Sunday, 14 August 2022 | PNS | Nainital
Despite the efforts to search for extra-terrestrial life for many decades, so far life as it exists on earth has not been found on any other known planet, said Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) senior scientist Shashibhushan Pandey. He said that considering what is known so far it can be said that the earth is a unique planet in the known universe.
The Pioneer IV was the first attempt by humankind to search in space in 1959. About 25 years after that in 1984, the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) was set up jointly under noted astronomers Carl Sagan and Jill Tarter. Though this centre and other scientists have learnt a lot more about space, they have not yet found concrete evidence of aliens, at least not as shown in movies. The other worlds explored remotely so far appear barren compared to earth. They do not appear to be capable of supporting the type of life forms which inhabit the earth. Scientists point out that a combination of unique factors made earth the best and probably the only planet capable of supporting life as known to us.
