008 | Life on Other Planets

To listen to episode 008 of the Earthix Podcast, please click here or search for Earthix on iTunes.

NASA recently discovered seven Earth-like planets that orbit a dwarf-star named Trappist-1. Some of these planets are within a habitable zone, meaning not too far from, and not too close to, their sun, making this the most realistic opportunity for life beyond our planet thus far.

“Are we alone?” is the age old question that’s been whirling around human brains — stumping philosophers, scientists and everybody in between — since the beginning of time. It’s natural for all of humanity to perk up at this possible opportunity to eventually answer that question.

Needless to say, in our latest podcast we’re gettin’ spacey, and launching ourselves into this question, and many more.

We ask why it is that our society puts so much value into the potential for water on other planets, and for life in general outside of our planet, when we cannot seem to value our own resources here on Earth. While we tune into NASA’s mission to find water on the Trappist planets, we have Water Protectors here on Earth being shot down and kicked out of their sacred lands. We have our own American people in Flint, Michigan whose water is poisoned, and has been contaminated with lead since 2014.

What would happen if we did find life similar to our own in the Trappist system? If we had the means to reach it, could we trust ourselves to protect it? As far as life on Earth, anytime humanity interacts with other species, that species tends to be worse off. Could we expect to value and respect other planets’ life forms better than we do our own?

Of course, this podcast is light-hearted, but the questions presented are important to our own humanity. Thank you to everyone who listened and please do let us know what you think!