CIVILIZATIONS ON OTHER PLANETS.

There may be many science fiction novels and movies depicting aliens from other planets. But is that a reality or is it simply fertile imagination?

The first scientific approach to this was done by the Astronomer Dr Francis Drake. He knew that there are a number of variables that affect the birth of life on a planet. Taking all those parameters into consideration he brought out an equation that predicts the number of planets in our galaxy with intelligent life that can transmit into space. This is known as the Drake equation.

He took the following into consideration:

Number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy

Average rate of star formation in our galaxy

Fraction of those stars that have planets

When the star has planets then those planets that could support life.

Fraction of planets where life actually develops

Fraction of planets with life that develops intelligence

Fraction of planets that are advanced enough to transmit into space.   

          

Length of time such civilizations transmit into space

But the problem with this equation is that the last 4 parameters are very difficult to estimate.

As per the Drake equation there should be millions of planets that should support intelligent life in our Galaxy itself.

But the Drake equation is inexact, and we cannot assess the parameters of the equation correctly. Thus it is difficult to arrive at any logical conclusion based on this.

Despite the SETI experiment for 50 years no signs of intelligent life in our galaxy other than us have been discovered till date.

This also puts forth another problem before us. Is there really other intelligent life other than us in our galaxy at all?

Logic points out that if there is other intelligent life in our galaxy, and then at least some of them should be as intelligent as us to develop radio transmission as the Drake equation itself predicts.

Then certainly some of them should be more advanced than us and would have mastered inter planetary space travel. That being the case then at least some of them should have contacted us. None have done that so far. On top of that no one has even intercepted our SETI transmission into space. So it appears either we are alone in this galaxy or else the light barrier cannot be surpassed ever, however much a civilization develops.

Otherwise, life may be rarer in the Universe than we perceive and none of the nearer planets to the us support life. In 50 years our SETI radio transmission would have just traveled 50 light years. And if anyone 50 light years away is intelligent enough their reply would take another 50 years to reach us because the light barrier cannot be breached.  Just supposing we are alone in the galaxy then why this special status to earth and not to other planets in the Galaxy?

Of course all this is conjecture and unless science progresses far more and we can speed our rockets to the speed of light we will never know what the reality is.

It is a terrible thought to think that we are alone in the Universe.