In a refreshingly pro-science move, the House Science Committee set aside two hours yesterday to discuss the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life. The ensuing conversation was fascinating, but at times infuriating, with the experts discussing everything from alien biosignatures to the possibility that we’re being watched.
The hearing, called “Astrobiology: The Search for Biosignatures in Our Solar System and Beyond,” was set up to examine the burgeoning field of astrobiology and the search for biosignatures in our solar system and beyond. To that end, the U.S. House of Representatives brought together three experts: Mary Voytek, Senior Scientist for Astrobiology in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters; Sara Seager, Professor of Physics and of Planetary Science at M.I.T.; and Steven J. Dick, Baruch S. Blumberg Chair of Astrobiology, Library of Congress.
In summary: the scientists have pretty much indicated [the discovery of] life on other planets is inevitable. It’s just a matter of time and funding!
Source: Washington Post | UPI | Astrobiology Web
