
Cultural Bias Distorts the Search for Alien Life
“Decolonizing” the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) could boost its chances of success, says science historian Rebecca Charbonneau
“Decolonizing” the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) could boost its chances of success, says science historian Rebecca Charbonneau
Although modest in scope, a NASA research project reflects shifting attitudes toward the formerly taboo subject of UFOs
Organisms on Earth produce a wide array of durable “biofluorescent” materials. If those on other planets do, too, the Compact Color Biofinder should be able to detect them
Planetary scientists are eager to bring Red Planet rocks, soil and even air to Earth, but critics fear the risk of contaminating our world’s biosphere
We now know that plants survive but fail to thrive in lunar soil
A structure that links amino acids suggests that early organisms could have been based on an RNA-protein mix
The alien comets could illuminate the history of their planetary system
An updated communication could be beamed out for space alien listeners in hopes of making first contact
A new theory suggests that searches for molecular complexity could uncover convincing evidence of extraterrestrial life—and do so soon
Sparked by major advances in their field, astrobiologists are grappling with how best to discuss possible breakthrough discoveries with the public
The radio signal seemed to originate from the star Proxima Centauri and provided a helpful drill for future searches
Humanity’s greatest achievement might be building our successors
Much of astrobiology is focused on looking for organisms with chemistry similar to ours—but there could well be other kinds
The Galileo Project seeks to train telescopes on unidentified aerial phenomena
If they exist, they’ll find our puny forays into space completely insignificant
An ancient civilization from a distant star could have created immortal machines to roam the Milky Way and keep its legacy alive
The search for technological relics of extraterrestrial civilizations will inspire the public and attract talent to the field of astronomy
Project Galileo could make that happen sooner rather than later
After an alarming failure, the rover is set to continue its mission to retrieve specimens for eventual return to Earth
Meteorites reveal that so long as groundwater is present, the Martian subsurface is habitable
Support science journalism.
Thanks for reading Scientific American. Knowledge awaits.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue.
Create Account