NASA scientists argue that 'procedures to take when extraterrestrial life is discovered' should be put in place
To date, no evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial life has been found, but many scientists believe that 'extraterrestrial life is likely to exist.' A research team led by NASA's senior researcher, James Green, argues that a 'research framework for the existence of extraterrestrial life' should be pre-determined.
Call for a framework for reporting evidence for life beyond Earth | Nature
NASA Says We Need to Talk About What Happens When We Find Life Beyond Earth
https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-says-we-need-to-talk-about-what-happens-when-we-find-life-beyond-earth
Human beings have been researching for generations to find the existence of extraterrestrial life, but suddenly one day it is not clear that 'aliens have been confirmed to exist!'. The existence of extraterrestrial life is only gradually revealed as a result of scientific research and analysis of the traces found, Green and colleagues say.
In his dissertation, the research team said, 'How to convey information on this subject, which is likely to be diverse, complex, and sensational as the purpose of life discovery becomes more and more important in space science. , Community dialogue is essential, 'he said, arguing that research on extraterrestrial life should be done with caution.
There are many claims in history that 'the existence of extraterrestrial life has been confirmed', but later errors and ambiguities became apparent. The research team points out that the scientific process is not to rely on the traces found, but to first verify that the traces are correct.
Also, the news that 'an extraterrestrial life has finally been found' is quite shocking to humankind and can cause great turmoil in society. Obtaining and immediately reporting traces of the existence of extraterrestrial life precedes the verification of the scientific correctness of the traces, and if the results reveal that the traces are incorrect, the general public. This also reduces the credibility of scientific research.
Therefore, the research team is proposing a scale called 'CoLD (Confidence of Life Detection)' that evaluates the detection of extraterrestrial life forms. CoLD is a scale for verifying the possibility of detecting extraterrestrial life against objective and strict standards. Placing what is believed to be a trace of the existence of extraterrestrial life in a standardized context can be expected to help the research community and the wider community pursuing its research to verify and interpret. It will also make the process of announcing the critical news of 'discovering extraterrestrial life' to the general public more cautious.
The research team said, 'Set reasonable expectations in the early stages of the very difficult endeavor of detecting extraterrestrial life, value gradual steps along the way, and mistakes and deadlocks are the scientific process. Clarifying that you are productive in your life helps build the trust of the general public. Whatever the outcome of the dialogue, it is important that it is done. By doing so, we will be able to more effectively communicate the results of our work and the surprises that come with it. '
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