Perhaps one of the greatest cornerstones of the science fiction world is that of life on other planets. The idea that we are not alone in the universe and that other intelligence exists outside our world has gripped the imagination of countless readers. You’d think that with all the technology we have, satellites orbiting the planet, eyes watching the sky, and other methods of searching the skies, we’d have proof positive of Alien life, but sadly, nothing yet. We are still at a loss as to if we are alone in the universe. Many scientists and philosophers have tried to answer the question, but we are no closer to an answer than we were before. Today, in looking at events that have influenced my science fiction writing, I’m going to take an overview of the timeless question; are we alone in the universe?

To start this discussion, I’m going to look at one of the biggest skeptical challenges that surround Aliens and UFO’s; why aren’t they here? If the universe is teeming with life, why haven’t we seen Aliens and had a spaceship land on the White House lawn? The skeptic will always point to this first, no matter what part of the discussion you enter. If there really were Aliens out there, if intelligence evolved outside our planet, why haven’t we seen evidence of them?

The first answer to give the skeptic is the ant in the Amazon argument. The theory goes, an ant in the Amazon jungle can live its entire life and never once see a human. That ant, hidden away in the dense jungle, has a full life, does what ants in the jungle do, but yet, never one time sees a person or anything resembling humans or human technology. To the ant, the jungle is a massive place that encompasses his world. Space could be like that for us. Earth could be situated far away from any Alien activity. Intergalactic shipping routes might avoid this area. If space is endless, there is a lot of space to search and we might simply be in a poor area for seeing other intelligence.

There are many other answers you could give, but to a believer in Aliens, and that they’ve interacted with humans on some level, is simple the Prime Directive which was popularized on Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek shows. The Prime Directive, in a nutshell, says that there is to be no interference or contact with a planet until they develop the technologies to make contact first. No interference in developing civilizations.

If they are much more advanced, allowing us to develop on our own without interference would be a good thing. Meddling with a developing civilization can have horrible consequences, as we’ve even seen here on Earth. But if that’s the case and there is a Prime Directive among the Galactic Alliance, why do we have Alien sightings here on Earth? Just like how not everyone follows the law here on Earth, there’s certain to be some Aliens out there willing to break the law too.

Research by Chapman University shows that belief that Aliens have visited our planet at some point in the ancient past stands at around 41.4% for Americans. That’s a very high number for something considered to be a fringe science and for a topic that most mainstream scientists won’t even touch. With groups like the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) and the National UFO Reporting Center set up to collect and analyze the data on UFO sightings, we now have a much better record of what’s going on in the skies above our country.

For those looking to experience a UFO, the states with the most sightings are Washington, Montana, Vermont, Alaska, and Maine. The states with the fewest sightings are Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. There are more UFO sighting in the warmer summer months than in the colder months, but that could be a function of the fact that more people are out and looking at the sky in the warmer months.

If you choose to go out looking for UFO’s, the best methods are to go to UFO hotspots with binoculars and a high-quality camera. Amateur UFO hunters populate the internet on message boards and blogs talking about their experiences and what they’ve seen. Organizations like MUFON and the National UFO Reporting Center detail sightings and experiences. If you’re looking to have an alien experience, there are ways to get out there and explore the unknown.

Volumes of writing have been filled about the possibility of Alien life outside our planet and I’m willing to bet in the years to come volumes more will be written about it. Until a UFO lands on live television, the majority of the world will keep debating. Much philosophy has been spent on the question and my favorite quote about life on other worlds is simply this: ‘science says the universe is endless. If it’s endless and we’re the only intelligence here, it seems like an awful waste of space.’

Keep following along in my upcoming blogs where I take a look at Alien encounters and some of the most cutting-edge research on the subject, mixed in with blogs about other unexplained phenomena that has influenced my science fiction writing. To see more of my blogs, or to buy some of my science fiction books today, head over to my website, www.leifericksonwriting.com today and see where your imagination can take you. Thank you.

Cooke, Kristin. States with Most UFO sightings. Satelliteinternet, 25 June 2019 https://www.satelliteinternet.com/resources/states-with-the-most-ufo-sightings/

 Schuessler, John. “A Brief History of MUFON”. MUFON. mufon.com.

Leif J. Erickson is a science fiction and fantasy author from a small farming community in west central Minnesota. Using his time wisely when he was a farmer, Leif developed many ideas, characters, and storylines to create over fifty unique first drafts and outlines for stories. From his start in a small town school, to college at North Dakota State University, back to his family farm, then to the bright lights of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and back to his small farming town, Leif has always had a love of writing.

When Leif isn’t writing he can be found with his wife hiking in state parks, canoeing local lakes and rivers, exploring local and regional ghost towns, experiencing museums, or simply reading or hanging out with friends and family. Leif draws on the local nature and ecology to find inspiration for his writing while he also asks what’s possible for technology and the human race, weaving them together for amazing stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. Leif looks forward to having many novel and story releases in the years to come.

You can see all of Leif’s Books here: Leif’s Amazon Author Page