The thought of finding alien life has fascinated people since the time of the ancient Greeks—but developments in astrobiology could be about to turn this possibility into reality. How do you hunt for life beyond Earth—and might this be the decade when we find it?
00:00 - Is there life beyond Earth?
00:56 - How has the search for life evolved?
02:36 - What signs of life are scientists looking for?
03:48 - What are biosignatures?
04:28 - How to find intelligent life
06:03 - How telescopes today have improved our search
07:52 - Expanding the search beyond Earth
Read more of Alok Jha's coverage on the search for life in space: https://econ.st/3zw1Hxt
Find our most recent Science and Technology coverage: https://econ.st/39lCCuK
Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3gJBH8D
Why have humans never found aliens?: https://econ.st/3HhIEZA
How to improve the search for aliens: https://econ.st/3HgfYQX
Read more about the James Webb Space telescope: https://econ.st/3xrZC30
Listen to our podcast episode on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence: https://econ.st/39uGB82
Everything you need to know about UFOs: https://econ.st/3zA55aF
00:00 - Is there life beyond Earth?
00:56 - How has the search for life evolved?
02:36 - What signs of life are scientists looking for?
03:48 - What are biosignatures?
04:28 - How to find intelligent life
06:03 - How telescopes today have improved our search
07:52 - Expanding the search beyond Earth
Read more of Alok Jha's coverage on the search for life in space: https://econ.st/3zw1Hxt
Find our most recent Science and Technology coverage: https://econ.st/39lCCuK
Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3gJBH8D
Why have humans never found aliens?: https://econ.st/3HhIEZA
How to improve the search for aliens: https://econ.st/3HgfYQX
Read more about the James Webb Space telescope: https://econ.st/3xrZC30
Listen to our podcast episode on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence: https://econ.st/39uGB82
Everything you need to know about UFOs: https://econ.st/3zA55aF
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Francisco Gimeno - BC Analyst Scientists are at this time very sure of finding soon or later some kind of life in the Universe, as all materials for life are seen now as common all around. Being bacteria, or viruses, or plants or different organic constructs which can be framed on what we understand as life, we will find it one day, if we continue researching the Cosmos. Now, finding intelligent life, or even civilisations type 1 or 2 etc is much more difficult, given the actual technology and understanding of the Outer Space. Maybe one day we can find aliens, but we will discover that they are so far away that we will never be able to connect with them, unless SF ideas become reality. This said, just the knowledge of finding life or that there is alien intelligent sentient life is going to change our own understanding of ourselves and our role in the Universe.