Where Are All the Aliens — the Fermi Paradox

We, humans, like to think that we are unique, that there is something fundamentally different about us. Yet, from a scientific standpoint, there is no reason that humans should be the only intelligent life on earth.

The Fermi Paradox: Over the 13 billion years the universe has existed, there has been ample time for intelligent life to spread across our galaxy. There are billions of Earth-like planets in the galaxy, millions of which should be able to support life. So, given the should-be high chance of intelligent life, why are we the only ones we know of?

Gas Pedal Representing Aliens — Credit: https://www.seti.org/fermi-paradox-0

There are a few popularized solutions to the Fermi Paradox, though none are confirmed. I’ll look at the two most popular theories here

1. We just haven’t seen them — Currently, we still haven’t seen many billions of planets due to little detail at far ranges on our telescopes. However, these limitations will soon not be a problem in the coming decade, so we will quickly see if we can find life. Additionally, it is also possible that intelligent aliens are hiding from us and are observing us from afar.
2. The Great Filter — The Great Filter is the idea that a significant barrier or obstacle is preventing the existence of a space-faring civilization. What could the Great Filter be? It may be extremely rare for the first multi-cellular organisms to appear. Or maybe it is highly challenging for a species to leave its home planet.

The idea of the Great Filter, and the Fermi paradox at large, can be summed by the Drake Equation, created by scientist Frank Drake. The equation gives the probability of a visible civilization existing in a galaxy.

The Drake equation, a mathematical formula for the probability of finding life or advanced civilizations in the universe. Credit: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/news/1350/are-we-alone-in-the-universe-revisiting-the-drake-equation/

The Great Barrier idea states that at Fe (chance of life appearing), Fi (chance of life becoming intelligent), or Fc (chance of intelligent life going to space), the probability is extremely low, beyond anything we can fathom. Of course, there is a worrying thought — What if the great barrier is ahead of us? What if the civilization killer is expanding beyond one planet, and it has ended every species that has come before us? That means that we aren’t special and will almost certainly die like everyone that came before.

Don’t fret too much, though, as there is also a chance that humans have already passed the great barrier and that we are a one-in-a-million species.

Regardless of what is true, humans are unique. We are conscious, we can feel, we can show empathy, and we can work together. So don’t let any paradox get to you.