So, here we are on planet earth – our microcosm in an unspeakably vast universe. This is where it all happens for us. Life here does not require any outside resources – we are completely self-contained (however, we do need the sun) and it’s been that way for billions of years. Though we can see our solar system and the universe beyond, it’s like we’re living in a vacuum of sorts.
If life can happen here, are there other worlds like this one?
Probably not exactly. The reason being, of course, is that very specific events took place that ultimately resulted in sentient life emerging on earth (in other words, us). If there is another world with intelligent life, it won’t be exactly the same as here. Life on other planets would have to have evolved for the conditions on that planet, in that solar system.
Having said all that, my take on it is that there has to be intelligent life out there. I’m just looking at the odds here. How many other planets are there? One estimate puts the number of stars in the universe at 10e24 or 1 with 24 zeros, or 1 septillion. Each star likely has planets orbiting it that make up a solar system. With odds like that, the universe should be teeming with life.
To further this argument, the laws of physics and the known elements are believed to be consistent throughout the universe. We have already detected base elements on exo planets, far outside our own solar system. Of course, this isn’t surprising given that we all evolved from a single event.
Yet, as far as we can tell, there is nothing out there. No radio signals, colonies, spaceships, Dyson Spheres, or any other sign of intelligent life. How can that be?
The Fermi Paradox
The Fermi Paradox basically states that there should be intelligent life out in the universe, yet mankind has not found the slightest shred of evidence it exists – or anything even close. Here is the Wikipedia explanation.
There should be civilizations that are much older than us.
Given the age of the universe, there should be civilizations that are many millions of years ahead of us.
Imagine how advanced we would be in a million years – or a billion? If you really think of the progress we have made in the past hundred years, we should be masters of the galaxy by then. In a million years, we should be able to fly or transport to any quadrant in the galaxy. Our race should have populated many star systems in the course of a million years. By this time, we would also be able to harness the energy of entire stars. Our activity and influence in the Milky-Way would be very noticeable.
In a universe that is almost 14 billion years old, it’s even conceivable that there could be a few billion year old civilizations. In a billion years, a civilization would reach god-like status.
Yet, we detect nothing – not even a single radio wave, other than what occurs naturally. How strange is that?
There are a few explanations:
1. We are living in a simulation.
As crazy as that sounds, it is possible that we exist in a simulation. If you find this hard to believe, just imagine how complex our video games will be in 100 years. How about a thousand, or even a million years? A simulation so advanced that the participants could never tell it wasn’t base reality. As such, perhaps the rest of the universe is nothing but window dressing, a false backdrop to save computing power. Or maybe reality is created as needed – that nothing really exists until we look at it.
2. We are a freakish accident that will never be replicated.
Well now, this one is a little hard to believe. Sure, there is a chance that in the vastness of the universe, we are alone. But why does everything else exist? There are many galaxies that look like ours. Galaxies that have solar systems on their spiral arms, about halfway in, just like us – many of those solar systems having planets in the habitable zone. What are the chances there aren’t millions of earth like planets in the Milky-Way, let alone the 2 trillion galaxies that we believe exist in the universe. Remember that the laws of physics, the universal constants, and the periodic table of elements are almost certain to exist throughout the universe. They have the same rules and building blocks for life that we have.
Or maybe there is life, but nothing more than plants and non-sentient animals populate these distant worlds. Plants and animals have been around on earth for at least 500 million years and modern humans for only 200,000 years. That means that for most of the history of life on earth, sentient beings did not exist but the planet was rich with life. Maybe the natural order in the universe is non sentient life and that we humans beat astronomical odds to be here . That would certainly explain why we have not seen so much as a hint of intelligent life outside of our own planet.
3. We are not compatible with whatever lifeforms are out there.
Unless the aliens we seek are around the same age as our civilization, there is a chance that communication may be difficult or impossible. Sure, you could assume that they know about radio waves, etc, but maybe they are past that. On the other hand, maybe they aren’t there yet. Given that the laws of physics exist throughout the universe, is it safe to assume that they developed the same technologies that we have? Hard to say for sure.
4. There is an unseen barrier.
A darker reason may be responsible for the silence out there. One popular theory, known as The Great Filter, states that modern civilizations eventually hit a barrier which prevents them from advancing to the point where they can colonize the galaxy. Though our species has overcome many obstacles to be here today, there may be one in the future that is insurmountable.
It doesn’t take much imagination to see how this can come about in today’s world. Nuclear war, climate change, disease, artificial intelligence, over population are the most obvious. Any one of those can drive us into extinction, or at the very least, decimate our civilization.
Maybe there is a universal safeguard to prevent advanced civilizations from infiltrating the rest of the galaxy and universe. Imagine if a civilization were to be left unchecked; how far could they get in a billion years? Could they eventually control all of reality and interfere with whatever created all this?
Doesn’t it make sense to have a fail-safe in place? I think it does.
5. The aliens are hiding.
Maybe we have already been contacted by other worlds, but they’re keeping a low profile. Yes, there are a lot of stories about alien abductions and flying saucer sightings… I mean, who really knows?
6. The distances are too vast
Nothing can exceed the speed of light. And even if you could match the speed of light, you would have to have zero mass, like a photon. At least, that’s my interpretation. Is it possible that technology could eventually overcome this physical limitation? It’s possible, but not likely. Perhaps that is what prevents us from getting in each other’s way. The distances are simply too great to send a probe to an alien solar system or to suddenly show up with a science vessel or a flotilla of battle cruisers.
Of course, I am speaking in terms of 21st century science and engineering. Perhaps someday, we will travel at such speeds. Granted, we will have to do better than that if we ever plan on inter-galactic travel. Even at the speed of light, it would take 2.537 million years to reach our closest neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda. And even if we could, we are barely out of our back yard, so to speak.
If we make it past the Great Filter, maybe someday we’ll perfect a type of warp speed technology that manipulates space and time. Or perhaps a type of quantum jump technology that disregards the speed of light altogether and is instantaneous, regardless of the distance.
If we could only detect something out there. A little proof that we are not the only sentient beings in the universe. Maybe someday our telescopes will improve to the point where we can detect air pollution on exoplanets. That would be crazy.
Having said all that, maybe contacting an alien civilization isn’t in our best interests at all. I mean, if they have the technology to come here, then they have the technology to destroy us if they want to. Everything happens for a reason and some things are not meant to be.
