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
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Bill Nye's Answer to the Fermi Paradox [View all]
Named for its originator, the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, the Fermi Paradox asks the question, "if chances are that we're not alone in the universe, how come we haven't heard from any of the other alien civilizations?"
According to Bill Nye, he and the Planetary Society hold the opinion that we probably haven't been listening hard enough. The Science Guy goes on to explain how NASA is boosting efforts at intergalactic communication.
Note that Bill doesn't seem to subscribe to the idea of a 'Great Filter' that limits the lifetime of an intelligent species, or makes its emergence unlikely in the first place.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
40 replies, 7695 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (15)
ReplyReply to this post
40 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
All our communications methods consist of using the electromagnetic spectrum.
LiberalArkie
Feb 2018
#1
Sorry, out was the only thing that came to mind that fit "they might not use the same
LiberalArkie
Feb 2018
#8
Your digital TV can not pick up the old analog signals. Your digital TV would
LiberalArkie
Feb 2018
#9
I don't think it's inevitable that a technological civilization will destroy itself before .........
LongTomH
Feb 2018
#12
If we, as a species, continue to evolve, then it will be our evolutionary successors.
LongTomH
Feb 2018
#17
And in those 200 million years what, exactly, have alligators accomplished?
PoindexterOglethorpe
Feb 2018
#25
Not as simple as just tuning to the specific frequency, but to be able to decode the information.
SeattleVet
Feb 2018
#31
The first problem is that this is not so much a paradox as a question...
TreasonousBastard
Feb 2018
#15
Tight beam communications, like lasers or masers, are more efficient. Broadcast is wasteful.
tclambert
Feb 2018
#23
That doesn't seem to me to be a paradox at all considering the vastness and distances of space.
brush
Feb 2018
#27
The sheer size of the Universe makes it very difficult to receive signals from other civilizations.
world wide wally
Feb 2018
#36