Pontifical academy studies possibility of extraterrestrial life

November 11, 2009

The Pontifical Academy of Science has concluded a five-day study week devoted to the emerging field of astrobiology, the scientific study of extraterrestrial life.

“This is a quite appropriate topic for the academy, which has a multidisciplinary membership, since it is a field which combines research in many disciplines, principally astronomy, cosmology, biology, chemistry, geology and physics,” said Father José Funes, SJ, director of the Vatican Observatory. Dr. Chris Impey, deputy head of the University of Arizona’s astronomy department, added:

Four hundred years ago, Galileo Galilei turned his telescope to the heavens and forever changed the way we view ourselves in relation to the universe. In addition to cementing the Copernican revolution with his observations, he showed that the Moon was a geological body like the Earth, with mountains and valleys. Four hundred years later, the study of other worlds has grown to prominence in astronomy. In the past 15 years, technological breakthroughs have led to the discovery of over 400 planets beyond the Solar System. The smallest of these is not much more massive than the Earth. Meanwhile, lab experiments have made progress in tracing the processes by which simple chemical ingredients might have evolved into cells about four billion years ago, and scientists have discovered life in surprisingly diverse, inhospitable environments on the Earth. It is plausibly estimated that there are hundreds of millions of habitable locations in the Milky Way, which is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe.

As scientists gather to discuss progress in astrobiology, we still only know of one planet with life: our own. But there is a palpable expectation that the universe harbors life and there is hope that the first discovery is only a few years away. This meeting gathers an interdisciplinary set of scholars, whose expertise spans astronomy, planetary science, geology, chemistry, biology, and environmental science. They will present the latest research results and engage in deep discussion on the nature and prospects of life in the universe. If biology is not unique to the Earth, or life elsewhere differs bio-chemically from our version, or we ever make contact with an intelligent species in the vastness of space, the implications for our self-image will be profound. It is appropriate that a meeting on this frontier topic is hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The motivations and methodologies might differ, but both science and religion posit life as a special outcome of a vast and mostly inhospitable universe. There is a rich middle ground for dialogue between the practitioners of astrobiology and those who seek to understand the meaning of our existence in a biological universe.

"The questions of life's origins and of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe are very suitable and deserve serious consideration," said Father Funes. Participants agreed that the discovery of any other sentient life forms in the universe would raise fascinating philosophical questions, but the conference was devoted to the scientific aspects of the hunt for life. The interdisciplinary conference, involving 30 scientists from research institutes around the world, explored issues such as the origins of life, the elements necessary for the emergence of life forms, and the exploration of distant planets that could be searched for signs of life.

 

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Further information:

• Conferenza Stampa Di Presentazione Della Settimana Di Studio Su "Astrobiology" (Casina Pio IV, Vaticano, 6-10 Novembre 2009) (Holy See)
• Pontifical Academy Of Sciences: Seminar On Astrobiology (VIS)
• Pontifical Academy for Science Concludes Study Week on Astrobiology (Vatican Radio)
• Chris Impey (University of Arizona)
• The Astrobiology Web
• Vatican looks to heavens for signs of alien life (AP)