NPR

Is Humanity Unusual In The Cosmos?

Commentator Adam Frank talks with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb about exo-civilizations, techno-signatures, and the search for alien life — living or long-gone.
Artist's rendering of the first planet outside of our solar system to be imaged orbiting a brown dwarf star, called the 2M1207 system.

We're entering uncharted territory.

For more than 2,000 years, we humans have been arguing about life and, in particular, intelligent life in the universe. But arguing was pretty much where it always ended.

For all that time, we never had any evidence or any data that could raise the discussion above two people with different opinions yelling at each other.

But this era may well be nearing its end.

The "exoplanet" revolution of the last 20 years has shown us that the universe is awash in alien worlds. More exciting, we now have methods where the atmospheres

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readAmerican Government
With Federal Fraud Trial Looming, George Santos Drops Out Of New York House Race
The scandal-plagued former Republican congressman, ousted from his House seat last year, abandoned his long-shot independent bid for Congress. But he suggested his political career may not be over.
NPR4 min readAmerican Government
Why Haven't Kansas And Alabama — Among Other Holdouts — Expanded Access To Medicaid?
Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
NPR2 min readInternational Relations
World Central Kitchen Workers Killed In Israeli Strikes Will Be Honored At Memorial
The aid workers were killed April 1 when a succession of Israeli armed drones ripped through vehicles in their convoy as they left one of World Central Kitchen's warehouses on a food delivery mission.

Related Books & Audiobooks