WIDE ANGLE: TOP 10 FALSE ALARMS FOR ALIEN LIFEby Dave Mosher and Irene Klotz
 Humans are a persistent bunch when it comes to seeking out alien life. We've poked under the rocks of distant planets and kept radio telescopes tuned in for "the" signal. So far, however, our efforts have left us empty-handed. But that's not to say we haven't come close to confirming extraterrestrial existence -- sort of. As the science matures, the evidence seems to become tougher to dismiss. From the outlandish cities on the moon to mysterious Martian methane plumes, here we cover the top 10 false alarms in the quest for life off Earth. 10. Carnivals on Venus Armed with the best telescopes of their time, 18th- and 19th-century astronomers began to study Venus obsessively. From their view, the cloud-covered planet looked as if it were covered in mountains and thick jungle, among other fanciful conclusions. To explain strange bright spots on the dark limb of the planet (caused by the clouds refracting sunlight) German astronomer Franz von Paula Gruithuisen made an interesting conclusion: Venus had inhabitants who "organize festivals and general illuminations" during religious celebrations or changes in government. Some ridiculed him, but other serious astronomers bought the claims up through the early 1900s. |
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