Extraterrestrial Life

Extraterrestrial Life
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Introduction
The controversial issue regarding the existence of extraterrestrial life has generated a heated over the past few years. As such the topic of extraterrestrial intelligence has increasingly become popular both in popular speculation and scientific investigation (Fisher & Fergusson, 2006). Particularly, the issue has been featured in the current science fiction movies. Extraterrestrial life refers to the kind of life that is thought to exist outside of the Earth. In simple terms, this is life that that originates from outer space rather than from Earth. In this regard, the opponents of the existence of extraterrestrial life contend that life cannot exist in non-Earth like conditions. While some scientists believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life, there is no sufficient empirical evidence to support this claim. However, the possibility of extraterrestrial life cannot be ruled out given the fact that there are a number of planets in the solar system, some of which could be supporting some form of life. Additionally, Wickramasinghe, Tokoro and Wainwright (2014) assert that in the 1970s, astronomers started discovering organic molecules in the so-called interstellar clouds and also in the materials flowing from star systems and comets.
Recently, the scientists involved in the so called Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have received funding that will enhance their ability to search for life outside of Earth (Wickramasinghe & Smith, 2014). This is a great step in the efforts towards answering humanity’s question regarding the existence of space aliens that has captivated people’s minds for decades. NASA has put efforts to search for any signs of the existence of extraterrestrial life on moon. In this regard, the use of robots will be very critical towards achieving this mission. In addition, unlike the traditional astronomers, the latest astronomical discoveries have revealed the existence of "extrasolar" planets or "exoplanets", some of which could be having the conditions that support life (Hegde, Paulino-Lima, Kaltenegger & Rothschild, 2014). Similarly, scientists have also discovered various moons in the solar system that seems to be having oceans beneath their surfaces, and maybe other elements that support life. This research paper seeks to draw on literature to advance the argument that there is a possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial life.
Methodology
This research paper adopted a descriptive qualitative analysis of 10 peer-reviewed journals sourced from various databases. In order to ascertain the credibility of the sources to be used in this project, various criteria were used. These include the date of publication of the articles, authenticity of the author(s) in terms of qualification, occupation and experience in their field of study. Further, the relevance of the journal articles to the research topic was also taken into consideration. In addition, the level of bias regarding the author’s opinion on the existence of extraterrestrial life forms was also assessed.
The Possibility of Extraterrestrial Life
It is widely believed that there is the exist...