Are we alone in the universe? Live Science follows the researchers trying to answer that question and reports on what we've learned about aliens. From how scientists search for extraterrestrial life and whether the U.S. government is hiding evidence of "non-human intelligence" to the strange, scientific excuses for why humans haven't found aliens yet and the disturbing reason why aliens may never have visited Earth, our expert writers and editors tackle it all with the latest news, features and articles about extraterrestrial life.
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—Aliens: Facts about extraterrestrial life and how scientists are looking for it
Latest about Extraterrestrial Life
Advanced alien civilizations could be communicating 'like fireflies' in plain sight, researchers suggest
A new paper posits that advanced alien civilizations may communicate through subtle flashes, like fireflies do on Earth. The thought experiment suggests that we need to avoid human biases in our search for extraterrestrial life.
Scientists are debating a 70-year-old UFO mystery as new images come to light
Two new peer-reviewed papers claim thousands of unexplained light flashes in vintage Palomar telescope images show statistical ties to nuclear tests and UFO reports. Not everyone agrees with the paper's conclusion.
Is it aliens? Here's why that's the least important question about 3I/ATLAS.
Conspiracy theories have raged about 3I/ATLAS being an unnatural object. But the alien question, while fun, generates misinformation and distracts from the science.
Chinese scientists hunt for alien radio signals in 'potentially habitable' TRAPPIST-1 system
Researchers in China have conducted the most thorough search yet for alien radio signals in the nearby TRAPPIST-1 system, which may harbor potentially Earth-like planets.
Where could alien life exist in our solar system?
The solar system has eight planets and hundreds of moons. Could extraterrestrials live on any of them?
Camera trap in Chile detects strange lights blazing through the wilderness. Researchers are scrambling to explain them.
Will the James Webb telescope finally lead us to alien life?
Three years into its mission, the James Webb Space Telescope has advanced the search for alien life more than any machine before it. What will it find next?
Cosmic rays could help support alien life on worlds outside the 'Goldilocks zone'
A new study suggests that cosmic radiation could potentially provide the energy to kick-start extraterrestrial life deep beneath the surface of icy worlds like Mars, Europa and Enceladus.
Controversial paper questions whether interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS is 'possibly hostile' alien tech in disguise
A controversial new paper questions whether the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is a potentially dangerous alien probe, similar to claims made about 'Oumuamua. But experts have called it "nonsense".
