The search for intelligent life beyond our planet, and even our own Solar System, is stepping up. What might it find? And what could any discoveries mean for humankind?
COME WITH ME, FOR A MOMENT, to one of South America’s most desolate places. Tucked under snow-capped Andean peaks 90km from San Pedro de Atacama, in north-eastern Chile, it’s a shallow basin of desert soil and rock covering about 1000ha. The impression of a low-lying landscape is illusory, because this place is more than 4300m above sea level, where breathing becomes laboured with minimal exertion. What makes the scene truly remarkable are steam plumes punctuating the barren landscape and bubbling hot springs foaming white in high-altitude sunshine. Welcome to the El Tatio geothermal field, home to the world’s highest geysers.
El Tatio has recently become a touchstone in astrobiology – the study of the origin and possible distribution of life in the Universe. Opaline silica rock structures found on Mars by the NASA rover Spirit have been identified as uncannily similar to El Tatio formations, which are known to have had a biological origin in nutrient-rich water flows, rather than arising simply due to chemistry. It’s not only in their appearance that the rock structures are similar, report the Arizona State University researchers behind the discovery. The rainbow spectrum of their reflected light is almost identical – a signature of much greater significance. The researchers stop short of claiming to have found ancient microbial life on Mars, but are quietly gleeful about the discovery’s significance.
THE RISE AND RISE OF ASTROBIOLOGY Not so long ago, research of this kind would have been deemed highly speculative and more akin to science fiction. But astrobiology’s persuasive force is such that conclusive proof of extraterrestrial life now seems very close. The world awaits the news, with more than a modest elevation of its collective heart-rate.
Esta historia es de la edición March -April 2018 de Australian Geographic Magazine.
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Esta historia es de la edición March -April 2018 de Australian Geographic Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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