“Where Are They?” is the question posed by the renowned Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi during a discussion with a colleague in the early 1950s, hinting at the existence of extraterrestrial life. Fermi conducted calculations suggesting that alien civilizations should exist and have visited Earth in the past. He argued that the absence of extraterrestrial outposts raises important questions about civilization itself.

For decades, astronomers have referenced this pivotal conversation to explore the Fermi Paradox, which questions why we don’t see signs of other civilizations in the galaxy if they exist. Various hypotheses have emerged, including the Great Filter theory, suggesting a barrier that prevents civilizations from achieving the technology to communicate with one another. Alternatively, the Zoo Hypothesis posits that extraterrestrial beings are aware of humanity and opt not to make contact to avoid confusion. It is also possible that aliens are already among us or that unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) or interstellar objects like ‘Oumuamua could indicate alien presence.

Some solutions to the Fermi Paradox involve assumptions regarding technological growth, evolution, or intelligence itself. Recently, researcher Robin HD Corbett suggested a more routine solution. His argument is based on the Copernican Principle of Mediocrity, which implies that if alien civilizations are akin to humans, it’s not surprising we haven’t encountered them.

Corbett presents two main considerations for a “radical secularity” solution to the Fermi Paradox. Firstly, there are limits to technological advancement; even if alien civilizations are more advanced, they lack faster-than-light travel or other impossible technologies. Secondly, while numerous alien civilizations may exist, they are not ubiquitous.

Regarding technology, Corbett points out that the laws of physics inhibit any civilization from developing a warp drive to quickly traverse the galaxy. Practical limitations, including engineering challenges and ecological concerns, compel civilizations to pursue sustainable technologies rather than pursuing grand projects detectable from afar, like an artificial ring around a star or radio beacons broadcasting for thousands of years.

The existence of civilizations similar to ours carries significant implications. If they exercise similar rational thought, guiding their space exploration decisions with cost-benefit analyses, they might find that the effort required to explore other civilizations may outweigh the benefits, especially without groundbreaking technology.

Corbett further claims that space exploration would likely be conducted by autonomous, perhaps self-replicating, machines known as von Neumann probes equipped with advanced AI, capable of traveling at 1/1000th the speed of light. Concerns about uncontrollable AI escalation may increase costs, leading civilizations to limit their exploratory efforts.

Corbett concludes that if alien civilizations are located far from Earth, they may have abandoned their search for others millions of years ago, leaving us in silence. Scientists, particularly those working on the new wireless array, should be mindful that extraterrestrial beings may closely resemble humans. Star Trek‘s Vulcans suggest limitations on future technologies, further complicating our quest for contact. Corbett also posits that UAPs discovered on Earth are likely not alien in origin, concluding that extraterrestrials may find humans too ordinary to warrant their attention.

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