preview

The Fermi Paradox

Decent Essays
Open Document

The Fermi Paradox is a fascinating and contentious idea. Proposed by Enrico Fermi in the 1940s as a simple lunchtime remark. While talking with a group of atomic scientists, the subject moved into the territory of extra-terrestrial life and the probability of their existence to which Fermi supposedly responded with the question "Where is everybody?". This response was the start of what continues to be one of the most existential scientific questions we know of. If there are billions of planets that can support life and the universe has given these planets enough time to allow life to form, then why have none visited earth.
If there are approximately forty-billion earth-size habitable planets in the habitable zones of sun-like stars or red …show more content…

Perhaps the reason there has been no evidence of life for is because we assume that these life forms inherently have a need to colonize. While we, as people, tend to formulate theories and ideas based on how humans (Homo sapiens) function and the things we observe. Though that is perfectly reasonable, it's hardly a viable way to conceptualize the possibility of life forms in an infinite universe. It's narrow-minded and would not be able to wrap around the vastness of the topic. We assume that these possible life forms have a similar psychological pattern as we do, take as much as possible, colonize as much as possible. Perhaps there is intelligent life out there with adequate space travel technology that simply does not have the same motive as, say, Europeans during the age of exploration. Maybe colonizing is not the goal of whatever space travel agency happens to exist on those planets holding life with space travel technology is not simply motivated to colonize. It's not impossible that they simply travel to enjoy the beauty of the universe, much like tourists traveling the word. Not all tourists who travel are looking to settle, not all space-traveling extra-terrestrial life forms are looking to …show more content…

When we talk about life in other star systems or galaxies we always refer to "life as we know it" even though, in an infinite universe, these life forms may not be "as we know it". While this may seem like a stretch, but life forms may have formed on planets we considered inhabitable. The requirements of what we consider life is defined by what they do not how they do it. The system used for a species in another galaxy or star system to acquire energy and expel waste may serve a similar purpose but not function in the same way or use the same materials. It should also be noted that life adapted to the planet, and while Earth is what we call "optimal for life" that only applies to the life forms on Earth and not necessarily to organisms in, say, a planet in a star system in the Andromeda galaxy. So, while it's logical to search Earth-like planets for life since we know those conditions have worked once, it's also illogical to rule out ones that are less Earth-like. And that this sort of way of thinking is yet another example of how humans think mostly of themselves and forget that our way may not be the only

Get Access