The Fermi Paradox (a discussion on the possibilities of extraterrestrial life).

[Buried Alien]

I might call myself "Buried Alien," but I'm a native terrestrial (or at least, that's what I let you all think).

Anyway, from the same strangely fascinating website where I earlier found an article about wrestling mammoths comes this discussion of the Fermi Paradox, which offers various theories about the reasons that, despite the vastness of the universe, we have yet to come into contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life.

It's a gripping read.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Jeff Brady]

I would assume that it's BECAUSE of the vastess of space that we haven't had contact with intelligent ET life.

[Buried Alien]

I would assume that it's BECAUSE of the vastess of space that we haven't had contact with intelligent ET life.

That could very well explain our failure to find them (our ability to travel beyond the confines of our planet being very limited), but if some of these lifeforms are much more advanced than we are, it's strange that not one of them has located us. In all that vastness, it's not improbable that at least one civilization might be developmentally billions of years ahead of us, and if so, locating and traveling to our planet might not be beyond their capabilities.

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[Jeff Brady]

That could very well explain our failure to find them (our ability to travel beyond the confines of our planet being very limited), but if some of these lifeforms are much more advanced than we are, it's strange that not one of them has located us. In all that vastness, it's not improbable that at least one civilization might be developmentally billions of years ahead of us, and if so, locating and traveling to our planet might not be beyond their capabilities.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I don't know what you're expecting a bunch of nerds have to say when the astrophysicist(s) in the article spells everything out pretty clearly.

[Kid A]

One explanation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU6cRxdwNr8

[Mikekerr3]

rthe commoness of so called super Earths, Rocky planets 2-4 times the earth in size but s that are in the goldylocks zone may explain it. They would/could have magnetosphere strong enough to keep much of the signature that we would look for to find intelgent life within the magnetospheres, and if they are not radiating significant amounts of RF our tech would not see signs of life. Or Possible we are seeing signs of integent life and don't relize what they are

For all our amazing tech we are still bumbling around in the dark on a lot of things, any answer extraterrestrial life may have to wait until we can finally get a really good look,we have only been looking for a very short time and with primitive means.

[Buried Alien]

I don't know what you're expecting a bunch of nerds have to say when the astrophysicist(s) in the article spells everything out pretty clearly.

Not every discussion involves some grim agenda, Jeff.

Sometimes, people just talk about interesting stuff for fun...and to see if someone else might have an interesting perspective not yet offered for consideration.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Buried Alien]

rthe commoness of so called super Earths, Rocky planets 2-4 times the earth in size but s that are in the goldylocks zone may explain it. They would/could have magnetosphere strong enough to keep much of the signature that we would look for to find intelgent life within the magnetospheres, and if they are not radiating significant amounts of RF our tech would not see signs of life. Or Possible we are seeing signs of integent life and don't relize what they are

For all our amazing tech we are still bumbling around in the dark on a lot of things, any answer extraterrestrial life may have to wait until we can finally get a really good look,we have only been looking for a very short time and with primitive means.

I can easily accept that we Earthlings are a bunch of bumblers who don't know what we're doing as far as space exploration is concerned, but it's a wonder that all the other explorers out there might be equally horrible as (if not worse than) we are.

I just hope whatever's out there is friendly, though that's hardly an inevitability.

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[Jeff Brady]

Not every discussion involves some grim agenda, Jeff.

Sometimes, people just talk about interesting stuff for fun...and to see if someone else might have an interesting perspective not yet offered for consideration.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Well duh. I just don't expect anyone here to come up with anything that hasn't already been suggested by much smarter people. If Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking, Bill Nye, and Zombie Carl Sagan posted here, and came up with a new, scientifically sound theory on the spot, that would be interesting.

Compared to that, this is the Navel Gazing Hour at the Chuckle Hut.

[Buried Alien]

Compared to that, this is the Navel Gazing Hour at the Chuckle Hut.

Why not?

Sometimes, you just need to unclench and enjoy it...or if you don't, at least stand clear of those coming in the door to give it a spin.

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[Buried Alien]

...and I mean this in the most earnest, friendly way possible, Jeff: stop being such a damn sourpuss about everything. It's not good for you; it's not good for the community; it's no damn good for anybody. All it does is make people unhappy and maybe create more work for the moderators.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Jeff Brady]

Why not?

Sometimes, you just need to unclench and enjoy it...or if you don't, at least stand clear of those coming in the door to give it a spin.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

The other two responses are variations on the possible answers within the article.

...and I mean this in the most polite way possible: one of the rules to starting a new thread says "put some thought into it. Don't just say 'here's an interesting link'." If that rule has been changed recently, please let me know.

[Buried Alien]

The other two responses are variations on the possible answers within the article.

Yep...and what I'm looking forward to reading is which of these theories various CBR members accept or reject, and their reasons.

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[Mikekerr3]

I can easily accept that we Earthlings are a bunch of bumblers who don't know what we're doing as far as space exploration is concerned, but it's a wonder that all the other explorers out there might be equally horrible as (if not worse than) we are.

I just hope whatever's out there is friendly, though that's hardly an inevitability.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

they might not be bumbleres at all? Do you visit every anthill you know about? They may simply not be interested in us

And with the tech required to non-magicvally travel betwen starts if visitors of not friendly we will simply die, no big fights, just die like cavemen facing tanks

[Jeff Brady]

Yep...and what I'm looking forward to reading is which of these theories various CBR members accept or reject, and their reasons.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

That would be pertinent to include in the op, yeah?

Calling me a sourpuss & threatening mod actions because you forgot the point...sheesh.

As to that point, I don't know that I could swing one way more than another. All of the arguments are sound given the information we have. It would take lots more exploration/discovery, and we'd all win from that. Maybe when the successor to the Hubble telescope is completed, we'll be able to find something new that could point us in the right (or very wrong) direction.