Cultural Bias Distorts the Search for Alien Life

Humans have always looked out to space and the heavens in order to make sense of life on Earth. We’ve always wanted to know if we are alone, or if there are aliens out in the universe. Different scientific and philosophical traditions have different answers to those questions. Astronomers now use telescopes to try and find aliens out in the universe. They do this by looking for artificial electromagnetic transmissions that come from interstellar or intergalactic sources.

Key Takeaways:

• Many different cultures and philosophies have sought to make sense of the idea of alien life.
• The SETI project today is taking on the search for alien life through high-powered microscopes.
• It’s possible that little understood biases rooted in cultural traditions might be hampering the search for extraterrestrial life.

“Since time immemorial, humans have looked to the heavens above to make sense of life below, right here on Earth.”

Read more: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cultural-bias-distorts-the-search-for-alien-life/

References:

• Scientific America (Website)
• The Royal Society (YouTube Chanel)