Sir, – Going back to my childhood I have had an enthusiastic amateur interest in space exploration. So your headline "Scientists detect potential signs of life on 'inhospitable' Venus" (World, September 15th) attracted my interest.
Of course, the planet with which we are all most familiar that has the most extensive signs of life in our known galaxy is planet Earth. If greater and more co-ordinated global action is not rapidly taken by governments, including our own, global warming, climate change and mass extinctions will fundamentally change our planet as we know it.
If there is, as is likely, intelligent alien life somewhere in the universe beyond our galaxy, let’s hope that in some far distant future the fate of our planet does not result in such alien life being excited by the detection of “Potential signs of life on ‘inhospitable’ Planet Earth”. – Yours, etc,
ALAN SHATTER,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Scientists wonder if there are signs of life on Venus.
David Bowie wondered if there was life on Mars.
Meanwhile, David Attenborough wonders if we will have life on Earth for much longer.
Rank in order of priority. – Yours, etc,
BILLY HANNIGAN,
Limekiln,
Dublin 12.