where is scientific research into possible extraterrestrial life?

“We are probably the generation that is closest to getting an answer“ on the existence of potential other life in the universe. This is what Nathalie Cabrol, astrobiologist at the Institute for Extraterrestrial Research (Seti), says. “We have a lot of assets at the moment to have an answer (…) There are a lot of indicators which indicate that we are moving in the right direction“. The specialist recalls that numerous means have been deployed to explore the universe: “We have planetary missions in the solar system, huge telescopes on Earth or in space, the search for Seti who also listens, looks and then the other side of Seti, the active part, which is also that of sending messagess”.

“Learn our place in the universe”

If today “we don’t know much“ of extraterrestrial life, for Nathalie Cabrol, “looking for other co-evolutions allows us to learn much more about who we are, what our place is in the universe but also on this planet“. She also recalls that “the more microbial life we ​​find, the more chance we have of finding evolved life different from ours. The more small things we have, the more chance we have, statistically, of having a large, complex thing“.