The Search For Exterrestrial Life

Within the past two decades, we’ve discovered thousands of exoplanets (i.e., planets orbiting stars other than the Sun). On November 4, 2013, astronomers reported, based on Kepler space mission data, that there could be as many as 40 billion Earth-sized planets orbiting in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars and red dwarf stars within the Milky Way galaxy (and the Milky Way galaxy is one of billions, if not trillions of galaxies). In August of this year, a roughly Earth-sized planet that might be habitable was observed, by an earth based telescope, orbiting our nearest neighboring star. All of this suggests at least the possibility of extraterrestrial life. If such life exists, how do we confirm it? What difference will it make if it is confirmed? What difference will it make if it is “intelligent” life?