Astrobiology suggest that life is abundant in the ulimwengu and the primitive microbial life forms (beyond earth) could be found earlier than intelligent forms. The search for the extra-terrestrial life involves looking for biological signatures in the vicinity of solar system and looking for redio signals or technical signatures in far away deeper nafasi. There is case for renewed emphasis on searching technosignatures of life in the ulimwengu.
If there is life beyond this sayari ? This question has always intrigued people and there has been lot of sensationalism and media attention on ziada ya dunia life forms. But where does science stands? Now we have a full-fledged interdisciplinary area of astrobiology dedicated to the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the ulimwengu.
Kwa swali Ikiwa kuna maisha zaidi ya dunia, there is optimism about the possibility of extraterrestrial life (Billings L., 2018). NASA Kepler telescope has shown that the habitable worlds are abundant in the ulimwengu. So are building blocks of life hence it seems reasonable to deduce that the life should be abundant in the ulimwengu.
Is it really possible to find extra-terrestrial intelligence? Yes, there is increasing possibility due to technological advancements (Hirabayashi H. 2019). Therefore there certainly is a case for search of life on other sayari; the extra-terrestrial life form could be primitive or complex and intelligent. Estimates suggests that there is relative likelihood of success in the searches for primitive life form than intelligent one (Lingam and Loeb, 2019). The dominant thinking in unajimu is that the “first contact” with extra-terrestrial life may be with microbial life elsewhere (Billings L., 2018).
How do we search them? The search for maisha katika ulimwengu currently involves two approaches – search for biosignatures (saini of biology) in and around solar system and redio search for technosignatures (signatures of advanced life forms and technology) emitted from sources far away from solar system in the galaxy and beyond. Projects like Mars and Europa landers, Kitabu cha Jedwali cha James Webb Space are aimed at search for signatures of biology in nearby solar system while NASA SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) program and the Breakthrough Listen (BL) project are examples of search for technical signatures in far deeper nafasi.
Both approaches offer benefits but the search for technosignatures seems to complement search for biology but also expands search from solar neighbourhood to deeper in ulimwengu katika galaxies.
The search for the technosignatures involving orientation, recording and analysis of radio signals or bursts emanating from deep nafasi comes at relatively much lower cost (vis a vis search for biosignatures),. for example, the annual budget of NASA SETI program was about $10 million. Much of the nafasi can be targeted and searched for radio signals with strong information content, robust detection and interpretations. Further, radio search has a established scientific background and context.
Kesi ya utafutaji wa saini ya teknolojia pia inafanywa kwa ukweli kwamba kiasi cha utafutaji kilichotolewa hadi sasa ni cha chini sana. Kiasi cha utafutaji kinaweza kupanuliwa katika siku za usoni. Hii itahitaji ufikiaji ulioimarishwa wa darubini za redio, rasilimali, kujenga upya mfumo ikolojia wa utafiti na kufuata maendeleo ya maunzi na programu (Margot et al 2019).
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Kumbuka Mhariri:
Dk Jean-Luc Margot kutoka UCLA amependekeza 'NASA haina mpango wa SETI. Haijawa na programu ya SETI kwa zaidi ya miaka 25. Tafadhali zingatia marekebisho.'.
Tungependa kuongeza kwamba mpango wa NASA wa SETI ulighairiwa mwaka wa 1993. Wakati huo bajeti ya kila mwaka ya mpango wa SETI ilikuwa takriban dola milioni 10.
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Chanzo (s)
1. Margot J et al 2019. Utaftaji wa redio wa saini za teknolojia katika muongo wa 2020-2030. Chapisha Mapema arXiv:1903.05544 iliwasilishwa mnamo (13 Machi 2019). https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.05544
2. Billings L., 2018. Kutoka Duniani Hadi Ulimwenguni: Maisha, Akili, na Mageuzi. Nadharia ya Biolojia. 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-017-0266-6
3. Hirabayashi H. 2019. SETI (Tafuta Ujasusi wa Kinga ya Juu). Astrobiolojia. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_30
4. Lingam M na Loeb A 2019. Uwezekano Husiani wa Kufaulu katika Utafutaji wa Maisha ya Awali dhidi ya Akili ya Nje. Astrobiolojia. 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1936
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