I learned something today! (To be fair, I learn something practically every day because I ain’t too smart on many things and I’m curious about a lot of things, so… there you are.) I subscribe to Seth Godin’s blog (he is smart) and he wrote a short blurb on this today and it sparked my curiosity.
Today’s lesson: The Fermi Paradox.
Apparently, it’s the big cosmic question of “Where is everybody?” If intelligent alien civilizations are so likely, and the galaxy is billions of years old, then why haven’t we seen any signs of them yet?
I mean, it’s a fair question. The galaxy’s been around long enough for some space civilizations to have stopped by, waved, probed, got scared and run away. Yet…nothing. Silence.
What makes this even more interesting to me that I found this topic today is, after a post I made on social media last night, a friend commented that she’s “just waiting for the aliens to come take her away.” Well, based on what I just learned, she could be waiting a really long time. (Sorry, Heather but at least we get to keep you here awhile longer!)
The theories for why we haven’t met our intergalactic neighbors are fascinating. Space travel might be too expensive, we might live in a boring corner of the galaxy, or maybe – probably – we’re in a kind of cosmic zoo, being quietly observed like Earth’s weirdest exhibit (see the chart below). That may be a good thing.
What struck me most was the “note of caution” at the bottom of the chart – just because we don’t see evidence of aliens doesn’t mean they’re not out there sort of like not believing in bears because you haven’t seen one outside your window. It’s a nice reminder for life in general, absence of proof isn’t proof of absence. Whether it’s opportunity, kindness, or intelligent life… sometimes you just haven’t looked in the right place yet.
And, as always, maybe the real lesson is to create an environment that allows success to happen even if that success is just making it through another day with or without a UFO sighting. But maybe…we just need to expand our environment.
Anyway, here’s a chart I learned from today after reading Seth’s blog (see below). I hope you enjoy learning as much as I do.
Quote of the Day:
“Where is everybody?” – Enrico Fermi
One Question:
If aliens are out there, do you think they’re ignoring us on purpose?
MattMunnell.com 