The great silence: why haven’t we found any aliens yet?
The article explores the Fermi Paradox, which questions why humanity has not yet encountered extraterrestrial life despite the vast age and size of the universe. It discusses the scientific shift from philosophical speculation to the use of radio technology to search for signals from other civilizations.
Why it matters
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence remains a fundamental scientific inquiry that shapes our understanding of Earth's place in the cosmos.
An astronomical radio observatory in New Mexico. Given the size and age of the universe, it should be full of species with technology far more advanced than our own. So where are they?
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Prefer the Guardian on Google D uring a visit to the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1950, Enrico Fermi, one of the architects of the Manhattan Project, was having lunch with other physicists when the conversation turned to flying saucers. At one point during the discussion, Fermi blurted out: “Where is everybody?” – or, as another participant remembered it, “Don’t you ever wonder where everybody is?” If aliens exist, in other words, why have we never encountered them?
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