Humanity is on the threshold of being able to detect signs of alien life on other worlds.
By studying exoplanet atmospheres, we can look for gases like oxygen and methane that only coexist if replenished by life. But those gases come from simple life forms like microbes. What about advanced civilizations? Would they leave any detectable signs?
They might, if they spew industrial pollution into the atmosphere. New research by theorists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) shows that we could spot the fingerprints of certain pollutants under ideal conditions. This would offer a new approach in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
“We consider industrial pollution as a sign of intelligent life, but perhaps civilizations more advanced than us, with their own SETI programs, will consider pollution as a sign of unintelligent life since it’s not smart to contaminate your own air,” says Harvard student and lead author Henry Lin.
“People often refer to ETs as ‘little green men,’ but the ETs detectable by this method should not be labeled ‘green’ since they are environmentally unfriendly,” adds Harvard co-author Avi Loeb.
The team, which also includes Smithsonian scientist Gonzalo Gonzalez Abad, finds that the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) should be able to detect two kinds of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) — ozone-destroying chemicals used in solvents and aerosols. They calculated that JWST could tease out the signal of CFCs if atmospheric levels were 10 times those on Earth. A particularly advanced civilization might intentionally pollute the atmosphere to high levels and globally warm a planet that is otherwise too cold for life.
There is one big caveat to this work. JWST can only detect pollutants on an Earth-like planet circling a white dwarf star, which is what remains when a star like our Sun dies. That scenario would maximize the atmospheric signal. Finding pollution on an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star would require an instrument beyond JWST — a next-next-generation telescope.
Read more . . .
The Latest on: Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Search for extraterrestrial intelligence” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
- NASA's mission to an ice-covered moon will contain a message between water worldson April 28, 2024 at 4:59 am
METI International is a scientific organization dedicated to transmitting powerful radio messages to extraterrestrial life.
- ‘Is it aliens?’: how a mysterious star could help the search for extraterrestrial lifeon April 27, 2024 at 10:48 am
Scientists hope studies into Boyajian’s star could lead to enhanced techniques for identifying distant planetary civilisations ...
- 5 Reasons Why We’ll Never Encounter Octopus-Like Space Alienson April 27, 2024 at 12:30 am
Despite their cunning and intelligence, it’s highly unlikely that an octopus-like creature on some distant exoearth would ever evolve into a space-faring species.
- The search for extraterrestrial life: where are they?on April 26, 2024 at 5:45 pm
The following gallery outlines some of the existing theories that attempt to explain why we haven't yet established real contact with potential extraterrestrial life. Check it out!
- SETI Scientist Says Announcement of Alien Life Could Be Imminenton April 25, 2024 at 12:37 pm
Webby Awards One of the world's foremost experts in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) believes that with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, humans are closer to discovering ...
- Where Is Everybody in Our Universe?on April 25, 2024 at 9:33 am
In Exoplanets, astronomer Michael Summers and physicist James Trefil explore remarkable recent discoveries: planets revolving around pulsars, planets made of diamond, planets that are mostly water, ...
- Forget green: Purple may be key to finding planets capable of hosting alien life, study sayson April 23, 2024 at 11:55 am
Purple bacteria that thrive in low-energy red or infrared light with a simpler method of photosynthesis could cover another planet, a new study says.
- SETI Institute Claims They've Successfully Communicated With a Whaleon April 16, 2024 at 1:31 pm
Speaking Whale A team of scientists from the SETI Institute, which is devoted to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, claims to have had a "conversation" with a humpback whale in Alaska. And ...
- Scientists have a ‘conversation’ with a humpback whale —which they hope will help mankind communicate with alienson April 15, 2024 at 9:31 am
Whales are a proxy for aliens,” animal behaviorist Dr. Josie Hubbard tells the Post. “The things we learn from communicating with whales could help us when it comes time to ...
- Communications with Extraterrestrial Intelligenceon August 25, 2021 at 11:22 pm
Highlights the most recent developments in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), and advocates a diverse range of approaches to make SETI increasingly more powerful and effective in the ...
via Bing News