Are We Alone?; Member Claude Bernard, PhD; 18-Feb-2024

EthicalStL.org

Recent research has shown that most stars have planetary systems, and that a non-negligible fraction of those planets are likely to be in the so-called “habitable zone,” where life may be possible. This makes the old question of “Are we alone?” more pressing: Does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and if so, is some of that life “intelligent” and able to communicate or otherwise interact with us? I discuss various aspects of these questions, including the research on exoplanets, the possibility of space travel, UFO (recently renamed “UAP”) phenomena, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). I conclude with some thoughts about the ethical meaning of a “yes” or a “no” answer to the “Are we alone?” question.