The question of whether life could exist beyond Earth has captivated humans since ancient times, and has been the subject of countless science fiction comics, books and movies over the last century.
But could aliens really exist? Former NASA chief historian Dr. Steven Dick thinks so.
"If you think the laws of nature are universal, natural selection happened here on Earth and life would originate on other planets under the appropriate conditions," Dick told KCUR's Up To Date.
Dick visited Kansas City on Thursday, Nov. 7 to speak at the Linda Hall Library as part of its new exhibition "Life Beyond Earth?", which explores the scientific search for extraterrestrial life throughout history. He has written several books on astrobiology, which is the study of the origin and evolution of life in the universe.
While there is still no proof of life beyond Earth, Dick believes humans are closer than ever to making contact, though when it happens exactly, he's not so sure.
"I think it's not predictable, that could come tomorrow, could come in 100 years," he says. "But I think my belief is that it's likely there's life out there, and you could get a signal anytime, and it's best to prepare ahead of time."
- Dr. Steven Dick, former NASA chief historian and author
- Dr. Eric Dorfman, Linda Hall Library president
Life Beyond Earth?, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday of each month, through June 2025, 5109 Cherry St, Kansas City, Missouri 64110. Free.
Note: The Linda Hall Library is a financial supporter of KCUR. Our journalism is editorially independent of funders.
