Is the bar higher for scientific claims of alien life?

By Oliver Swainston, Research Assistant, RAND Europe
Chris Carter, Analyst, Science and Emerging Technology Team, RAND Europe

The search for extraterrestrial life has long gone back and forth between scientific curiosity, public fascination and outright scepticism. Recently, scientists claimed the “strongest evidence” of life on a distant exoplanet – a world outside our solar system.

Grandiose headlines often promise proof that we are not alone, but scientists remain cautious. Is this caution unique to the field of astrobiology? In truth, major scientific breakthroughs are rarely accepted quickly.

Newton’s…

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