In a thought-provoking podcast interview with Ranveer Allahabadia, ISRO Chairman S. Somanath shared his views on the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations. He stated that alien life likely exists in various stages of advancement across the universe, including civilizations both behind and far ahead of humanity. “Aliens are definitely there and present around us,” he said, adding a respected scientific voice to the ongoing debate over extraterrestrial life.
May this one clip never get lost in the vast library of the global podcast scene. 👽👽👽 pic.twitter.com/xWUNZQRjPG
— Ranveer Allahbadia (@BeerBicepsGuy) October 28, 2024
Diversity in Developmental Stages Among Civilizations
Drawing a comparison to humanity’s own technological progression over the last century, Somanath speculated that civilizations across the universe could differ significantly in their developmental timelines. “Imagine there is a civilization out there just 200 years behind you, and another civilization 1,000 years ahead of you,” he explained, emphasizing the possibility of diverse evolutionary stages among alien societies. This, he suggested, points to the potential existence of civilizations that could be vastly more advanced.
Somanath extended his theory by proposing that some alien civilizations could be so advanced that they are capable of observing or even interacting within the universe without humanity’s awareness. He suggested that alien systems a millennium ahead of human progress “will always have been here,” raising questions about humanity’s ability to detect or comprehend such highly evolved entities.
A Cautious Approach to Contact with Alien Life
Acknowledging potential dangers, the ISRO chief expressed a preference to avoid direct contact with extraterrestrial beings. He cautioned that alien life forms might have fundamentally different biological structures, such as proteins and genomes, posing unpredictable risks if the two life forms were to encounter one another. “I would be happy to never be in contact with aliens,” he said, reflecting on the potential dominance or harm that could arise from such interactions.
The ISRO chairman’s statements provide a unique and cautionary perspective on the concept of alien life, suggesting that humanity may still be in the early stages of understanding the vast complexities of life beyond Earth.
