Extraterrestrials and Halloween

Extraterrestrials and Halloween go hand-in-hand, maybe thanks to Orson Welles and the “War of the World” broadcast on Oct. 30, 1938. The dramatic reading of H.G. Wells’ book created panic in parts of America. The scary appeal of alien invaders hasn’t worn off. As space exploration enters a new frontier – planned missions to Mars, the discovery of exoplanets, unmanned space probes moving deeper into space – the odds of finding alien life on other planets increase. Even NASA says it will find life in space within 20 years. But the life we’re most likely to find in the near future won’t look like us, and they won’t be little green men or space invaders. The life will look more like something growing in your shower. “Microbial slime,” said Kelly Smith, associate professor of philosophy and biological sciences in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities at Clemson University. Slime doesn’t make a very scary Halloween costume. However, when we – Earthlings – start exploring other planets and finding life, what are our responsibilities? How will we protect and preserve that life? How will we control the microbes we carry with us? Kelly Smith explores the wonders of ethics and philosophy on the final frontier.