WASHINGTON
(July 12, 2001 04:36 p.m. EDT ) - Seven years after members of Congress
rejected research into extraterrestrial life as a search for "little
green men," lawmakers encouraged scientists Thursday in their efforts to
uncover life beyond the Earth.
"The discovery of life in the universe would be one of the most
astounding discoveries in human history," Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas,
said Thursday at a hearing of the House space science subcommittee.
"Funding should match public interest and I don't believe it does."
Smith said that since funds for the search for extra terrestrial
intelligence (SETI) were booted out of the federal budget in 1994, "the
SETI credibility has been enhanced."
Four scientists appearing as witnesses said that in the last five years
the concept that life exists beyond the Earth has been boosted by
dramatic discoveries both on Earth and in space.
Among the advances cited:
- At least 50 planets have been found in orbit of distant, sun-like
stars in the last five years and researchers now believe that solar
systems may be common through out the universe. Finding planets was
considered an essential step toward finding life.
"All of these planets are Jupiter-size or larger," said Ed Weiler,
NASA's associate administrator for space science. "No Earth-like planets
have been found, but we don't yet have the technology" to detect planets
the size of Earth in orbit of distant stars.
However, Weiler said that a space observatory now being built will be
able to search for the chemical signatures of life in the atmospheres of
planets up to 50 light years away.
-
Liquid water is considered an essential chemical for the development
of life and it has been found now on moons of Jupiter and in orbit of at
least one distant star. Also, there is strong proof that water was once
common on Mars and there are plans to search beneath the Martian surface
for evidence of water, the most likely place for life on the Red Planet. -
Detailed studies of galaxies suggest that the formation of planets and
solar systems may be common. The Hubble space telescope has captured
many images of stars surrounded by the dust and gas clouds thought to be
precursors for planets. -
Researchers have found bacteria that live in the coldest of salt
water, in the deep pressure and heat of volcanic vents at the bottom of
the ocean, and in the most acidic environments. Since life is possible
in such hostile environments on Earth, then it may also have developed
in extreme conditions that may exist on other planets.
In 1994, some members of Congress ridiculed the SETI Institute and its
efforts to detect radio signals from alien civilizations, calling the
effort "a search for little green men."
The SETI concept fell so far out of favor that the National Science
Foundation put a notation on its Web site that proposals for SETI
research were not welcome.
Christopher F. Chyba, a leader of the SETI Institute in California, said
that since losing its congressional funding, the program has been
supported by private donations, has about 120 employees, and is
regularly searching for signals on two million radio channels using a
major radio telescope in Puerto Rico.
Chyba said SETI, in partnership with the University of California,
Berkeley, is now building a $30 million radio telescope array that will
be able to listen to signals from the nearest one million stars in many
channels.
And, said Chyba, the NSF has now removed its restriction on funding of
SETI research. Proposals for SETI research now compete for funding "on a
level playing field" with other research proposals, he said.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said it was impressive that SETI continued
to thrive even though federal funds were cut off, and she said the
federal government should not be biased toward the research.
"We need to let the federal agencies know that bias against SETI
research is not favored," said Lofgren. "No member of this committee
wants bias against any good science."