galaxy but if that's the case then where are they all that was the question posed by physicists enrico fermi in 1950 known as the family paradox it prompted a new push to clarify once and for all whether aliens exist 10 years later the search for extraterrestrial intelligence or seti got underway its search for radio transmissions from space efforts are continuing but so far without success. some warn against seeking to make contact with alien life forms saying they might want to plunder earth's raw materials in view of what we know so far that's unlikely. highly sensitive telescopes have a best discovered only the building blocks of life and space. in the vicinity of young stars organic compounds have been found such as methanol and simple sugars along with mork. plex molecules that are important for the formation of proteins. our galaxy alone is home to up to 300000000000 stars many are similar to our sun and our orbited by planets. among them scientists have even identified earth like planets that could be habitable. in our solar system too there are places that could sustain life like on