The BBC Two science programme this time looks at the possibility of alien life, and whether beings from other worlds are detectable from our own.
Given the billions of stars and planets in our galaxy, it seems odds on that there has to be intelligent life somewhere, but we have yet to find it. This is known as the “Fermi paradox”, named after Italian physicist Enrcio Fermi, who when at a meeting of fellow scientists talking about extraterrestrial life somewhat disturbed the mood by suddenly exclaiming: “Where is everyone?”
Here we look at the most recent claims, from “Tabby’s Star”, an object that some believe might be surrounded by an energy collecting device called a “Dyson Sphere”, to the problems on Earth in finding alien life, like interference from satellites, or even microwave ovens.
Horizon: Strange Signals from Outer Space! is on BBC Two at 21.00. It is repeated in cinematic widescreen on Thursday at 23.15.
