The idea that in the whole universe life is unique to the Earth is essentially pre-Copernican. Experience has now repeatedly taught us that this type of thinking is very likely wrong.
Why should our own infinitesimal niche in the universe be unique? Just as no one country has been the centre of the Earth, so the Earth is not the centre of the universe."
Life Cloud, Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe, 1978
From the Curator
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,768,642,768,400/0-0-0/994a6a76-c106-45c1-932d-00c8308ddb7c/1/1/1.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=625bb294a1f5d298b0b6bcd9ade1dad10220b25b1bc5aa30a07dd5ca53905308)
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2974,2974,2974,400/0-0-0/f1e43434-13eb-4aa1-82e3-ed201534ad7c/1/1/9460155540_37b031fb5a_o.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=0b4080bb8c61ab2d424dfcfef95346b0249ed2da456d24d04c992d50688926b7)
Nick Russel, an American astronomer who was among the first two people to see the object moving towards the Earth:
Mike Kirsanov called me back minutes after I sent the message. He saw the object too, and he couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice. Neither of us had seen anything unusual in this quadrant of space before, but we needed each other’s reassurance we weren’t seeing little green men. I was about to hang up when he said to me: “Nick, tomorrow, when it reaches Earth, nothing will be the same.”
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2400,3000,2400,400/0-0-0/5a4b89f4-d06a-4e1f-9cfa-61071526f33a/1/1/16503705555_204b22bf69_o.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=7d9fe95c2b3797459961ef55a83a2d5d46c04282d7c01f16b77cd7ee54c4bcc1)
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2974,2974,2974,400/0-0-0/7ffddb38-e7ef-4733-a2f5-c729d3067278/1/1/9458012373_51be4c02d9_o.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=0b4080bb8c61ab2d424dfcfef95346b0249ed2da456d24d04c992d50688926b7)
Magda Potrykus, Earth’s Acting Ambassador at the U.N.'s Office for Outer Space Affairs:
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,1369,939,1369,400/0-0-0/f1dce20d-7039-41fb-93d5-c9b7f799dc68/1/1/16570899091_2d8be812b9_o.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=f755d0ba3d7c08972853a47458645a8aa77f14d6b128664f370c2842307a60c5)
Shu Yeung, CDC Director, Center for Global Health:
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2965,2000,2965,400/0-0-0/dce25b3e-878e-4d10-9afe-b1efc1df7d42/1/1/6.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=2080d9dd6b1cce48bc22bbf1ff47e690a41b79e86c09fbd712b9a676402f5a51)
A body of the Octopus Adastris navigator K’chai Mittiaa recovered at the crash site.
Image courtesy of G’aatan Clan Foundation![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2518,2000,2518,400/0-0-0/01806229-dcf1-4fd4-a6ec-bc175f474b04/1/1/Tim-2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=e30c380eb6ceda495ff2c47b8ca75747a205c2ff50343a4beba57a6f141886d2)
Tim Stephen, HBO News Presenter:
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,3006,2000,3006,400/0-0-0/097bb881-60db-4172-9cfc-60ba4e42dbdf/1/1/7-2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=fd74848d024f36ff99cafee452a6c7e50d320a89af4694ec7e1b83af1ee768a0)
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,3098,2000,3098,400/0-0-0/ffb133ce-2a60-4d3a-b7b6-1784679aa626/1/1/8-2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=caf68d032fcb3d90afbafd5d38fda425eb74d09290cc54e88daa839f60440b8d)
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2950,2000,2950,400/0-0-0/565a7030-2eac-49d3-a9e4-d9a287c6073d/1/1/9-2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=a19c3bf8c7b8ac9ee90e5fec218ecd1f04a1ccab6179a4efa2411c437a646bec)
Kate Lopez, Xenolinguist of Interstellar Language and Colour Studies Center:
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2000,2667,2000,400/0-0-0/d54b24fd-3d74-4d01-ba3d-991379667775/1/1/10.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=8786e39cd07cd0e2845414a99ca280397af95ddcd3ff8373ca6e15c437b81ef6)
Kh’aa G’aatan, Octopus Adastris Pilot:
Image Credits
1. The first Deep Imaging Survey image taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer.
NASA/JPL/Caltech / Public Domain
NASA / Public Domain
NASA / Public Domain
https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/iz/?ark=ark:/65665/37340d05bcedc46818c884eb1d01e31ac
NASA / Public Domain
NASA / Public Domain
The idea that in the whole universe life is unique to the Earth is essentially pre-Copernican. Experience has now repeatedly taught us that this type of thinking is very likely wrong.
Why should our own infinitesimal niche in the universe be unique? Just as no one country has been the centre of the Earth, so the Earth is not the centre of the universe."
Life Cloud, Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe, 1978
From the Curator
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,768,642,768,1200/0-0-0/994a6a76-c106-45c1-932d-00c8308ddb7c/1/1/1.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=204c47fb042871f4927729a9bd8934bab650ee2f2f03ba869d90ba543c0a1068)
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2974,2974,1600,2974/0-0-0/f1e43434-13eb-4aa1-82e3-ed201534ad7c/1/1/9460155540_37b031fb5a_o.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=a60e50574e6f1a5d2dd081715efad46b1170a5ce74737d36e5b02a9cb409b35f)
Nick Russel, an American astronomer who was among the first two people to see the object moving towards the Earth:
Mike Kirsanov called me back minutes after I sent the message. He saw the object too, and he couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice. Neither of us had seen anything unusual in this quadrant of space before, but we needed each other’s reassurance we weren’t seeing little green men. I was about to hang up when he said to me: “Nick, tomorrow, when it reaches Earth, nothing will be the same.”
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2400,3000,1600,3000/0-0-0/5a4b89f4-d06a-4e1f-9cfa-61071526f33a/1/1/16503705555_204b22bf69_o.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=5f8e9d35e1b17c2a87816cdeef4041a7d50e48b8ca8f60bf5d33a024c7db3c7f)
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2974,2974,1600,2974/0-0-0/7ffddb38-e7ef-4733-a2f5-c729d3067278/1/1/9458012373_51be4c02d9_o.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=a60e50574e6f1a5d2dd081715efad46b1170a5ce74737d36e5b02a9cb409b35f)
Magda Potrykus, Earth’s Acting Ambassador at the U.N.'s Office for Outer Space Affairs:
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,1369,939,1369,1200/0-0-0/f1dce20d-7039-41fb-93d5-c9b7f799dc68/1/1/16570899091_2d8be812b9_o.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=ddcbb3931ee8c2cb701c77c53f6ebf542529fce7afc8e90ad85a6015a75d8e0b)
Shu Yeung, CDC Director, Center for Global Health:
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2965,2000,2965,1200/0-0-0/dce25b3e-878e-4d10-9afe-b1efc1df7d42/1/1/6.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=35d9189baa328debab0ba5278ddc269611ea6e6ca4f1042e540717afd4df887a)
A body of the Octopus Adastris navigator K’chai Mittiaa recovered at the crash site.
Image courtesy of G’aatan Clan Foundation![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2518,2000,2518,1200/0-0-0/01806229-dcf1-4fd4-a6ec-bc175f474b04/1/1/Tim-2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=9d1c6276916a88a1fdbf0457a136a882cdf715a0aea0071620b970fa72a8e281)
Tim Stephen, HBO News Presenter:
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,3006,2000,3006,1200/0-0-0/097bb881-60db-4172-9cfc-60ba4e42dbdf/1/1/7-2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=4c24546cec87cb5de9bafd8b626994105a92549d1948492a840aa8cd03b0bc7f)
Evacuation capsule found on Fort Lauderdale Beach by the Contact team
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,3098,2000,3098,1200/0-0-0/ffb133ce-2a60-4d3a-b7b6-1784679aa626/1/1/8-2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=c2fcd7c27179b3e50d89bd59f020f624e6c1fc9e2f0d7b0addbcc29a89bfd74c)
Kh’aaa G’aatan, the Octopus Adastris pilot rescued from Fort Lauderdale beach.
Image courtesy of G’aatan Clan Foundation
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2950,2000,2950,1200/0-0-0/565a7030-2eac-49d3-a9e4-d9a287c6073d/1/1/9-2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=baf636717c45c6beced4a0ca4f01c2bdb1b7443975c7062855815dd8450dca8c)
Kate Lopez, Xenolinguist of Interstellar Language and Colour Studies Center:
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/bf445557-dc13-414a-abea-75e3f0f6903d/0/0/0/0,0,2000,2667,1600,2667/0-0-0/d54b24fd-3d74-4d01-ba3d-991379667775/1/1/10.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040564429~hmac=3ea034195e753b2138021003bccdb9635b0bb47d107a27e98000c10ee3b2edbf)
Kh’aa G’aatan, Octopus Adastris Pilot:
Image Credits
1. The first Deep Imaging Survey image taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer.
NASA/JPL/Caltech / Public Domain
NASA / Public Domain
NASA / Public Domain
https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/iz/?ark=ark:/65665/37340d05bcedc46818c884eb1d01e31ac
NASA / Public Domain
NASA / Public Domain