PTI08_23_2024_RPT044A

‘Belief in Aliens’: ISRO chief S. Somanath would prefer to avoid meeting with extraterrestrial life due to potential threat to humanity from any advanced civilisation

Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar

image
S._Somanath,_Director_of_VSSC,_ISRO,_speaks_during_the_Heads_of_Agency_Plenary_of_the_70th_International_Astronautical_Congress_(cropped)

Perspective on Extraterrestrial Life

ISRO Chairman expressed his belief that alien civilizations likely exist throughout the universe. He presented this viewpoint during a conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia on a podcast, suggesting that extraterrestrial life is not only possible but probable.

S Somanath 4

Human Technological Advancement

The ISRO chief highlighted the rapid technological progress made by humanity over the past century. He used this to illustrate how civilizations at different technological stages could exist in the cosmos, each evolving at its own pace.

alien (1)

Scenario of Civilizational Development

The ISRO chairman proposed a thought experiment where alien civilizations could be at various stages of development. He imagined a civilization just 200 years behind humanity and another 1,000 years ahead, underscoring the diversity of potential technological levels in the universe.

alien

Potential for Advanced Civilizations

The space agency head suggested that some alien civilizations could be far more advanced than humanity. He speculated that civilizations thousands of years more developed than ours might already be present, possibly interacting with the universe in ways beyond our current understanding.

S somanath11

Existence of Evolved Alien Life

The ISRO chief stated his belief in the existence of much-evolved alien life forms compared to humans. He views humanity as a relatively recent addition to the universe’s life spectrum, with origins of life potentially widespread across the cosmos.

image

Caution Regarding Alien Contact

While acknowledging the possibility of alien life, the ISRO chairman expressed a preference to avoid contact with such beings. He explained that extraterrestrial life might have entirely different genomic and protein structures, which could make interactions dangerous, with one lifeform possibly dominating the other.

S Somanath 2

Contribution to Scientific Discourse

The ISRO chief’s comments contribute to ongoing discussions about extraterrestrial life, urging a broader understanding of humanity’s place in the universe and the potential existence of diverse life forms beyond Earth.