Photo of humanoid face from Cydonia (Mars) taken by Vikings 1 & 2.

For centuries, humanity has gazed at the stars, pondering the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe?

Thanks to remarkable advancements in science and technology, we now have compelling reasons to believe that life beyond Earth is not just possible—it may be common.

Oh and by the way, I’ve informally (but diligently) studied this topic for more than 30 years. Yes, that long! So let’s review what we know. Or should I say, what is currently public? Because so much information is still kept secret.

🧬 The Ingredients for Life Are Everywhere

Life as we know it is built on a few essentials: water, organic molecules, and energy. These building blocks are not unique to Earth. In fact, they’ve been found throughout the cosmos:

Water: Saturn’s moon Enceladus and Jupiter’s moon Europa both harbor subsurface oceans beneath their icy crusts, offering environments where life could potentially exist.

Organic Molecules: NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected complex organic molecules in Martian rocks. This suggests that the raw materials for life were present on Mars in its ancient past.

Energy Sources: The discovery of hydrothermal vents on ocean floors here on Earth shows that life can thrive in extreme conditions, using chemical energy in the absence of sunlight.

🔭 Telescopes Are Unveiling Alien Worlds

From Reuters // The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revolutionized our ability to study distant exoplanets. In April 2025, JWST gave us strong evidence of possible life on the exoplanet K2-18b, which is 124 light-years away. The telescope detected chemicals in the planet’s atmosphere—dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide—that on Earth are usually  produced by biological processes

While these findings are groundbreaking, scientists caution that further research is needed to confirm whether these compounds are indeed of biological origin or if they could be produced through non-biological processes.

🔴 Mars: A Formerly Habitable World?

From Earth.com / Closer to home, Mars has long been a focus in the search for extraterrestrial life. NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in 2021, has been exploring Jezero Crater, an ancient lakebed. In September 2025, scientists reported that it had found signs of ancient microbial life in Martian rocks. The discovery of mineral patterns resembling those formed by microbial activity on Earth adds weight to the hypothesis that Mars may have once supported life

🌍 The Fermi Paradox: Where Is Everyone?

Given the vast number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy—each potentially hosting planets in the habitable zone—the question arises: If life is so likely, why haven’t we detected it yet? This is called the Fermi Paradox. There are many erasons why we haven’t found definitive life. Some scientists suggest that intelligent life might be rare or that civilizations may be too far apart in space and time to detect each other. Others propose that advanced civilizations might be deliberately avoiding detection.

🧠 Why the Search Matters

Understanding whether life exists elsewhere in the universe has profound implications. It challenges our perceptions of life’s uniqueness and our place in the cosmos. Discovery of extraterrestrial life would not only answer a fundamental question but also open new avenues in biology, philosophy, and even theology.

The evidence is accumulating, and the universe is revealing its secrets. As we continue to explore, the possibility that we are not alone becomes more than just a dream—it becomes a scientific pursuit.

I know I believe we are not alone. How about you?