Half of all humans believe intelligent extra-terrestrial life exists in the universe, claims global survey
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Nearly half of humans believe that intelligent extra-terrestrial life exists elsewhere in the universe, according to a study that asked 26,000 people across 24 countries.
When they were asked if they believed in the "existence of intelligent alien civilisations in the universe," 47% of the survey respondents said yes.
However, when those taking the survey were asked if they believed in "some form of life on other planets," 61% said yes.
Among those who reckon we aren't alone, 60% said we should try and communicate with aliens - something that is actually being attempted at the non profit Search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) Institute.
(Image: Photonica)
Martijn Lampert, research director at Glocalities , which carried out the survey, commented: "People who believe in the existence of intelligent alien civilizations are not a marginal minority, but constitute a large (47%) and distinct segment of unconventional and anti-authoritarian thinkers with a passion for science, technology, culture, politics and the arts."
Only a quarter of respondents said they didn't believe that alien life exists beyond Earth's borders.
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"The recent discovery of exoplanets is likely to fuel the interest of people in learning about the mysteries of the universe and possible life forms on other planets," Lampert said.
"If and when the discovery of life on other planets is confirmed by the scientific community in the coming years, it is likely that this group will become more and more engaged in the debate about the future of humanity and the place of planet Earth in the universe."
(Image: iStockphoto)
Interestingly, NASA believes there may be bacterial life in our own solar system - hidden in subsurface oceans on Saturn's moon Enceladus .
"This is the closest we've come, so far, to identifying a place with some of the ingredients needed for a habitable environment," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters in Washington.
"These results demonstrate the interconnected nature of NASA's science missions that are getting us closer to answering whether we are indeed alone or not."