Throughout human history, philosophers, theologians and scientists have grappled with three profound questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? However, a fourth question is also relevant to many; Are we alone?
The 1940s and 50s saw the UFO craze erupt with Hollywood addressing the phenomenon in movies such as "The Day The Earth Stood Still", in which aliens arrive on earth and threaten to destroy the planet unless earthlings get their act together—so to speak.
In the 1960s, I read the book, "The Interrupted Journey"; about Barney and Betty Hill, who had a most unusual experience while driving through New Hampshire. The Hills were having nightmares and strange physical symptoms following their trip, so they sought a Boston psychiatrist's attention. Using regressive hypnosis, the Hills recounted separately the same story, that they were abducted by aliens. I can still recall having chills running up and down my spine as I read this story.
Barney and Betty Hill
To this day, the story of the Hills has never been debunked. They experienced something that they believed to be real. Many other stories of UFOs and strange encounters have led the majority of people to think that strange objects are appearing in our skies. Military personnel, pilots, radar operators, and even astronauts have observed the peculiar UFO occurrences. Apparently, the U.S. government takes the phenomenon seriously.
In 2017, something occurred which gave even more credence to the fact that there may be intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.
Astronomer, Robert Weryck, working at the observatory on Maui, discovered an object racing through our solar system. He managed to capture a faint image as it raced away from the sun. The object, named ʻOumuamua (scout in Hawaiian), is the first extraterrestrial object that is not of our solar system. The other unusual thing is that it is neither an asteroid or comet. It was moving much too fast to be an asteroid, and its shape was most extraordinary; it was shaped like a cigar. It was not a comet because it didn't have a tail and there is no evidence that it was sloughing ice and dust crystals, as it came closer to the sun. This is characteristic of comets with their characteristic tails.
Interestingly, there is a conflict in astronomy much like the the "climate change" issue. Most astronomers––while they accept that 'Oumauamua is external to our solar system––believe that it is a unique piece of rock. Others like Dr Avi Loeb think that it's character and tumbling motion may indicate that it originates from some intelligent source.
When we talk about the cosmos, we get into some real mind-blowing numbers. 'Oumauamua is believed to have originated in the area of Vega, a nearby star 25 light-years away. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year which is equivalent to 300,000 kilometres a second! It is estimated that it took this object 600,000 years to get here based on its speed, which means that Vega was not in the same position 600,000 years ago that it is today.
Ignoring the idea that UFO's are real, and that 'Oumauamua may indicate an intelligent life form, what are the odds of intelligence elsewhere?
We know the universe contains millions, if not billions of galaxies with billions of stars, many having exoplanets in their systems. From the several thousand exoplanets discovered a number are believed to resemble earth. The probability of making direct contact with us is very low, even if there are advanced civilizations, just due to the vast distances involved. The closest galaxy to us, Andromeda, is 2.5 million light-years away with its millions of stars. It would take us 2.5 million years to get there, travelling at the speed of light. Let that sink in for a few seconds!
The argument about 'Oumauamua may rage on, but it is doubtful that we are the only species in the universe. Whether you are a scientist, a philosopher or a theologian, the idea of another civilization would not necessarily conflict with your existing belief whether it's monotheism or atheism.
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