Recently, alleged alien skeletal remains found in Peru in 2017 were presented and on display at the Mexican Congress, but are they scientifically unlikely? Whether or not we as humans are the only cognitive lifeform in this universe is a topic that has always fascinated people on Earth. This recent display is under scrutiny. However, it has revitalized scientific interest in whether aliens are real and what they would look like.
A main question that the Peruvian aliens brought to light is whether lifeforms somewhere else in space are a possibility at all. Since there are so many galaxies, and space is constantly expanding, it is hard to believe that Earth is the only planet with any lifeforms. Ms. Oakes, one of the Earth Science teachers here at HVHS says, “There is a lot of space out there so there could be other things out there because aliens would be anything not from Earth.”
Earth is unique in the fact that it can sustain life as we know it. Oakes continued any planets that are in the habitable zone of their star could possibly sustain cognitive and advanced lifeforms. If these lifeforms did exist, it is unlikely that they would come to Earth. These planets are not currently within a traveling distance to Earth, so these lifeforms, even if cognitive, could most likely not come to us.
Another question begged by the “alien discovery” presented to the Mexican Congress is how these theoretical aliens would look. Humans like to imagine aliens as presented in movies such as ET and Guardians of the Galaxy which are not based in fact and often look similar to humans. The presented aliens match these human descriptions. Mrs. Blakenship (biology teacher at HVHS) thinks that aliens would not look like humans based on the elements that are abundant in the universe. This is because, as Blankenship says, “We’re carbon-based organisms here on earth, so all living things are made of carbon. However, carbon is not as abundant in the universe as it is here.”
For now, we as humans will still have many unanswered questions about what else is out there in space.
