Search For Fire And Water To Find Alien Civilizations, Say New studies

New research has revealed intriguing insights about the potential existence of alien civilizations. According to a recent nasa study, planets with high oxygen levels could have been the breeding grounds for advanced civilizations. Simultaneously, another study has established a link between carbon dioxide levels and the presence of liquid water, a fundamental requirement for life.

Implications of Oxygen

The presence of high levels of oxygen on planets has been identified as a potential indicator of the development of advanced civilizations. A new study, funded by nasa and published in Nature Astronomy, has emphasized the significance of atmospheric oxygen in the search for extraterrestrial technology on distant planets.

Exoplanets, which are planets orbiting stars other than the sun, are currently being scrutinized by nasa‘s James Webb Space Telescope. Technosignatures, which denote potential evidence of past or present technology, are considered as strong indicators of the existence of life in other star systems.

It has been proposed that the pursuit of technosignatures on exoplanets could yield more fruitful results in detecting the presence of intelligent life compared to the direct evidence of microbial life in the atmospheres of planets, known as biosignatures.

Influence of Fire and ‘Technosignatures’

The study emphasizes the pivotal role of fire as the driving force behind the development of industrial societies. The controlled use of fire became feasible when oxygen levels in the atmosphere reached or exceeded 18 percent, a threshold much higher than that required to sustain biologically complex life.

It is argued that the development of technology on Earth was made possible due to the presence of open-air combustion, which necessitates fuel and an oxidant, typically oxygen. This highlights the cruciality of oxygen in the potential development of higher technological civilizations.

Search For Carbon

In a separate study published in Nature, researchers propose that the absence of carbon dioxide in a rocky planet’s atmosphere, relative to Other planets in the same star system, could indicate the presence of liquid water on the planet’s surface.

The distinctive signature of carbon dioxide is easily detectable using nasa’s infrared James Webb Space Telescope, setting it apart from many other biosignatures. This breakthrough allows for the potential detection of habitable worlds and the presence of life, which were previously beyond the reach of existing observatories.

Carbon Dioxide as a Biosignature

The unique detectability of carbon dioxide, a strong absorber in the infrared, within the atmospheres of exoplanets has opened up new avenues in exoplanet Science. This discovery represents a significant leap in the search for habitable worlds and the presence of life.

JWST’s detection of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of WASP-39b, a planet situated approximately 700 light-years from earth, provides compelling evidence of the effectiveness of this approach. It marks a pivotal moment in the quest to uncover the potential existence of alien life forms beyond our planet.

Conclusion

The recent advancements in exoplanetary research have significantly enhanced our understanding of the potential existence of alien civilizations. The focus on oxygen and carbon dioxide levels as key indicators of advanced life forms and habitable worlds has broadened the horizons of exoplanet science.

The technological capabilities of instruments such as the James Webb space Telescope offer promising avenues for future discoveries in the quest for extraterrestrial life. These discoveries not only fuel our imagination but also drive scientific progress in unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

As we eagerly anticipate the next phase in exoplanetary exploration, the search for fire and water continues to captivate our collective curiosity, offering the promise of groundbreaking revelations that could reshape our understanding of life beyond earth.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

Source: forbes