Our First Encounter With Aliens May Happen Soon -- Here's Why

For years, humanity has been wondering if we're not alone in the whole universe. It's been a source of mystery and fascination for alien hunters, with hundreds of UFO sightings popping in different locations. But now, Ben Miller, TV host and a PhD holder in physics, says our first alien counter will happen soon.

In an interview with National Geographic, Miller explains that NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) project could answer mysteries if there is life beyond Earth. NASA notes that the TESS project aims to "discover thousands of exoplanets in orbit around the brightest stars in the sky. In a two-year survey of the solar neighborhood." It will be the first-ever all-sky transit survey that will monitor more than 200,000 stars of various sizes, from those the size of Earth to gas giants.

Miller, who recently published a book titled "The Aliens Are Coming! The Extraordinary Science Behind Our Search for Life in the Universe," told the outlet that humans are currently experiencing a revolutionary moment in scientific history where there's growing belief that human beings are not alone.

Miller explained that in the past, there was little-known information about the universe, but advanced technology has changed all that, enabling humans to explore and observe closely other stars and space objects in the universe.

"Recently, there was an exciting discovery that the very nearest star to us, a red dwarf, has got a planet called Proxima b," Miller said. "Not only that, but the planet is the right distance from that star to have liquid water on its surface. We think liquid water is very important for life. So, right on our doorstep, the conditions might be right for life."

Miller also explained how alien life forms, called extremophiles, found in the depths of the ocean could shed clues on possible aliens in the universe.

"That’s altered our thinking on alien life-forms. We have found bacterial life on the inside of nuclear power stations, in the upper atmosphere, and in rocks deep within the Earth. That means there’s more real estate for life out in the galaxy," he added.

Miller concluded that as exomopheres and advanced technology make human beings closer to alien life discovery, they need to "rethink where [they] fit in the spectrum of life," adding that if compared to alien life that existed in different temperatures, human beings could be considered exopmopheres or aliens too.