Human beings have explored the universe for decades, hoping to stumble upon unique components and extraordinary elements with the potential to alter the face of the earth. However, the discovery that the human race is desperately anticipating is the revelation of life beyond earth as these answers will change societal perceptions and answer numerous questions about what constitutes life and the origin of the human species. NASA is one of the pioneers of the search for extraterrestrial life using cutting-edge technological solutions and high-resolution imaging. As a result, the organization spends billions of dollars annually because such a discovery would have unimaginable scientific implications. However, several questions arise over the implications of the discovery on human society.
Fiction films often depict the discovery of human life on earth as a negative event that will result in chaos and destruction. However, Kwon et al., (2018) suggest that the converse is also true as the news would be welcomed with a positive reaction. When individuals think about the discovery of intelligent life in space, they associate the idea with cultural bias featured by themes of conflict and destruction (Vickers, 2020). Nevertheless, unless the earth is attacked by an army of aliens with sophisticated weapons, the discovery of life outside the earth may translate to unlimited opportunities and more targeted scientific expeditions.
Although the concept of extraterrestrial life is still speculative, there are several data resources and evidence retrieved from space supporting the existence of life outside the earth’s environment. Currently, NASA is focused on investigating the possibility of ancient life on Mars (Williford et al., 2018). However, like several other scientific discoveries, the realization may be unprecedented and accidental (Impey, 2022). As a result, the investigation of extraterrestrial life and its implications on human society is an interesting topic that is worth researching.
Reference
Impey, C. (2022). Life beyond Earth: How will it first be detected?. Acta Astronautica. Web.
Kwon, J. Y., Bercovici, H. L., Cunningham, K., & Varnum, M. E. (2018). How will we react to the discovery of extraterrestrial life?. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2308.” Web.
Vickers, P. (2020). Expecting the unexpected in the search for extraterrestrial life. International Journal of Astrobiology, 19(6), 482-491. Web.
Williford, K. H., Farley, K. A., Stack, K. M., Allwood, A. C., Beaty, D., Beegle, L. W.,… & Wiens, R. C. (2018). The NASA Mars 2020 rover mission and the search for extraterrestrial life. In From habitability to life on Mars (pp. 275-308). Elsevier. Web.