The Fermi Paradox – Where are all the Aliens?

Enrico Fermi. Not an alien.

In the 1950s, a group of astrophysicists were walking to lunch discussing the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe apart from Earth. One of those physicists, Enrico Fermi then casually asked “But where is everybody then?

The basic idea is that given the vastness of observable space and time with which life should have had time to evolve – how come we don’t see any evidence of life anywhere else? Therein lies the paradox. Fermi’s paradox, if you will.

Immediately obvious solutions or explanations include :

  • Earth is special and there is no life elsewhere.
  • Our technology is not advanced enough to have found life elsewhere.
  • Space is too damn big.

Less obvious but no less unprovable include :

  • Aliens have already contained us and are observing us (Zoo hypothesis).
  • Once life becomes advanced enough it will destroy itself (The great filter).
  • We are actually in a simulation without any other players.

What Bintel Thinks

“Space is a big canvas full of the unexplored – who knows what else is out there.” – Clare

 

“It’s so complicated for intelligent life to form and SO much had to go right for us, that it’s too rare for it to happen more than once at the same time. And even more rare that they would be able to locate each other.” – Mick

 

“We are likely the only species who have advanced this far so far and we are possibly incapable of recognising intelligent life that has advanced further than ours due to our conscious limits.” – John

 

“Either we have just recently surpassed a nearly impossible feat of becoming conscious lifeforms and nobody else has happened to join us here yet (because it’s very, very hard) OR we are coming up to the next great filter and may all die from it, just like all the conscious lifeforms before us hence why we cannot find them.” – Jess

 

“Space is very big with physically difficult limits like the speed of light that prevent us from reaching across even minor distances in space and time to verify the possibility of life elsewhere. Although life is mathematically probable we are trapped on a gravity prison island in an impassably large ocean in space.” – Dylan

What do you guys think?

There is no wrong answer (yet) so give us your best explanation in the comments or respond to some of these or others on why you think they may be incorrect!

 

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