Carl Sagan wondered similar questions. Perhaps more than anyone, Sagan wanted to find other intelligence in the universe, but he was grounded by the lack of proof [source: Poundstone]. He famously coined the phrase, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof," and at times dismissed his own sci fi fantasies of aliens lurking around the cosmic corner. In a sense, Sagan's obsession with finding other life made him more relatable to the public. At the time, it was rare to see scientists comment on such things.
His 1985 novel "Contact," which was later made into a motion picture, portrayed one scientist's transmitting signals into space with the hope of intercepting other life. ECG cable The novel certainly drew inspiration from Sagan's search for ET at the SETI Institute and from colleague Jill Tarter in particular. Sagan also strove to understand the chemical recipe necessary for basic life outside of Earth to take root, a discipline known as exobiology. He promoted using biology, chemistry and physics to probe life's origins.
Sagan's wife, Ann Druyan, recalls creating her own sounds for the project by recording and translating her body's brainwaves and vital signs into music. During the recording, she meditated and told the story of the universe (as humans knew it) with her thoughts. Her mind wandered to her love for Sagan, too. With the spacecraft now venturing deeper into the unknown of interstellar space each moment, Druyan still views her recordings as a romantic, cosmic tribute to the relationship she and Sagan shared [source: Druyan].
