We have achieved a lot in humanity's lifetime. We have been to the moon and astronomers live out in space on space stations, but there is something that we are still looking for the answer.
If anything, the one thing that has certainly preoccupied humanity for as long as there has been life on earth is whether there is life outside the earth. This question is often asked. Are we alone? This question is on the minds of many people around the world and we have seen things like Area 51, countless videos of unidentifiable flying objects, different lights in all shapes and forms appearing out of nowhere and suddenly changing direction and disappearing, countless reports of UFO abductions, films and video clips of UFOs and many more.
The NASA has spent millions of dollars using their telescopes to study millions of stars and many galaxies. They've discovered small planets, that were previously unknown, but their goal is to find intelligent life, or at least life beyond Earth.
In over 80 years of research, they have failed to do so and have been asking the same question for many years. Where are they?
In this article, we investigate how these intelligent beings could be in the universe. If so, where are they and why we have not yet met them.
Fermi Paradox
In 1961, Frank Drake came up with a formula to calculate how many intelligent civilisations there might be in our galaxy.
The Factors In The Equation Are:
The intensity of star formation in the galaxy.
The number of stars with planets.
Number of planets that are habitable.
The number of planets, that can support life.
The number of planets, that can support intelligent life.
Number of planets on which life can form and later communicate.
The expected duration of such civilisations.
The only problem is that the probability of the last four conditions is unknown. There is only one instance from which statistical inferences can be drawn and that is the earth. Therefore, estimates are more likely to be made. Some are more optimistic and some are more pessimistic.
The optimistic estimate is that out of the 400 billion stars and planets in our galaxy, there must be at least 1 million planets, that could harbour life. Pessimistic estimates put this number at 10 planets.
There are about 2 billion galaxies in the universe, with an average of 100 million stars per galaxy. If our calculations are correct, the universe should be teeming with different species. That is why Enrico Fermi asked the question: "where is everybody". Our Milky Way galaxy is about 10 billion years old and 100 thousand light years across.
We Are Only Children
Our world is 4.6 billion years old and life began to form 4 billion years ago. During this period we were nowhere and there may have been thousands of other planets were around.
Man on earth is still in his infancy compared to the universe. And the view into space is even younger. We have been able to perceive signals from space for 80 years and have been consciously searching for them for 60 years. What is 60 years compared to billions?
Researchers believe, that the earth will be able to sustain life for humans for at least another 4 billion years.
Danger Is Everywhere
The universe is a dangerous place. So is the earth. There have been 5 extinctions in the earth's existence and in that time three quarters of the earth's life has been replaced. All it takes is a meteor shower, a gamma ray burst or a giant solar flare and eventually human civilization would not survive.
The Lack Of Technology
Even if there were an intelligent being somewhere outside the earth, they and we may not have the technology to communicate with each other. We only have telescopes to spy on the galaxy and wonder what's out there.
Self-destructive Lifestyle
Researchers also speculate, that some species may be self-destructive. They may be killed by nuclear warfare or unable to make their planet's climate habitable.
Vast Distances
The whole universe is so vast that it is incomprehensible. If we could pick up signals, they would be so far away that we would not be able to perceive them. This is one possible reason why we don't know about each other. Another theory is that even if an emitted signal reached us, it might have travelled 2 million years and by the time it reached us, their planet was already dead.
It may be the case that we don't know about each other is that they don't want to communicate with us, because we are not developed enough for them and they don't care about us.
It may be the case, that they are here on earth, which many people think that, but we don't know about them.
The last case is that we have not met them yet is that they do not exist at all and we are really alone.
Let me know what you think all about this idea, that we are not alone.
I believe, we are not alone. However, I also believe that it should be not our goal to dig up other beings in this vast place. We are meant to live separately, and maybe God has a reason for that. I personally think that it is for the better, because humans have the innate nature of greed, too much curiousity might make us thirst for more, and try to instigate war, like what happened in the last decades and centuries.
Neverthless, this is one interesting read. I am always curious, too. Hahaha.