Space and Astronomy Atlas

How The Universe Works
Open Questions

Why has no evidence of extraterrestrial intelligent civilizations been detected despite the high estimated probability of their existence implied by the size and age of the observable universe?

Citation Formats

General Reference

APA Style

BibTeX

Facts
Why It Is Open
Every proposed resolution (the Great Filter, limits on interstellar travel and communication, short civilization lifespans, or simply insufficient search effort) remains unconfirmed; no direct evidence distinguishes between them, and SETI searches to date cover only a tiny fraction of the sky, frequency range and time. 1
What Would Resolve This
A confirmed detection of an extraterrestrial technosignature, or a rigorous, evidence-backed narrowing of the terms in the Drake Equation (especially the odds of abiogenesis, the odds of intelligence evolving, and typical civilization lifetime) would resolve or substantially reframe the question. 1
Discipline Needed
Astrobiology and SETI 1
Question Kind
Mechanism 1
Question Status
Open 1
Reader Facing
Yes 1
Open Question

Every proposed resolution (the Great Filter, limits on interstellar travel and communication, short civilization lifespans, or simply insufficient search effort) remains unconfirmed; no direct evidence distinguishes between them, and SETI searches to date cover only a tiny fraction of the sky, frequency range and time.

What would resolve this A confirmed detection of an extraterrestrial technosignature, or a rigorous, evidence-backed narrowing of the terms in the Drake Equation (especially the odds of abiogenesis, the odds of intelligence evolving, and typical civilization lifetime) would resolve or substantially reframe the question.
OpenAstrobiology and SETIWikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Cross-Tradition Connections

Question On

Sources
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.

View At A Past Year

The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.