Category Archives: Aliens

Drake Equation

How many civilizations are there in our galaxy? As a kid, I was awestruck by the knowledge of just how small we are as compared to the universe. The concept of “me” is nothing more than a tiny stardust living in 1 of the 100 billion star systems in our galaxy. However, if there are […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Drake Equation

Blog Post 7: What Will Happen If We Do Find Life Out There In Space?

The common question when thinking about life in space is always “Is there even life in space”? But few people think about what would actually happen next if we were to find life out there beyond the stars. If we ever do receive a message from extraterrestrial beings, many people have this vision of it […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Blog Post 7: What Will Happen If We Do Find Life Out There In Space?

Maybe Signs of Alien Life Would Not be Good a Thing

When acknowledging the vastness of our universe, it is inevitable think that alien life must be somewhere. The Fermi paradox has addressed just this; however, in todays blog I would like to consider the scenario of the paradox being solver. In other words, what could go wrong if we finally found intelligent life outside of […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Maybe Signs of Alien Life Would Not be Good a Thing

Blog 7 – The Fermi Paradox

When learning astronomy, one often wonders if humanity is alone in the galaxy. Physicist Enrico Fermi pondered this question, and ultimately came to a rather profound conclusion. Statistically our galaxy should be home to at least a handful of advanced societies more than capable of interstellar travel, so why have we not encountered any? Fermi […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Blog 7 – The Fermi Paradox

The Fermi Paradox

A possible solution to the Fermi Paradox? The Fermi Paradox attempts to answer the question about extraterrestrial life that so many humans have thought about for centuries. Enrico Fermi a physicist, in 1950, while discussing extraterrestrial life he began to wonder if aliens did in fact exist then how have they not expanded throughout the […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Class, Galaxies, Universe | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Fermi Paradox

Could We Even Communicate With Aliens If We Found Them?

After learning about the Golden Record, Arecibo message, and other ways astronomers have attempted to communicate with extraterrestrial life (if it is out there), I can’t help but think this outreach is very limited to civilizations that communicate in exactly the same way as we do. This seems unlikely to me, given the extreme diversity […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Could We Even Communicate With Aliens If We Found Them?

Where Are All the Aliens? Potential Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

In class, Dr. G mentioned a Wait But Why article about the Fermi Paradox. I absolutely love this article and the entire concept of the Fermi Paradox–I even wrote about it in my Common App essay four years ago! The Fermi Paradox, first informally presented by physicist Enrico Fermi, describes the apparent contradiction between our […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Class, Space Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Where Are All the Aliens? Potential Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

Post 7

The Fermi Paradox essentially states that given the size of the universe, there should be aliens. So where are they? This paradox is based on various estimation equations like the Drake and Seager equations, which are ways to estimate the number of other intelligent civilizations in the galaxy that should theoretically be able to contact […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Post 7

Binary on the Golden Records

The Voyager Golden Records are the successors to the pioneer plaques in that they were launched four years later and contain more information than their predecessors. As phonographic record, there are lots of sounds and images of life on Earth contained on them, which can be read in detail here. The cover of the records, […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Class, Space Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Binary on the Golden Records

The Statistics of Life

Artist interpretation of Kepler-452b, currently the most Earthlike planet discovered, which could potentially have an atmosphere and life Source: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle When faced with an effectively boundless universe, it inevitable to ask the question of how many other lifeforms are out there. In asking this question we tend to be a bit biased, looking […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Class, Observables | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Statistics of Life