests, and having their memories erased before release. These stories are then retrieved by psychologists from the victims, under hypnosis. Although the state of hypnosis usually induces the patient to speak the truth, it is possible that the “truth” in the hypnotized person’s mind may not actually be accurate. Impressions formed in the sub-conscious can often be misleading, even false. As Vallee continues to claim in his paper, the technologies required to carry out the kind of experiments described the victims are not inconceivable on Earth: “None of these accomplishments require the procedural behavior of the "Alien Doctors" described by abduction researchers” (Vallee 113). The experiments allegedly conducted on the abducted victims can therefore be recreated in any present-day advanced laboratory. What of the memories that the victims retain? It is possible that fed on claims of extraterrestrial life throughout history, human beings begin to form sub-conscious impressions of aliens and their probable appearance, behaviour and so on. And it is this sub-conscious reservoir of imagined alien experiences that psychologists tap into when they hypnotize the victims of abduction. It is interesting to turn to Erich Von Daniken’s celebrated book Chariots of the Gods where the theory of aliens living amongst our ancient ancestors is discussed thoroughly. Through Daniken’s explorations, which enjoyed unparalleled popularity worldwide, it might be easier to understand how these false “memories” may get created. To use a passage as example: When the god Ptah came to give the king the models he appeared in a gleaming heavenly chariot and afterward disappeared over the horizon in it. Today representations of the winged sun and a soaring falcon carrying the sign of eternity and eternal life can still be found on doors and temples at Idfu. There is no known place in the world where such innumerable illustrations of winged symbols of the gods are preserved as in Egypt (Daniken 59). These arguments appear convincing as they are written in a relatively neutral tone. Coupled with the much exoticized Egyptian mythology, it is easy to see how profoundly this may affect a reader. The veracity of the claims is rendered useless when the reader assumes the link, between aliens and the illustrations, to be proof in itself. One of the most common claims to alien abduction comes from long-distance truck drivers who often wake up with incisions in their stomachs. Cases with this essential structure have been reported and continue to be reported in the papers, most famously the Betty and Barney Hill reports in the 1960s (Clancy 3). This has led to the framing of what is known popularly as “The Abduction Narrative.” But it is apparent even to a layman that a person driving on the highway for hours, possibly fatigued, hungry and sleep-deprived, is not in complete self-possession. In a state of exhaustion the body and the mind are quite unsurprisingly more vulnerable to deception. This basic environmental factor alone questions the credibility of their claims. As Clancy goes on to explain: Americans are not only familiar with the idea of abductions, but apparently are starting to believe in them. Polls suggest that about 93 percent of the population believe that extraterrestrials exist, and 27 percent believe that the earth has been visited by aliens. The belief in aliens increased significantly in the past two decades … One CNN/Time poll showed that 80 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. government is hiding knowledge of the existence of extraterrestrial life forms (Clancy 3). It is easy to surmise from this excerpt alone how widespread the belief in aliens has become in contemporary popular imagination. In an environment of frenzy such as this, rationality takes a backseat and sheer numbers of believers begin to tip the balance. We return again to our initial claim that without empirical, verifiable proof, the status quo regarding any issue remains unchanged. Speculations of scientists or the unshakeable convictions of millions of people cannot change facts. And the fact remains that this is so ambiguous an area of research that solid proof, on either side of the argument, is going to be nearly impossible to find. But coming to another important aspect of this debate, what is the feasibility of speculation in this matter? Conspiracy theories involving NASA and the American government have been circulating and gaining wide popularity over the last decade or so. The NASA announcement of 6 August 1996, claiming to have found life on Mars, supported enthusiastically by then-President Clinton, has been questioned as only being a ploy to raise funds to NASA (Missler and Eastman 9). Space missions with the express objective of finding intelligence on other planets have been launched with fervour. Countries like Russia and India too have joined the fray. The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence or SETI has grown into a full-blown global movement. In his book After Contact, Albert Harrison concludes with scepticism over the feasibility of the SETI institute continuing with its research with almost no sign of success (Harrison 261-65). In a world where social troubles seem without end, is it really of greater priority to spend millions on a quest that has proved nothing but futile, a little sensational at best? Even if one felt tempted to cite the argument that the search for knowledge is an end in itself, and of far greater significance than petty monetary concerns, one ought to remember that Stephen Hawking himself, in expressing his conviction in extraterrestrial life, also warns us against getting too far in over our heads. Even if one can afford to explore these mysteries in financial terms, can one really afford to bring on the wrath of these alleged super-creatures from outer space? How feasible is it to investigate and probe deeper into things that are essentially inexplicable and potentially disastrous? To conclude, we have seen how even the most brilliant and learned experts in the astronomical field have expressed their belief in the possibility of life outside Earth and how this has helped those in favour of the idea in substantiating their arguments. We have also seen how easy it can be for people to be convinced of false memories and bizarre encounters, especially when seen from the psychologist’s perspective. And even if all arguments set aside, one were to argue in favour of continuing research in hopes of finding intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, one must think first of the collateral expenses. Disregarding one’s personal opinions on the matter, and inclinations to take either the sceptic or the believing stand, one must consider the implications this kind of costly speculation has on society and economy. Perhaps we should take Professor Hawking’s warning to heart and concentrate instead on looking within our countries and our societies for answers because irrespective of whether aliens exist or not, taking a stand on either side is futile without the empirical evidence that the world is still waiting for. Works Cited A. A., Harrison. "Search without End." After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life. Cambridge: Perseus Publishing, 1997. 261-265. Print. Clancy, Susan A. Abducted: How People Come to Believe They Were Kidnapped by Aliens. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2005. Print. Daniken, Erich Von. Chariots of the Gods. London: Souvenir Press, 1970. Print. Leake, Jonathan. "Don’t talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking." The Sunday Times [London] 25 Apr. 2010: n. pag. Times Online. Web. 6 May 2010. Missler, Chuck, and Mark Eastman. Alien Encounters. Coeur d'Alene, ID: Koinonia House, 1997. Print. Vallee, Jacques. "Five Arguments against the Extraterrestrial Origin of Unidentified Flying Objects." Journal of Scientific Exploration 4.1 (1990): 105-117. Print. Read More