With the discovery of thousands of planets orbiting other stars, the question of life elsewhere in the universe is a topic of popular debate. A great deal of attention has been given to the exact astronomical and geological conditions necessary for Earth type life to arise on another planet. The planet must be in what is called the "habitable" zone around its parent star. This is the zone where water is liquid. Too far out and water freezes. Too close in and water turns to steam. The planet has to be solid like the Earth and have an atmosphere. It can't be too much bigger or smaller than the Earth. It will need magnetic fields to shield it from radiation and the star it orbits needs to be old enough for life to evolve (billions of years) and stable enough not to send out massive solar flares that could destroy life. Some say that it would need a large moon as well. In any case, it is estimated that there are millions if not billions of planets in our galaxy alone the could host complex life.
The discovery of life on another planet around another star will be difficult but there are some possible clues like the composition of atmospheres. It would be a huge scientific achievement to find evidence of extraterrestrial life. But aside from the gain in scientific knowledge, there are other questions to be explored. What will be the impact of such discoveries on politics, economics, and society in general? One very interesting question is what impact the discovery of complex life on another planet around another star would have on religions. Religion is a very important and powerful institution which affects the lives of many people.
NASA has awarded a grant of over a million dollars to the Center for Theological Inquiry to explore the societal implications of the discovery of complex extraterrestrial life including its impact on religion. CTI is an "independent academic institution for interdisciplinary research on global concerns with an international visiting scholar program in Princeton, NJ."
The CTI will assemble a team of scholars with credentials in theology, the humanities and the social sciences. These scholars will "conduct an interdisciplinary inquiry on the societal implications of astrobiology, the study of the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe." The inquiry started in 2015 and will run to 2017.
The John Templeton Foundation is also a supporter of the CTI research project. The TF is "is a philanthropic organization that funds inter-disciplinary research about human purpose and ultimate reality." The Foundation often gives grants to researchers seeking to create a bridge between science and religion.
Critics of the CTI research project say that it is a waste of taxpayer's money to fund research into how the discovery of extraterrestrial could affect religion on Earth. However, such discoveries could have a profound impact on Earthly religions which shape the lives of billions of people. Whatever your attitude toward religion, it is important to explore what impact religious debates could have on politics and society on Earth in the future.
