Atwood’s Big Debate for Key Stage Two #5

Results from the previous Big Debate #4- Should we sweep leaves on our streets?

At the time of writing 50% of respondents (people who contributed to the poll) said that we ‘Should we sweep leaves on our streets’. Where is that broom?

Big Debate #5: Is searching for aliens worth it?

Some people say the hunt for aliens is a huge waste of time and money but do you agree?

You can either have your say via the Google Form that has been placed on your Google Classroom page, or by accessing the Google Form using this link: Is searching for aliens worth it?

What you need to know

In October, NASA, the US space agency, announced a special team to study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)
UAP are strange events in the sky, such as speeding lights or flying objects, that cannot be explained as aircraft or natural things, like meteorites. UAP are also called UFOs which some people believe could be a sign of extraterrestial life (aliens).
NASA will look at how to collect data on UFOs and better understand them.
Some people say studying UAPs and searching for extraterrestrial life is a waste of money and time.

Read below to help you make your decision

YES

‘Do aliens exist?’ is one of the great mysteries and needs solving. So sightings of UFOs should be investigated so that they can be explained.
Searching for aliens means new technologies will be invented that can have practical uses on Earth.
If humans find extraterrestrials, knowledge can be shared between aliens and humans and it could create intergalatic friendships.

NO

There are lots of problems on Earth that need solving. The money and time it takes to track down aliens (if there are any) could be much better spent on things such as environmental issues.
People have tried for many years to find evidence of aliens and not found anything, so maybe they don’t exist.
If aliens do exist they will find us, so there’s no point wasting lots of money searching for them.