Humans have always searched for life out in space, wondering if they are alone, or perhaps there is some other organism living and breathing in some distant galaxy, or even in the hidden recesses of the solar system. And while it had been believed to be plausible for other lifeforms to exist in a on some other planet in the reaches of space, the odds of finding life are much lower than previously believed. The article, The Odds of Intelligent Life in the Universe, written by Universe Today back in 2008, discussed the possibility of life elsewhere and the probability of new life emerging. According to the article, it found that the probability of intelligent life emerging is low.

A paper from the University of East Angelia finds that the chances are low due to the time it has taken for species like humans to evolve along with the remaining life of Earth. They found that the structurally complex organisms and intelligent life have evolved later on Earth, and by viewing the probability of the hard and important evolutionary steps that happened in relation to the life of Earth, provided an improved mathematical model for the continuing evolution of intelligent life. This mathematical model that the probability of each of the steps needed for the emergent of life is less than 10%, and that the chances of emerging is less than .01% over the course of 4 billion years.

Alien brothers

So many questions and so little answers. Is humanity a miracle? Or just another one of the millions of life-harboring planets? Why did the Earth form life? How is it possible in the first place? What made Earth such an anomaly? So many questions. Perhaps humanity is the only intelligent life force in the galaxy. But remember that with each probability, it must eventually come true. Perhaps we aren’t alone in the universe.

Image Sources:

http://www.environmental-watch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/earth-day.jpeg