2024-04-28 23:16:00
According to the scientist Lisa Kalteneggerrenowned astrophysicist and leader of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, the discovery of extraterrestrial life is imminent thanks to James Webb Space Telescope. In that sense, the professional indicated that “it might be within a couple of years”, putting the next 5 or 10 years as an estimated date.
Kaltenegger, a pioneer in the area of searching for extraterrestrial life, is renowned for her ability to detect “biosignals” or vital signs, such as methane or the presence of oxygen in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets. These signals suggest biological processes that might be similar to those on Earthso they raise the possibility of the existence of other forms of life in the cosmos.
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For astrophysics, one of the key places to detect extraterrestrial life are the planets around Trappist-1, a red dwarf star located 40 light years from Earth that is presumed to contain water and potentially life. This system, which was discovered in 2017, has several planets in the “habitable zone”, capable of supporting liquid water and, possibly, life forms.
In dialogue with the British newspaper The Telegraph, Kaltenegger highlighted the advanced use of the James Webb telescopean instrument that allows experts analyze with great precision the atmospheric composition of distant planets. In this regard, the professional indicated that science is in “a golden age of exploration, with thousands of worlds within reach that we can now investigate.”
Along those lines, he assured that “the James Webb space telescope is observing these planets right now”, advancing an optimistic outlook in the search for extraterrestrial life. “We have the opportunity to detect gases on these worlds. And to find out if there are biosignatures in them in the next, say, five to ten years“he added.
Although she recognized that the process requires time due to light interference from the star, the astrophysicist remained firm in her belief in an unprecedented discovery. “If life is everywhere, it can be in that system,” she argued. Furthermore, he indicated that if he were “lucky,” that discovery “might be within a couple of years”. “We may need to look at 100 systems before we find life, or maybe 1,000. But it might also be that we only need to look at one,” she said.
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In this regard, he declared that he “absolutely” hopes to find what he is looking for throughout his life, at the same time highlighted the incorporation of artificial intelligence into its field, which might help, for example, in pattern recognition. In addition to this, he mentioned the development of the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a new space telescope.
“I think science is a beautiful web of ideas that stretches across time. Even if we can’t find it in my lifetime, the ideas we gather, the things we put into motion They are the stepping stones that will allow future generations to do so.“he concluded.
The rejection of alleged sightings and theories regarding UFOs
Regarding rumors and alleged alien sightings, The expert dismissed popular theories, highlighting the need to follow a rigorous scientific approach. In that sense, he criticized the statements of David Grusha former US Air Force officer, who claimed to have found evidence of a secret government program to recover UFOs.
In this regard, Kaltenegger pointed out that his book Alien Earths: Planet Hunting in the Cosmos (in Spanish, Extraterrestrial Earths: hunting for planets in the cosmos) was written with the aim of encourage healthy skepticism among the public. “When I see that [testimonios], honestly what I think is: ‘Oh God, I wish that were true.’ It would be a lot easier if we had aliens coming here. Because the search for chemical composition, and for gas as a biosignature, is difficult, even with the largest telescopes we have,” he assured.
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