The Fermi Paradox is the apparent contradiction between high estimates of the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of evidence of contact with such civilizations.
2007-04-18 07:37:17 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I think we still lack enough information to properly compute Drake's Equation, and thus the Fermi Paradox is a bit premature.
2007-04-18 07:40:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
1) How do they know where and how to find us? 2) Do any of the nearby civilizations (say, within 1,000 light years) have interstellar travel? 3) Or even astronomy? 4) Our planet hasn't reached some sort of threshold for contact? 5) Maybe they don't care. 6) Possibly they are a century or two behind us. 7) We're more advanced then they are. 8) We're it for this region of the galaxy. The main pint being is that we're a tiny needle in the galactic haystack. What we take for modern technology (radio, spaceflight, internal combustion engine), simply hasn't been around that long (roughly under 200 years). The signatures from those technologies (pollution) haven't reached a high enough threshold for remote detection (I'm guessing by around 50 light years). And to assume that E.T. is way more advanced then we are is speculative fiction fiction, at best. We simply do not know at this point. While I have no problem assuming that there is a whole bunch of life out and about in the Universe, we simply have zero evidence beyond our planet that there is life out there.
2016-05-18 01:25:33 · answer #2 · answered by margaretta 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem I have with this paradox is that it wrongly assumes that any other life located within the universe MUST BE like us - evolved to a like minded entity that can communicate with us in the fashion that we communicate.
What if the other life forms arent as highly evolved yet? Bacterias cant make contact over billions of light years... What if they are so far advanced, they communicate using telepathy or some other form that we havent yet discovereed or figured out?? Or, what if they are so far advanced taht they prefer to keep themselves hidden from us because we could not accept their existence yet??
All is possible... perhaps not PLAUSIBLE, but possible...
2007-04-18 07:45:00 · answer #3 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I see it like this: For life to evolve here, billions of things had to go just right. Well, there are billions of stars. Are there enough stars so that extraterrestrial life comes up many, many times, based on the odds, or are we really the one-in a gazillion place, out of a gazillion places, that got it right?
The fact is, though, that we don't know nearly enough about the universe to be able to adequately discuss this. It is even too soon to say there even *is* a paradox.
2007-04-18 07:41:04 · answer #4 · answered by Steven D 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
While I agree with JP, I strongly suspect that life is plentiful.
That said, These are possible explanations:
- They don't communicate in a manner detectable with our technology or knowledge
- It really is impossible to travel faster than light
- There are not that many civilizations
- They destroy themselves
- They are hiding
- Technology is a rare development, even though life isn't
- We do see it but don't recognize it as such
- We are the only ones (doubtful)
2007-04-18 07:50:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Two of the terms in the drake equation
the fraction of life suitable planets on which life in fact develops;
the fraction of such planets on which life evolves to an intelligent form;
Are virtually complete unknowns, given that, it is very premature to claim any contradiction. Mathematically one cannot use the existence of earth to estimate these terms because the existence of earth is an anthropic selection effect.
2007-04-18 07:53:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wow, heavy!
I don't think because there is no proof of contact that proves other civilizations do not exist. We haven't gone that far yet regarding space exploration.
Nothing is to say others may be as advanced only as much as we on our planet. Don't think this will be resolved or known in many lifetimes to come.
2007-04-18 09:51:13 · answer #7 · answered by June smiles 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't see why not having contact is a big issue. When you consider the vast distances between stars and the technology needed to cover that vastness, what are the chances a civilization with that technology is close to us?
2007-04-18 07:46:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The gargantuan nature of the universe and the increase mass/energy needed to travel at speeds near the speed of light and basic physics.
2007-04-18 07:42:11 · answer #9 · answered by John C 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is like asking cavemen about the best investment portfolio choices.......
We haven't even gotten our toes wet in the vastness of the universe to have enough information about this.
2007-04-18 07:42:26 · answer #10 · answered by Malcolm Knoxville V 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋