Fermi Paradox Essay

Aidan Reed

3/10/20

According to the Drake equation, the universe should be full of intelligent life, and
there should be signs of it everywhere. However, we see nothing, nothing at all. In the
milky way alone there are about 20 billion stars; this means there could be millions of
planets very similar to earth. Even if only 0.1% of these earth-like planets had life on
them, that would mean at least 1 million “earths” with the possibility of intelligent life.
Our planet is also relatively young compared to the universe itself, meaning some of
these planets have had much more time to grow and develop. Mathematically it is
paradoxical for there to be no sign of life outside of earth. This is the Fermi paradox,
and there aren't any concrete solutions, just a lot of speculations.
Scientists have been trying to solve the Fermi Paradox for decades and have
come up with all sorts of theories on why we haven't discovered any alien life. One
example of this is that a great filter destroys all intelligent life once it reaches a certain
point in technological evolution. Another could be the possibility of humanity living in a
simulation created by a god-like alien race with computers able to simulate entire
worlds. However intriguing those other solutions to the paradox sound, I want to talk
about what I believe to be the most realistic idea. The solution I want to focus on is the
idea that humanity and all advanced civilizations that have come before us eventually
destroy themselves.
The idea that humanity will eventually destroy itself may seem a little far-fetched
but if you look at the evidence it may be the most plausible future of all advanced
civilizations. I feel this a fitting solution to the Fermi Paradox because it is already
becoming a reality. If you look at the state our planet is in right now it is easy to see
why. I'm not here to write an essay on Global warming but it is perfect evidence for the
point I'm trying to make. Humans have a tendency to worry too much about the present
and disregard the future as an afterthought. However, this way of living comes with
immense consequences. This shows in the resources that have been diminished in the
past century and the overall state of our planet.
If something like global warming doesn’t somehow destroy the human race, I
believe extreme technological advancement could. In just the span of about 70 years,
we went from creating the airplane to landing a man on the moon. Technology is
advancing rapidly and even though most inventions are for the betterment of humanity, I
think it could eventually get out of hand. We have on multiple occasions been on the
brink of nuclear war and all it takes is the push of a button to do some irreversible
damage. There is also the possibility of something like AI becoming self-sufficient and
killing off the human race. There is no denying that our own creations may be more than
capable of destroying their creators.
The Fermi paradox has many different solutions and raises even more questions.
I think that no matter what humanity will not stop exploring and will continue to try and
uncover the mysteries of the universe. I think it is very exciting to imagine discovering
extraterrestrial life, and I hope someday it will become a reality. Whether or not our
demise is imminent or not is irrelevant as long as we do the best we can to survive and
expand our knowledge of this beautiful universe we live in.