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Beyond the Fermi Paradox V: What is the Aestivation Hypothesis?
Universe Today ^ | Matt Williams

Posted on 08/08/2020 2:27:32 PM PDT by MtnClimber

In 1950, Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi sat down to lunch with some of his colleagues at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he had worked five years prior as part of the Manhattan Project. According to various accounts, the conversation turned to aliens and the recent spate of UFOs. Into this, Fermi issued a statement that would go down in the annals of history: “Where is everybody?“

This became the basis of the Fermi Paradox, which refers to the high probability estimates for the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) and the apparent lack of evidence. But despite seventy years of looking, we still haven’t been able to answer Fermi’s question, leading to multiple proposals as to why this is. Today, we look at the “Aestivation Hypothesis,” which argues that aliens are not dead (or non-existent), they’re just resting!

This theory takes its cue from nature, where certain organisms enter a state of prolonged torpor during particularly hot or dry periods. Similar to hibernation in the winter, these organisms will remain in this state until conditions become cooler and wetter. Applied to the Fermi Paradox, the Aestivation Hypothesis asserts that alien civilizations are largely dormant because they are awaiting better conditions.

(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS:
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To: PIF

Thanks.

Maybe I was too dismissive.


41 posted on 08/09/2020 5:50:12 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: PIF
I read some of the reviews of the series.

It sounds like a series I would enjoy reading.

I doubt I am willing to expend the 40 or 50 hours I would have to give up, to read the series.

Fascinating that a Chinese book in translation would do so well.

Most of the panning of the book harps about character development.

What most modern critics call "character development" is all about obscure naval gazing by people who have a hard time making a decision.

42 posted on 08/09/2020 6:07:26 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: MtnClimber

Hi.

I got it all figured out.

When you die your spirit goes to heaven (or the other place), and sometimes you have to come back to earth.

For reasons we will all find out one day.

5.56mm


43 posted on 08/09/2020 6:09:40 AM PDT by M Kehoe (DRAIN THE SWAMP! Finish THE WALL!)
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To: marktwain

Read it when doing nothing important with ur mind, like siting on the crapper :}


44 posted on 08/09/2020 6:26:41 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: PIF
Fortunately or not, my mind does not work that way.

I am susceptible to a gripping novel. It would dominate my time for a couple of days. I likely would not get much sleep, if it is the page turner many say it is.

45 posted on 08/09/2020 6:31:47 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: marktwain

I liked it, a case of a newer sci-fi series not being completely crap despite being so highly regarded by the new US sci-fi lib crowd. I was pleasantly surprised anyhow, especially coming from china.

Freegards


46 posted on 08/09/2020 7:12:22 AM PDT by Ransomed
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To: marktwain

I am susceptible to a gripping novel


Ah Ha! You admit a weakness. Now that will prey on your subconscious until you succumb. Your doomed, by your own hand, good sir.


47 posted on 08/09/2020 7:24:57 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: MtnClimber

Better explanation ... we’re listening on AM, and the aliens are transmitting on FM.


48 posted on 08/09/2020 11:01:14 AM PDT by The Duke (President Trump = America's Last, Best Chanca)
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To: MtnClimber

I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it, my lad. ‘E’s dead, that’s what’s wrong with it!

O: No, no, ‘e’s uh,...he’s resting.


49 posted on 08/09/2020 11:08:49 AM PDT by mo ("If you understand, no explanation is needed; if you don't understand, no explanation is possible")
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To: PIF

Not necessarily hiding. Just not doing anything we can detect. Or more importantly not having done anything we could detect long enough ago for that sign to have gotten here. Detecting life across the cosmos isn’t easy. You have to have done something that detectable. Generally speaking we consider radio to be the first thing we did that could be detectable, and therefore on the list of things we look for. But even then that stuff travels at the speed of light, or slightly below it. If our very first radio signals were strong enough to survive in space (which they weren’t) they would have traveled through less than 1% of our own galaxy, and would be millions of years away from hitting another. Even things like rockets and satellites, you need a very strong telescope to be able to see them, and that “vision” still needs to travel at the speed of light. When we’re looking at planets hundreds or even thousands of light years away what we’re seeing is that planet THEN. If they didn’t have detectable life THEN we won’t see it. If it turns out 100 years ago some planet invented lighting their dark side, but they’re more than 100 light years away, we can’t see it yet.


50 posted on 08/09/2020 11:13:14 AM PDT by discostu (Like a dog being shown a card trick)
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