How the 'Great Filter' could explain why we haven't found intelligent aliens

[Admin]

One possible reason why we haven't found any intelligent life in the cosmos the Great Filter argument, which says that very few civilizations make it to the advanced spacefaring stage.

How the 'Great Filter' could explain why we haven't found intelligent aliens : Read more

 

[Xoo]

I would argue that the missing requirement is energy at a lower level of technology: without fossil fuels, say, on Earth, there could have been no advanced technology. What are the chances of a random planet having the conditions to create coal or oil? I'd say pretty low, at which point, you'd be stuck around the technology of the 16-1700's.

 

[Classical Motion]

Intelligent life is life that is required to create what is needs. Intelligent life is totally dumb life. Lack of knowledge is the only reason for creating. And only humans are born ignorant. All others are pre-programmed.

We come into this world naked. We have nothing. No hide. No claws. No hooves for escape. No fangs. No camouflage. And most important of all, no knowledge. We are not sure of anything. Except that we can be eaten. And we feel pain.

We are creators. We have to be. We have to create and make everything we need.

Intelligence is the degree of creating. And the degree of choice. Recognizing a future.

We create concepts too, to replace that lack of knowledge. To make some kind of sense of this.

But so far, no one has seen the light for what it truly is.

 

[Hildy]

To me, two things stand out. Desire and Perspective.

Desire - A galactic spanning civilization has to want to be galactic spanning. The only civilization we know of was built on conquest and colonialism. Surely other, more peaceful, civilizations arise in the cosmos who are content to stay in their own backyard. Besides, if you have the technology to create a generation ship, why launch it? Just use it as a space habitat in your own solar system.

Perspective - Spanning the galaxy would take multi-millennium year plans which seem unlikely when most species (ours and extraterrestrial) evolved from individuals whose planning started with "what's for dinner?"

 

[Moonwatcher]

One possible reason why we haven't found any intelligent life in the cosmos the Great Filter argument, which says that very few civilizations make it to the advanced spacefaring stage.

How the 'Great Filter' could explain why we haven't found intelligent aliens : Read more

We have an example size of one. Us. It is hard, in fact impossible, to fathom any conclusions from a sample of one. Everything these "thinkers" conceive is based on thin air, mere conjecture at best.

 

[Gerold]

Perhaps “Where?” is the wrong question. It should be ‘When?”
Our ability to navigate or communicate with the stars is commensurate with our ability to destroy ourselves. Intelligent life may be just a short flash-in-the-pan with vast periods of time between.
So, when is other life? Probably long before we were here and long after we’re gone.

 

[mikem12188]

Maybe we're not as smart as we think we are.

 

[Dave Wells]

Fantastic article. Perhaps another obstacle is the problem with communication. We have only been sending out radio signals in the past 100 years, so it's possible that other advanced civilizations have been sending out signals but they have not reached us yet.

 

[rod]

"But seriously, where is everybody?"

Apparently they are not at these exoplanets documented now. So far, exoplanets documented today, none are confirmed with life on them, little or big, smart or not so smart

7367, https://exoplanet.eu/home/

5788, https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/index.html

 

[davidbsimmons]

Intelligent life is life that is required to create what is needs. Intelligent life is totally dumb life. Lack of knowledge is the only reason for creating. And only humans are born ignorant. All others are pre-programmed.

We come into this world naked. We have nothing. No hide. No claws. No hooves for escape. No fangs. No camouflage. And most important of all, no knowledge. We are not sure of anything. Except that we can be eaten. And we feel pain.

We are creators. We have to be. We have to create and make everything we need.

Intelligence is the degree of creating. And the degree of choice. Recognizing a future.

We create concepts too, to replace that lack of knowledge. To make some kind of sense of this.

But so far, no one has seen the light for what it truly is.

We are creators because that's what we were created to be. Life is not something that just happens when the ingredients are there. Life is given/created by the breath of the Creator.

 

[Bango_Skank]

One possible reason why we haven't found any intelligent life in the cosmos the Great Filter argument, which says that very few civilizations make it to the advanced spacefaring stage.

How the 'Great Filter' could explain why we haven't found intelligent aliens : Read more

Well, the answer depends on how fast you're moving. At relativistic speeds, it might just take a year or 2 to make it across the galaxy. No telling what our protagonist explorers might find!

 

[Classical Motion]

Faster than light speeds would have to be straight lines. No time to turn. If anything is in the way of that line, all the matter and you would be fragmented far beyond CERN.

My latest numbers say that the MW is about 110 thousand light years in diameter. There might be newer numbers. 110,000 LY. Assuming a symmetrical disk.

It would still take a lot of time to transverse. If one could find a clear path. The paradox is that we only know where the stars use to be, not where they are now. ANY plot is a true shot in the dark.

The only safe way to explore the galaxy quickly is with a superluminal EM teleporter.

But if we could understand mass and matter, the only need to explore would be curiosity. Not as a needed solution. Space travel shouldn’t be necessary.

And besides breaking distance and time is only a dream. I want is all it is. We envy the idea.

 

[JJ/B]

Maybe we're not as smart as we think we are.

Would truly intelligent life want us to find them at our current state of development?

 

[arturner29]

This question is based on the assumption that intelligent alien civilations must be like us, with a desire to go out and 'colonize' the entire galaxy or universe with no concern for other life that might already be there, or could potentially arise. The fact that we don't see any of those galactic colonizers with their photon torpedos aimed at us from giant military fleets ready to conquer and destroy just means there aren't any (or they haven't got here yet ... ). It doesn't mean intelligent species aren't abundant. It could mean that the universe filters out those who would desire to go and 'colonize' other planets. Species with this attitude just don't make it. How has that colonizing attitude worked out for us so far? Depends on who you ask I suppose, hmmm, how about asking the native north americans, australians, africans ..., or all the species of animals and plants we are currently eliminating, or the planet itself, you know, our home. Only a bunch of complete idiots would destroy their entire planet and dream about doing the same thing over and over and over again to all the other planets in the universe, and then wonder why nobody else is here doing the same thing to us. Then we declare since 'they' aren't here colonizing us, they don't exist, or call it a paradox and endlessly debate it! Yup, I'm convinced, we are alone!