(May 10, 2019 at 9:34 am)Brian37 Wrote:(May 10, 2019 at 9:25 am)polymath257 Wrote: The problem is that if life is common in the universe, why have we not detected it? Why have we not seen large-scale technology like Dyson spheres?
One possibility is that we are among the first intelligent agents, at least locally. Since intelligent life could not get started until the basic elements were formed from the first generation of stars, there is an earliest time in the universe when life *could* get started. It may well be that our sun is one of the first stars to have planets with enough of the basic materials for life to form. Again, at least in our galaxy.
Next, maybe life developed rather quickly on Earth and we are one of the first intelligent races. Even if we are a mere 10,000 years ahead of others, that makes a significant difference in our abilities to detect other life. If everywhere else is still at stages like what was on the Earth prior to 200 years ago, then there is no chance we would detect another species given *our* technology.
Yet another is the 'dark forest' possibility: those species that announce their existence are ruthlessly exterminated by the species that already exist. So any species that still exists keeps quite for its own survival. Who knows? Perhaps some teardrop shaped, strong force 'bomb' is already on its way to destroy our sun?
Kudos for whoever gets the reference.
Because the universe is FRIGGEN HUGE.....
Put it this way, imagine trying to find 4 needles in a haystack as large as our solar system. We might get lucky and detect communication, but even then alot of that would depend on our species to focus resources to do that instead of spending it on weapons and war.
It is more likely than not, that life exists elsewhere, but again, because of distance it makes it extremely hard to figure out where life would likely survive in the universe. But we do know right now, water exists elsewhere which is the most important thing for life to exist.
But again, make the distinction between life at the bacterial level (which I agree is most likely quite common) and life at the technological level. At this point we have no chance of detecting non-technological life beyond our solar system.
But, if there was a technology at the level of manipulating stars, there is a decent chance we could detect it. There was even a false signal recently thinking there might be construction of a Dyson sphere around a nearby star.
Detecting those 4 needles becomes a lot easier if they are luminous. The question is, if there are truly advanced technologies out there, why are they dark to us? And if not, why not?
