Sustainable Aliens: A New Theory On Why E.T. Hasn't Arrived
source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2009/12/sustainable_aliens_great_ideas.html
-
-
- JulyJones
- added this
Part of a scientist's job is to read scientific papers -- lots and lots of scientific papers. You don't just read them: you also skim, peruse, look through, glance at and, occasionally, pore over them. There are just so many papers and just too much else going on. Still, some ideas just stick in your head and, with that in mind, I would like to present my Sort-Of-Best-Unheralded-Scientific-Paper of 2009.
The envelope please ...
People who think about extraterrestrial life have been bothered for a long time by a rather obvious fact: There isn't any here.
This is sometimes called the Fermi Paradox. Its an old conundrum (which may have started with physicist Enrico Fermi) that asks "If space-traveling ETs exist, why aren't they with us already?"
The idea is simple. Start with a civilization that colonizes one world. Then that world colonizes two more planets. Those worlds go on and do their own colonization. Follow this logic and you end up with a very, very rapid expansion of even a single star-faring civilization. Even one ET with space travel can, in a pretty short time, lead to a galaxy teeming with intelligent life.
Little green friends should already, have overrun us.
***article continues at link***
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2009/12/sustainable_aliens_great_ideas.html
The envelope please ...
People who think about extraterrestrial life have been bothered for a long time by a rather obvious fact: There isn't any here.
This is sometimes called the Fermi Paradox. Its an old conundrum (which may have started with physicist Enrico Fermi) that asks "If space-traveling ETs exist, why aren't they with us already?"
The idea is simple. Start with a civilization that colonizes one world. Then that world colonizes two more planets. Those worlds go on and do their own colonization. Follow this logic and you end up with a very, very rapid expansion of even a single star-faring civilization. Even one ET with space travel can, in a pretty short time, lead to a galaxy teeming with intelligent life.
Little green friends should already, have overrun us.
***article continues at link***
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2009/12/sustainable_aliens_great_ideas.html
-
- groups:
- Tech, Space, SF&F and Comics, Weird Science, 1 more
-
-
remanns
-
Yep,....thats interesting!
- 2 years ago
-
remanns
-
-
remanns
-
The link is missing,....and I miss it! I am hooked and left dangling!
- 2 years ago
-
remanns
-
-
JulyJones
-
remanns:
Whoops Thanks for pointing that out. I added the link.
- 2 years ago
-
JulyJones
-
-
DJohnnie
-
-
Why would something travel light years just to be
- 2 years ago
-
DJohnnie
