SETI is an organization focused on detecting intelligent life outside of Earth through radio signals. While intelligent life may exist, it may not be at a stage to respond to our signals. For humans to inhabit other planets, they must contain water and atmospheres like Earth to support life. The planet would also need to orbit its star at a distance where water can exist in liquid form. Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, may have an ocean under its icy surface. While aliens could exist with different life requirements than water, current technology cannot transport humans to the nearest candidate planet within a meaningful timeframe.

1. Alex H
Life On Other Planets
Are we the only living life forms out there? Is there such things as aliens? Is it possible
for humans to live on another planet, if so which planet? These are all good questions, let’s find
some answers! To start with are we the only living life forms out there? The answer is probably
not, as for humans living on other planets, it may be possible. All of the planets in our solar
system except for Earth are uninhabitable although we may be able to set up a “station” on the
moon. A station would simply be a building that has artificial air being pumped through it. Is it
possible for humans to live on planets outside of the solar system? Let’s find out!
Let’s start with searching for life forms in the galaxy. An organization called SETI is
determined to find out if there are intelligent life forms out there. The key word is intelligent,
SETI focuses on scanning the skies for radio or other signals that could indicate that we are not
alone out there. A spin off of SETI known as METI is all about sending messages out into space
in hopes that they may get a response. The only problem is that there may be life out in the
universe but it may not be intelligent. SETI and METI are all about finding intelligent life forms
but what if there is life out there and it just isn’t evolved enough to respond or interpret our
messages sent out by METI or to send messages picked up by SETI. There may be life out there
it just may not be as intelligent or as evolved as we are.
Onto the next question, is it possible for humans to live on other planets? To find out
the answer to that we have to take a look at our own solar system, in particular Earth. In order
for humans to survive we need one essential ingredient, H20 or water. If a planet has water we
can survive. In order for Earth to have water we need to be a certain distance from the sun or in
another solar system, a central star the planets revolve around. The Earth can’t be too far away
from the sun or all of the water would boil away, which is what happened to Venus, nor can the
Earth be too far away from the sun or all of the water would freeze which is believed to be
what happened to one of Jupiter’s moons Europa. Europa is believed to have a vast ocean
covered with a thick layer of ice. Earth or any other inhabitable planet would have to have an
atmosphere to protect the planet. Every time you see a shooting star a meteor is being burnt
up in the Earth’s atmosphere, without it Earth would look like the Moon which has a very thin
atmosphere. If a planet has all of these characteristics it may be inhabitable by humans, if we

2. Alex H
could only find a way to travel crazy distances in a short period of time. The nearest planet that
may have life is over 20 light years away!
Is there such things as aliens? Well to answer that question we have to look at what an
alien is. All that an alien is an intelligent life form that lives on another planet. Are there aliens
out there? Think about it. Humans are completely dependent on H20 or water but there is
nothing saying that aliens are. Aliens could live off of ammonia and would die if exposed to
water. There are endless substances that aliens could live off of, even materials not known to
man. Space is so vast and if there wasn’t any other life forms it would be an awful waste of
space!
In conclusion, it is very likely that there are aliens or intelligent life forms out there,
although it is more unlikely that humans will be able to thrive on another planet at this point in
time. As soon as we can figure out a way to travel light-years in a very short period of time,
going to another planet would be pointless. The closest planet that even has a chance of having
life on it is 20 light years away. It takes 20 years for light to get from there to here so if we were
going the speed of light it would take us 20 years to get there! Is there intelligent life out there?
We’ll have to wait and find out!