In the journal Nature, a NASA team calls for a methodical approach to identifying extraterrestrial life. In their paper, the group of researchers suggests the establishment of a "confidence of life detection" (CoLD) scale.
This is perhaps one of the greatest questions in human history. For the moment, our planet is an exception, but is there another form of life elsewhere in the Universe? To find out, several studies are underway .
Piloted by Harvard University, an international research project called Galileo aims in particular to seek and study evidence likely to represent "extraterrestrial technological civilizations » defunct or still active. Closer to home, NASA is in charge of probing the presence of microbial life on the planet Mars. In collaboration with the Russians, ESA will soon begin similar work.
That being said, many specialists are now convinced that we will soon have proof of the existence of an extraterrestrial life form. A priori, given the distances beyond comprehension separating the different stars and galaxies, it should be microbial, and probably fossilized, but the universe could perhaps have other surprises in store for us.
If this is the case one day, how can you be sure enough to raise the slightest suspicion? In the past, certain discoveries surrounding the possible presence of extraterrestrial life, mainly on Mars, have indeed led to many speculations and other criticisms against those who reported said evidence . Also in the future we need another approach, hence this new proposal.
“It's realistic to think that our generation could be the one to discover evidence of life beyond Earth. With this privileged potential comes responsibility. The magnitude of the question of whether we are alone in the Universe and the public interest attached to it opens up the possibility that the results could be seen to imply more than observations or observers support. hear it “, can we read in Nature.
"As life detection goals become increasingly important in space science, it is essential to open a community dialogue about how to convey information on a subject that is diverse, complicated and has a high potential for sensationalism “, can we still read.
In their article, the NASA team suggests the implementation of a new scale of trust called CoLD for "Confidence Of Life Detection". This would be similar in some respects to other scales used by the scientific community, in particular the TRL scale (technology readiness level) which makes it possible to assess the level of maturity of a technology.
Researchers describe its seven levels in their publication. The first would be obtained following the detection of a biosignature. The second would aim to exclude contamination factors. A third level would involve making predictions about how such a signal might have been generated. If all non-biological sources are excluded, then level four would involve verifying the presence of this signal by other means, pushing the effort to level five. If successful, the signal could be considered to be linked to an extraterrestrial life form. We would then be at level six. Finally, the last level would involve a follow-up study of said life form.
The authors suggest that a CoLD scale could prevent heated discussions and allow us to focus our energy on these discoveries and their implications for humanity.
