- Posted 10.21.11
- NOVA
What are the chances that there are many other planets
in the universe as hospitable to intelligent life as ours? Peter Ward, a
paleontologist at the University of Washington and coauthor (with Don Brownlee)
of Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe, argues
that while simple life-forms like extremophiles can exist in harsh conditions,
complex life requires much more benign and stable conditions. As a result, Ward
believes that we are effectively alone in the universe.
Peter Ward is a paleontologist and professor of
Biology and of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. He is
the author of many popular works, including more than a dozen books. Ward is
currently researching the nature of the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. EnlargePhoto credit: Courtesy Peter Ward/NASA
Interview of Peter Ward conducted in September 2011 and edited by Lauren Aguirre, Director of New Media for NOVA
ALONE OR JUST LONELY?
NOVA: What first got you
thinking about the possible existence of alien intelligence?
Peter Ward: Well, who isn't, actually? I mean, what
person really isn't thinking at least about ourselves and our aloneness or not?
We are so immersed in aliens, you can't get away from it. I would say that the
top four of the 10 greatest box office hits of all time were dealing with alien
life in some way or another. And somewhere along the line you have to start
asking yourself, well, what are the chances?
