Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Where Are They? Neil deGrasse Tyson's Favorite Solutions to The Fermi Paradox (Original Post) Eko Aug 2023 OP
No Paradox at all relayerbob Aug 2023 #1
My wife tells me True Dough Aug 2023 #2
... littlemissmartypants Aug 2023 #5
I suppose very few spheres have earthlike atmospheres. GreenWave Aug 2023 #3
Several things to be aware of. PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 2023 #4
More than likely the issue is time as intelligent species might simply go extinct before a cstanleytech Aug 2023 #6
Also, read How to Die in Space by Paul M. Sutter. PoindexterOglethorpe Sep 2023 #7

relayerbob

(6,977 posts)
1. No Paradox at all
Wed Aug 30, 2023, 10:33 PM
Aug 2023

They close their windows and lock their doors and fly past as fast as they can when forced to come anywhere near the planet of the crazies. They're aliens, not idiots. lol

True Dough

(20,065 posts)
2. My wife tells me
Wed Aug 30, 2023, 10:39 PM
Aug 2023

to Fermi la bouche. I don't know if this helps here at all, I'm just repeating what I hear at home.

GreenWave

(8,999 posts)
3. I suppose very few spheres have earthlike atmospheres.
Wed Aug 30, 2023, 10:41 PM
Aug 2023

Most are bereft. Life on such orbs may be beneath the surface. Also the size of each orb may dictate whether to visit another orb or not.

e.g. If we discover earth-like planets or moons that have 5 times our gravity, this is not good for us. The opposite may mean a visitor might have to dwell deep in our planet.

Also mode of transportation. Jut because we do it in flying tin cans does not mean they do.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,607 posts)
4. Several things to be aware of.
Thu Aug 31, 2023, 01:00 AM
Aug 2023

First is that something like 70% of all stars in our galaxy are red dwarfs. What life might evolve on them would be very different from life on our planet. Keep in mind we have a relatively large moon that affects things like tides. And that those tides were no doubt crucial in the evolution of life on this planet.

So far, no exo-planets we've yet found have our kind of large moon. Okay, so we really have a very long way to go in figuring out if any of those exo-planets are even remotely close to our planet, but we're working on it.

It's also important to know about interstellar distances. If you could actually travel at the speed of light, or some fraction just below it. it would take you about four and a half years to get to the closest star. Which may or may not have a planet capable of Earth-like life.

Another thing to know: cosmic radiation between stars is a real problem. Even travelling at the kinds of speeds we're currently capable of makes the radiation a problem. And the faster you travel, the more and faster that radiation will affect you. Ooops. It is possible that actual travel between stars is truly impossible. Impossible for us, impossible for any other species. Which leads to the possibility that we may have never, ever, been visited by aliens. Think about it.

cstanleytech

(26,921 posts)
6. More than likely the issue is time as intelligent species might simply go extinct before a
Thu Aug 31, 2023, 06:47 AM
Aug 2023

no one evolves.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,607 posts)
7. Also, read How to Die in Space by Paul M. Sutter.
Fri Sep 1, 2023, 10:20 PM
Sep 2023

He makes it exquisitely clear that interstellar travel will be vastly more dangerous than people realize.

Oh, and Packing for Mars by Mary Roach is another look at how space travel isn't as easy or simple or pleasant as we are generally led to believe.

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Science»Where Are They? Neil deGr...