Is there life beyond Earth?
No one knows for sure.
Beloved astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson makes a compelling case for why if even intelligent alien life exists elsewhere in the Universe, it is extremely rare. Neil Tyson mentions the fact that the evolutionary tree of life on Earth suggests intelligence is not that important when it comes for survival.
Neil deGrasse Tyson also talks about the Hawking argument that basically says extraterrestrial visits on Earth would not be in our best interests.
Debate about the probability of finding signals of advanced life varies widely. In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake created a formula (which became known as the Drake Equation) for estimating the number of potential intelligent civilizations in the galaxy. He calculated there should be at least 10,000 technology producing civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy alone.
Most of the variables in the equation continue to be rough estimates and subject to uncertainties. But an interesting conundrum to Drake's speculative answer for the number of intelligent civilizations in the galaxy is the Fermi paradox. Posited by Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, it asserts that if another intelligent life form was indeed out there, why have we not seen it by now?
While it might seem as extreme hubris to expect humans to see evidence for the existence of intelligent alien life, considering how many star systems there are in our galaxy alone, and if indeed intelligent life is prevalent, we should expect to see some sort of data from alien origin.
Another hypothesis that explains the Fermi problem is the "Great Filter". Which basically poses that something leads to the destruction of civilizations before they manage to master intragalactic communication and interstellar travel.
Even if we knew for certain the Great Filter is a correct theory, we still wouldn't know when or at what stage of life it emerges. For example a great filter could be acting to prevent non living matter to undergo Abiogenesis. Which is the first stage of life. Or a great filter could show up in later stages of life. Such as our stage where intelligent beings begin to create technology and hope to one day colonize the galaxy.
#greatfilter #neiltyson #aliens
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Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06rIWC7r968
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYzBxo3hbYQ&t=0s
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-is-taking-a-new-look-at-searching-for-life-beyond-earth
"Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson Visits NASA Goddard" by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC BY 2.0
