Why Haven’t We Visited By Aliens Yet?

August 19, 2006 · Filed Under Uncategorized · 5 Comments 

crop_circle.jpg

It is probable (but not definite) that civilizations evolve at different rates. The hominid species spent a good million years just running around like an animal before we developed the mutation that allows us to imagine the future and make decisions that are not instinctual. So, even if civilizations were to develop on many different planets, they could be seperated in TIME by a few million years easily.

On top of that, before you send out an expedition to a planet in search of life, you’d want to receive a signal from them. We’ve only been broadcasting into space for some 40 years now… and 40 light-years is pretty small in the grand scheme of things. Even if another civilization received our signals today, it would take them 40 years minimum to respond, barring some faster-than-light communication technology, and probably much longer to actually get here. With our current rocket technology (~40 miles/sec exiting Earth’s sphere of influence), it would take us a good 4500 years just to get 1 light-year away. I think the nearest star is about 4 light years away – so that’s a long time!

Intelligent life is most likely out there somewhere (or were, or will be), but I doubt we’ll run across one anytime soon. The distances and times are too great. However, unintelligent aliens (microbes, or maybe sea-creatures) we might find in the next 100-200 years on the various moons and planets in our solar system.

Via Google Blogoscoped

Tags: , , , , ,

Chatter Box