'Life could exist on other planets'

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 20. Scientists are drawing ever closer to the discovery of extra terrestrial life which has emerged from the realms of science fiction to take the form of a serious pursuit, noted astrophysicist, Dr. J. V. Narlikar, said here today.

He was delivering a lecture organised by the State Committee on Science, Technology and Environment in connection with the Technology Day celebrations. Dr.Narlikar said there was enough circumstantial evidence for man to believe in the existence of extra terrestrial intelligence in the universe.

"Despite several reported sightings of UFOs, no one has produced a tangible object of alien origin. But since 1991, astronomers have observed the birth of new stars and the presence of planets around them. Evidence of protoplanetary discs around new stars as revealed by infra red cameras and the presence of organic matter in stellar nurseries point to the probable existence of life on other planets".

Dr. Narlikar said the nature of extra terrestrial life was still a matter of speculation. "There is one theory known as the Zoo Hypothesis according to which, life on earth is a sanctuary closely watched by extra terrestrial beings without interference. We are still in the dark as to how these beings look or whether they are more intelligent than us".

Dr. Narlikar said the search for extra terrestrial life involved a variety of disciplines like astronomy, biology, artificial intelligence, space science, communication and social science. "While astronomists hope to unveil existence of alien life, biologists reject the possibility since they believe that the evolution of life is too complex to be replicated".

Dr. Narlikar said inter-galactic travel presented a insurmountable challenge to mankind inhibiting the physical search for alien life forms. "The sheer distance involved in inter-galactic travel is the most daunting factor. The nearest star is at least 100,000 years away", he said.

"Taking the limitations into account, scientists have come round to the idea of letting extra terrestrial life discover us instead of the other way round. Advances in radio astronomy have enabled us to send out signals into interstellar space and device equipment to intercept alien messages. The unmanned Pioneer 10 spacecraft which left the solar system carried a plaque depicting life on earth in symbolic form. Scientists assume that any intelligent form which comes across the message can decode it and trace the way to earth", he said.

Dr. Narlikar said there was another school of thought which believed that life on earth evolved after it was transferred from interstellar space. "There is evidence to believe that comets contain complicated molecules and bacteria in frozen form. During the comet's trajectory near the sun, the thawed bacteria get transferred to the earth from the tail. Some scientists even believe that new diseases may have surfaced through this method".

Dr. Narlikar said ISRO was planning a balloon flight from Hyderabad to screen the presence of bacteria at different altitudes in the earth's atmosphere. "A higher concentration of bacteria in the upper atmospheric regions would suggest an injection from outer space. Scientists from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology will be involved in the experiment", he said.

The STEC chairman, Dr. M. R. Das, presided over the meeting.

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