Is the human race really alone in this vast universe called home? The universe is home to the human species but is there a possibility that humans are one of many other species living in the universe? Well the truth of the matter is if other species (extraterrestrials) exist elsewhere in the universe, the human race would be impacted dramatically, both in a positive and negative way. When handling the topic of extraterrestrial life, religion and science continuously clash. That is why centuries ago the talk and debate over extraterrestrial life was rather limited. During this time religion and God explained life, how life came to be, and why humans were on Earth. No one ever really took a more logical standpoint using science to explain life because the research and belief was not present. But there were a few humans who opened their minds to new ideas and the possibilities of life; these same humans who challenged the word of God. These humans who believed in alien life were diagnosed insane; some sentenced to death for insulting the church. Luckily, times have changed because of research and theory so the idea of extraterrestrial life is widely accepted but still denied by many. This essay will convince the reader to believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life forms based on diversity of life and modern evidence, the diversity of the universe and Earth in relation to extraterrestrial life, modern evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life, and evidence and belief from ancient history.
When talking specifically, extraterrestrial life and intelligent extraterrestrial life are different, but when talking in general both are the same. At its most basic definition extraterrestrial life is any life existing beyond Earth in the form of a microorganism, better known as an extremophile. Extremophiles are microorganisms that can live in the most harsh environments known to man. For example, most bacteria need a suitable environment to live in, usually one with water.