Are We Alone in the Universe?

I will be writing about how we are all unique based on our fingerprints. I was inspired to write about this because ever since I was quite small, I always wondered, “How are we all different if our fingerprints all look the same?” I put some research into it to solve the question I was thinking about and here’s what I found.

What is a fingerprint?

Fingerprints are impressions left on surfaces by the friction ridges on the finger of a person. Our fingerprint’s lines are made up of friction ridges (friction is the action of rubbing against a surface or object) ridges. Friction ridges are a raised portion of the epidermis, caused by the underlying interface between the dermal papillae of the dermis and interpapillary parts of the epidermis. Here is a diagram to explain how this works:

The history of the fingerprint

Nobody really noticed the fingerprints and scientists assumed it was just a form of birth mark. In 1788, a German anatomist-the study of natural organisms and living things-called Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer was the first to find out every human had an original fingerprint. Not much, unfortunately, is known about how he discovered this, but we do know he did carry out surveys, and other scientists plagiarised from him that many people have solid lines in their fingerprints that others may have, but other tiny lines that aren’t on others’ fingers.

How did we each develop unique fingerprints?

After a foetus is 17 weeks old, a baby’s surface layers of their skin begin to fold and, due to friction “ridges”, their fingerprint is set. Many people query that identical twins mean identical fingerprints, but that is not the case. So, although their shared DNA means their fingerprints look similar, they really aren’t, because a baby who’s in the womb with another baby will experience different sensations, i.e. one baby might experience more pain since they’re located on a different side to the other, changing the friction and the fingerprint. This same fingerprint will stay with us through life, and if it disappears due to cuts, it will immediately come back exactly the same.

The benefits of unique fingerprints

There are many benefits, but the main use of them is that they can help keep us safe. Since nobody has the same fingerprint(but the possibility of 2 people having the same is 1 in 64 billion according to sciencefocus.com) police officers can identify criminals by examining something they have touched with their fingers. Then the police use a brush to wipe away any dust and reveal a faint fingerprint. They then stick the faint fingerprint onto adhesive sticky sheets keeping it preserved and send it off to a laboratory and work out who the criminal was.

Sources

● BBC Science Focus Magazine. (n.d.). Why do identical twins have different fingerprints? [online] Available at: sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-identical-twins-have-different-fingerprints-2/#:~:text=Even %20identical%20twins%20%E2%80%93%20who%20have [Accessed 10 Feb. 2022]. ● Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Fingerprint. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerprint

For over 50 years, scientists and astronomers have been trying to search the universe for any signs of extraterrestrial life outside Earth. Currently, Earth is the only known planet in the universe to host life forms, but with the help of advancing technology and research, scientists are slowly discovering more answers of whether we really are alone in the universe.

The Habitable Zone

In order for any life to exist, an exoplanet must be inside the habitable zone (or Goldilocks Zone) - the area around a star in which liquid water can be maintained on the surface of a rocky planet. The exoplanet must also have an atmosphere with the correct percentage and ratio of gases in the air for life to be sustained. To estimate whether a planet falls within the habitable zone, astronomers determine the distance between the exoplanet and the star, and the star’s size and energy output. Earth is within the habitable zone in our solar system, Venus being slightly within the inner edge and Mars being near the outer boundary. Exoplanets that orbit stars in other solar systems are sometimes too far away to determine if they have an atmosphere or whether the conditions allow them to support life. According to the Habitable Exoplanets Catalogue in March 2018, 53 exoplanets could have the capability to support and sustain life, and 13 of those exoplanets could have the potential to be habitable. Recently discovered rocky exoplanets Proxima Centauri b and c, and TRAPPIST-1 e, f and g, are all within the habitable zone of their red dwarf star and their size and position in their solar system resemble that of Earth’s.

Fermi Paradox

The Fermi Paradox refers to the contrast between the high probability that intelligent extraterrestrial life exists, and the absence of evidence of such life. It was first described by Sir Arthur C. Clarke (the late British Sci-Fi author), who stated: "Two possibilities exist: Either we are

alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying." Many doubt the fact that there are other life forms in the universe: if there really is intelligent life, why have we not heard from any? In December 2020, an unexplained radio signal was reported from the direction of the star Proxima Centauri: some believe this to be signs from other civilisations - especially as there is a potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting that star - but it most likely that the signal originates from humans or other natural causes...

The Drake Equation

In 1961, Frank Drake created the Drake Equation, to help find out whether there are other intelligent life forms in the galaxy and the amount of them. It calculates the odds of life and communicating civilisations in the Milky Way by multiplying several variables. The challenge for astronomers is to find numbers and values to fill the variables, so the output of the equation is usually only a rough approximation. The more evidence of life in the solar system, the more useful this equation will be to scientists in figuring out how many intelligent life civilizations are actually in the Milky Way. In the 1960’s Drake also conducted a search to scan the skies for artificial radio signals (this was named Project Ozma). With more research into certain exoplanets, their properties and space exploration, scientists may be able to either find other life or discover why we (on Earth) are the only life forms in the whole universe. It is more likely that one day non-intelligent life will be discovered, or new microbial life which could evolve over millions of years.

Sources

● theguardian.com/science/2013/sep/01/20-big-questions-in-science ● space.com/25219-drake-equation.html ● exoplanets.nasa.gov/news/1675/life-in-the-universe-what-are-the-odds/ ● astronomy.com/news/2020/11/the-lonely-universe-is-life-on-earth-just-a-lucky-fluke ● nationalgeographic.com/science/article/alien-hunters-detect-mysterious-radio-signal-from-nearby-star ● livescience.com/fermi-paradox

How did life on Earth begin?

By Maia Roman Year 10

When Earth was formed, it was: not too hot; not too cold; not too wet; and not too dry.

This meant that liquid water could exist on the surface. Early on, Earth was most likely volcanic forming island arcs as well as dips in the ocean. Places such as ponds or lakes in these volcanic areas are believed to be the environments that kindled the first life on Earth.. Many scientists have theorised that RNA was the first molecule on Earth to selfreplicate and begin some form of evolution that led to more and more advanced forms of life, including human beings.