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life in outer space are scientists in
the Soviet Union. At the close of
1962,
the Soviet Academy of
Sciences published a book on the
universality of intelligent li fe. In
1964,
a Soviet conference on extra–
terrestriallife was held at the Byura–
kan Astrophysical Observatory.
There are many factors involved
in all this interest and concern.
What Astronomers Think
The discovery that the sun and
solar system are not at the center of
the Milky Way galaxy and the be–
lief that our solar system lies about
30,000
light years from the center of
the galaxy in a relatively dim spiral
arm cause astronomers to think that
our solar system is not unique.
There may be a vast number of stars
in the universe that possess similar
solar systems, and many of the plan–
ets of those alien systems would
probably be similar to the earth in
composi tion, size, density, and dis–
tance from their own "sun."
Many biologists have thus con–
cluded that life might exist on such
planets. In fact, many biologists feel
that life is an inherent property of
certain complex molecules or com–
binations o f molecules. Others ,
more religiously inclined, believe
that wherever there is a likely
planet, God could have created life
upon it.
Otto Struve, in
The Universe,
states that planets closer to us than
20
light years (one light year is the
distance light can travel in a year at
186,000
miles per second) could
have sorne forro of life, but he ad–
mits that the probability of in–
telligent life on them is "vanishingly
small." Consequently, Struve adds,
the chances of any artificial radio
signals from outer space reaching
the earth are even smaller.
By contrast, Carl Sagan and Iosif
Samuilovich Shklovsky, in their
book
lntelligent LiJe in the Universe,
conclude that the number of civ–
ilizations existing in the Milky Way
that would be superior to our own
appears to be
50,000
to one million
and that the average distance be-
PLAIN TRUTH
January
1974
tween such civilizations is between a
few hundred light years to 1,000
light years. This speculation, of
course, is based on the assumption
that life would evolve wherever the
proper conditions exist.
Stephen H. Dole, in an analysis
for the Rand Corporation, esti–
mated that roughly
600
million
habitable planets exist in our gal–
axy. One star out of every
200,
he
suggests, is accompanied by a planet
where life could exist. If indeed life
is the product of sheer cbance and
fortuitous happenstance, then find–
ing intelligent life on other worlds
would appear to be a matter of time,
distance, and technology - a matter
of "when," not "if."
However , we must not overlook
the monumental "if" - for it is a
distinct fact that the evolutionary
origin of life has not been proved.
We must remember that present
theories of galactic evolution and
the origin of life are just that -
theories. Although many astrono–
mers are dazzled and excited about
the prospect of coming into contact
with an extraterrestrial civilization
which might , ostensibly, help us
solve our own problems on earth,
teach us the way to peace, and add
immeasurably to our cultural and
spiritual legacy, we must never for–
get that these are mere dreams. At
this point, there is no evidence such
civilizations exíst.
But the search goes on. And it
usually begins right in our own solar
system. The most likely planet -
other than the earth - to harbor
living organisms, astronomers con–
elude, is Mars. Is there evidence of
life on the red planet?
Life on Mars?
The biggest obstacle to üfe on
Mars is the inhospitable climate.
French astronomer Gerard de Vau–
couleurs, perhaps the greatest ex–
pert on Mars, once said, "Take a
desert on
earth,
shift it to the polar
regions, and lift it to stratospheric
level - that's what it is like on
Mars."
Another obstacle to üfe on the red
planet is tbat tbere is little or no
oxygen in the Martian atmospbere.
The
1969
voyages of Mariner
6
and Mariner 7 to Mars produced
strong evidence that most ofthe ma–
terial on the Martian polar caps is
not made of water ice but dry ice -
frozen carbon dioxide. Lífe as we
know it must have water to survive.
Water was detected in the atmo–
sphere of Mars by the lOO-inch tele–
scope on top of Mount Wilson,
California, in
1963.
But ít is from
one to two thousand times less
dense than the water vapor in our
own atmosphere.
The most up-to-date observations
of Mars show that seasonal varia–
tions of sorne type occur, and Iong–
term changes have been verified.
Explanations for the seasonal varia–
tions on Mars range from unusual
volcanic activity, different from
what we see on earth ,
to
the concept
that minerals on the surface are
being " colored" as they absorb
varying amounts ofwater due to the
changing humidity of the atmo–
sphere, to the vegetative hypothesis.
This theory suggests that the dark
areas of the planet which seasonally
change color are covered by sorne
forro of vegetation.
It is possible that perroafrost ex–
ists on Mars, where frozen water is
covered with soil or sand. Volcanic
activity, sorne scientists say, could
melt such permafrost and increase
the soil temperature enough to sup–
port sorne vegetation.
If the dark areas were vegetation,
it is strange that during tbe Martian
day, the ones located near the equa–
tor become hotter than nearby red
regions; if the areas were dense
vegetation, they should absorb heat
and be cooler.
The dark areas of Mars remain a
mystery. But it is nota mystery that
any life on Mars would be subjected
to constant cosmic and ultraviolet
ray bombardment. Since there is no
ozone in the Martian atmosphere,
plant and animal life of the types
found on earth would not be able to
survive the destructive radiation.
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