The Fermi Paradox
Are we alone?
.jpg)
An AI representation of the Fermi Paradox... ominous, innit?
I have had this thought many times throughout my life but a few days ago
on a hot, humid Indian evening as I walked my dog, I got lost in my thoughts,
admiring the sheer diversity of life around me in my immediate proximity. Just
a few feet from me was a flooded rice field. An ecosystem in itself with
millions if not billions or maybe even trillions of organisms. I could see
tadpoles, mosquito larvae, rice stalks jutting out of the water, white birds
dive-bombing the surface scrounging for food, and flies buzzing about. A
mosquito bit me on my forehead and I looked up as I squished it with a crisp
slap. I could see the pale moon slowly fade in as the sky turned more and more
a deep hue of purple. As I stared out into the vast sky towards the now crimson-lit horizon I couldn't help but wonder, " Damn, are we all that's alive
and kicking in this world? ". An uneasy feeling gripped me... I didn't
want to us to be the only planet to have life yet at the same time I didn't
exactly want to meet what was out there.
That night I finally dived into the world of the Drake Equation,Fermi Paradox, the
Great Filters and the Qu.
Drake's math
The man, the myth, the legend
N = R* × fₚ × nₑ × fe × fᵢ × fc × L
Perhaps the most famous equation after
E= mc2 and c2 = a2 + b2 ,the
Drake Equation is pretty much the most crucial equation used in the search for
extra terrestrial life. The drake equation is pretty simple, even if the means
to obtain the data for the variables isn’t, it’s just a tiny multiplication
problem, what could be easier than that? (for most people of course... I suck
at math ).
What do the variables represent?
Well, R* is the average rate at which stars form in our galaxy, Fp
denotes the total planets these star systems have forming around them, Ne
refers to the average number of these planets which can support life by being
either in the Goldilocks zone or having other circumstances which allow for
life to flourish as we know it. Fe represents those planets which
actually end up with life at some point, Fi refers to the number of
those planets which actually end up developing intelligent, civilizational life.
Fc denotes that fraction of
civilizations which develop technologies that leave detectable signs or traces
of the said civilizations such as radio signals and L stands for the length of
time the said signals are been produced for.
So what’s the story of the equation?
The Drake Equation was birthed by a question that has intrigued humanity
for centuries: Are we alone in the universe?
Howard E. Tatel Radio
Telescope
Drake carried out a groundbreaking search for signs of the
extraterrestrial in 1960, which he called Project Ozma (it was named after the
Land of Oz).Project Ozma used the Green Bank 85-ft radio telescope to search
for extraterrestrial signals from Epsilon Eridani and Tau Ceti, stars located
about 11 light-years away. The telescope was tuned to 21-centimeter waves
(1,420 megahertz) emitted by cold hydrogen in interstellar space. To reduce
background noise, it alternated between pointing at the target stars and empty
nearby regions, isolating any potential signals from planets orbiting these
stars.
This experiment garnered a lot of attention, and Drake was urged by
J.P.T. Pearman, a staff officer at the National Academy of Sciences, to call a
casual meeting of experienced engineers and researchers to discuss the
likelihood of finding a signal. The conference took place at the Green Bank
Observatory – the site of Project Ozma – in November 1961. The meeting was
attended by prominent scientists like Carl Sagan and others interested in the
possibility of extraterrestrial life.
Drake realized that the discussions needed a structured approach to
avoid descending into pure speculation. There were too many unknowns, but he
wanted a way to break down the problem into manageable pieces.
And thus out of necessity was born, the glorious Drake Equation:
N = R* × fₚ × nₑ × fe × fᵢ × fc × L
Drake realized he could calculate the number of detectable civilizations (N) by multiplying these variables. Although the exact values of all the variables remained unknown, he saw the equation as a means of organizing ignorance since it provided scientists with a framework for posing pertinent questions and improving their understanding as new evidence became available.
Fermi and The Great Filter
I don't even wanna think about this
In 1950, physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked his colleagues: “Where
are they?” Fermi had been reflecting upon the vastness of the cosmos, and
“they”, were the extraterrestrials. With billions and billions, probably even
more stars and planets exist in our universe, so it seemed obvious that
intelligent civilizations capable of developing radio astronomy and
interstellar travel should be living amongst the stars. Yet, in Fermi’s day, as
is today, no evidence of such civilizations existed.
The Great Filter Theory was first put forward by economist Robin Hanson in the late 1990s. It's the idea that every extraterrestrial civilization eventually encounters some obstacle to its own survival and galactic colonization efforts, even though life forms are abundant in our Milky Way galaxy and probably beyond. The barrier could be external, such as when an asteroid hits a planet, eradicating all life. Or it could emerge from within such as nuclear holocaust, genetic issues etc. Hanson proposed that a Great Filter might be at work within our Milky Way galaxy. He argued that life expands to fill every niche, producers, primary consumers, scavengers, apex predators etc. And so, we should see signs of intelligent life beyond Earth in nearby star systems, perhaps even in our solar system. But we don’t see this.
Life on Earth has already survived a number of filters in the form of mass extinction events. The Permian-Triassic extinction – aka the Great Dying – occurred 250 million years ago and nearly ended all life on the planet. This extinction event wiped out about 96% of marine life and 70% of land species. The exact cause of the Great Dying is still a matter of study, but some scientists have said it was a combination of warming temperatures and decreasing oxygen. But these previous filters, or extinction events, have been natural, arising from the evolution of our planet and solar system, including volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts.
Some have interpreted our apparent aloneness in the universe as a good sign , as it indicates that we’ve safely made it through the bottleneck. Strange as it may seem, we may be the first species to have passed through the Great Filter.
On the other hand, if we were to detect a signal from a super-advanced technological species that makes us look primitive, it might imply that the Great Filter still lies ahead. Humanity could be destined to take a surprise cosmic test, one that we haven’t studied for.
The Great Filter is only a theory, a theory which exists as a possible explanation for the Fermi Paradox. So, although the question of “Where are they?” still remains unanswered, the Great Filter theory offers one of the best guesses we can dream up. Unfortunately, that doesn’t answer whether the Great Filter is already in our rearview mirror.
And I don’t know when or if we will get the answers to the Fermi Paradox and when we will get to see an actualization of the Great Filter Theory, but I hope it isn’t in my lifetime for I have a ton of troubles in my life and knowing that my species is headed for a test which may extinguish it’s life would be a mental straw that’ll break my back. Alternatively, given my borderline narcissistic tendencies, I’ll probably turn into a hedonistic crackpot knowing that MY species is the first one to make it past it’s Great Filters.
Fermi Paradox, the Great Filters and the Qu
Qu triumphant in the fall of Man. To his left floats a nanotechnological drone, to
the right, a genetically modified tracing creature
.jpg) |
| An AI representation of the Fermi Paradox... ominous, innit? |
I have had this thought many times throughout my life but a few days ago
on a hot, humid Indian evening as I walked my dog, I got lost in my thoughts,
admiring the sheer diversity of life around me in my immediate proximity. Just
a few feet from me was a flooded rice field. An ecosystem in itself with
millions if not billions or maybe even trillions of organisms. I could see
tadpoles, mosquito larvae, rice stalks jutting out of the water, white birds
dive-bombing the surface scrounging for food, and flies buzzing about. A
mosquito bit me on my forehead and I looked up as I squished it with a crisp
slap. I could see the pale moon slowly fade in as the sky turned more and more
a deep hue of purple. As I stared out into the vast sky towards the now crimson-lit horizon I couldn't help but wonder, " Damn, are we all that's alive
and kicking in this world? ". An uneasy feeling gripped me... I didn't
want to us to be the only planet to have life yet at the same time I didn't
exactly want to meet what was out there.
That night I finally dived into the world of the Drake Equation,Fermi Paradox, the Great Filters and the Qu.
That night I finally dived into the world of the Drake Equation,Fermi Paradox, the Great Filters and the Qu.
Drake's math
|
| The man, the myth, the legend |
N = R* × fₚ × nₑ × fe × fᵢ × fc × L
Perhaps the most famous equation after
E= mc2 and c2 = a2 + b2 ,the
Drake Equation is pretty much the most crucial equation used in the search for
extra terrestrial life. The drake equation is pretty simple, even if the means
to obtain the data for the variables isn’t, it’s just a tiny multiplication
problem, what could be easier than that? (for most people of course... I suck
at math ).
What do the variables represent?
Well, R* is the average rate at which stars form in our galaxy, Fp
denotes the total planets these star systems have forming around them, Ne
refers to the average number of these planets which can support life by being
either in the Goldilocks zone or having other circumstances which allow for
life to flourish as we know it. Fe represents those planets which
actually end up with life at some point, Fi refers to the number of
those planets which actually end up developing intelligent, civilizational life.
Fc denotes that fraction of
civilizations which develop technologies that leave detectable signs or traces
of the said civilizations such as radio signals and L stands for the length of
time the said signals are been produced for.
So what’s the story of the equation?
The Drake Equation was birthed by a question that has intrigued humanity
for centuries: Are we alone in the universe?
Howard E. Tatel Radio
Telescope
Drake carried out a groundbreaking search for signs of the
extraterrestrial in 1960, which he called Project Ozma (it was named after the
Land of Oz).Project Ozma used the Green Bank 85-ft radio telescope to search
for extraterrestrial signals from Epsilon Eridani and Tau Ceti, stars located
about 11 light-years away. The telescope was tuned to 21-centimeter waves
(1,420 megahertz) emitted by cold hydrogen in interstellar space. To reduce
background noise, it alternated between pointing at the target stars and empty
nearby regions, isolating any potential signals from planets orbiting these
stars.
This experiment garnered a lot of attention, and Drake was urged by
J.P.T. Pearman, a staff officer at the National Academy of Sciences, to call a
casual meeting of experienced engineers and researchers to discuss the
likelihood of finding a signal. The conference took place at the Green Bank
Observatory – the site of Project Ozma – in November 1961. The meeting was
attended by prominent scientists like Carl Sagan and others interested in the
possibility of extraterrestrial life.
Drake realized that the discussions needed a structured approach to
avoid descending into pure speculation. There were too many unknowns, but he
wanted a way to break down the problem into manageable pieces.
And thus out of necessity was born, the glorious Drake Equation:
N = R* × fₚ × nₑ × fe × fᵢ × fc × L
Drake realized he could calculate the number of detectable civilizations (N) by multiplying these variables. Although the exact values of all the variables remained unknown, he saw the equation as a means of organizing ignorance since it provided scientists with a framework for posing pertinent questions and improving their understanding as new evidence became available.
Fermi and The Great Filter
I don't even wanna think about this
In 1950, physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked his colleagues: “Where
are they?” Fermi had been reflecting upon the vastness of the cosmos, and
“they”, were the extraterrestrials. With billions and billions, probably even
more stars and planets exist in our universe, so it seemed obvious that
intelligent civilizations capable of developing radio astronomy and
interstellar travel should be living amongst the stars. Yet, in Fermi’s day, as
is today, no evidence of such civilizations existed.
The Great Filter Theory was first put forward by economist Robin Hanson in the late 1990s. It's the idea that every extraterrestrial civilization eventually encounters some obstacle to its own survival and galactic colonization efforts, even though life forms are abundant in our Milky Way galaxy and probably beyond. The barrier could be external, such as when an asteroid hits a planet, eradicating all life. Or it could emerge from within such as nuclear holocaust, genetic issues etc. Hanson proposed that a Great Filter might be at work within our Milky Way galaxy. He argued that life expands to fill every niche, producers, primary consumers, scavengers, apex predators etc. And so, we should see signs of intelligent life beyond Earth in nearby star systems, perhaps even in our solar system. But we don’t see this.
Life on Earth has already survived a number of filters in the form of mass extinction events. The Permian-Triassic extinction – aka the Great Dying – occurred 250 million years ago and nearly ended all life on the planet. This extinction event wiped out about 96% of marine life and 70% of land species. The exact cause of the Great Dying is still a matter of study, but some scientists have said it was a combination of warming temperatures and decreasing oxygen. But these previous filters, or extinction events, have been natural, arising from the evolution of our planet and solar system, including volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts.
Some have interpreted our apparent aloneness in the universe as a good sign , as it indicates that we’ve safely made it through the bottleneck. Strange as it may seem, we may be the first species to have passed through the Great Filter.
On the other hand, if we were to detect a signal from a super-advanced technological species that makes us look primitive, it might imply that the Great Filter still lies ahead. Humanity could be destined to take a surprise cosmic test, one that we haven’t studied for.
The Great Filter is only a theory, a theory which exists as a possible explanation for the Fermi Paradox. So, although the question of “Where are they?” still remains unanswered, the Great Filter theory offers one of the best guesses we can dream up. Unfortunately, that doesn’t answer whether the Great Filter is already in our rearview mirror.
And I don’t know when or if we will get the answers to the Fermi Paradox and when we will get to see an actualization of the Great Filter Theory, but I hope it isn’t in my lifetime for I have a ton of troubles in my life and knowing that my species is headed for a test which may extinguish it’s life would be a mental straw that’ll break my back. Alternatively, given my borderline narcissistic tendencies, I’ll probably turn into a hedonistic crackpot knowing that MY species is the first one to make it past it’s Great Filters.
Fermi Paradox, the Great Filters and the Qu
Qu triumphant in the fall of Man. To his left floats a nanotechnological drone, to
the right, a genetically modified tracing creature
|
Howard E. Tatel Radio Telescope |
Drake carried out a groundbreaking search for signs of the extraterrestrial in 1960, which he called Project Ozma (it was named after the Land of Oz).Project Ozma used the Green Bank 85-ft radio telescope to search for extraterrestrial signals from Epsilon Eridani and Tau Ceti, stars located about 11 light-years away. The telescope was tuned to 21-centimeter waves (1,420 megahertz) emitted by cold hydrogen in interstellar space. To reduce background noise, it alternated between pointing at the target stars and empty nearby regions, isolating any potential signals from planets orbiting these stars.
This experiment garnered a lot of attention, and Drake was urged by J.P.T. Pearman, a staff officer at the National Academy of Sciences, to call a casual meeting of experienced engineers and researchers to discuss the likelihood of finding a signal. The conference took place at the Green Bank Observatory – the site of Project Ozma – in November 1961. The meeting was attended by prominent scientists like Carl Sagan and others interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
Drake realized that the discussions needed a structured approach to avoid descending into pure speculation. There were too many unknowns, but he wanted a way to break down the problem into manageable pieces.
And thus out of necessity was born, the glorious Drake Equation:
|
| I don't even wanna think about this |
In 1950, physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked his colleagues: “Where
are they?” Fermi had been reflecting upon the vastness of the cosmos, and
“they”, were the extraterrestrials. With billions and billions, probably even
more stars and planets exist in our universe, so it seemed obvious that
intelligent civilizations capable of developing radio astronomy and
interstellar travel should be living amongst the stars. Yet, in Fermi’s day, as
is today, no evidence of such civilizations existed.
The Great Filter Theory was first put forward by economist Robin Hanson in the late 1990s. It's the idea that every extraterrestrial civilization eventually encounters some obstacle to its own survival and galactic colonization efforts, even though life forms are abundant in our Milky Way galaxy and probably beyond. The barrier could be external, such as when an asteroid hits a planet, eradicating all life. Or it could emerge from within such as nuclear holocaust, genetic issues etc. Hanson proposed that a Great Filter might be at work within our Milky Way galaxy. He argued that life expands to fill every niche, producers, primary consumers, scavengers, apex predators etc. And so, we should see signs of intelligent life beyond Earth in nearby star systems, perhaps even in our solar system. But we don’t see this.
Life on Earth has already survived a number of filters in the form of mass extinction events. The Permian-Triassic extinction – aka the Great Dying – occurred 250 million years ago and nearly ended all life on the planet. This extinction event wiped out about 96% of marine life and 70% of land species. The exact cause of the Great Dying is still a matter of study, but some scientists have said it was a combination of warming temperatures and decreasing oxygen. But these previous filters, or extinction events, have been natural, arising from the evolution of our planet and solar system, including volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts.
Some have interpreted our apparent aloneness in the universe as a good sign , as it indicates that we’ve safely made it through the bottleneck. Strange as it may seem, we may be the first species to have passed through the Great Filter.
On the other hand, if we were to detect a signal from a super-advanced technological species that makes us look primitive, it might imply that the Great Filter still lies ahead. Humanity could be destined to take a surprise cosmic test, one that we haven’t studied for.
The Great Filter is only a theory, a theory which exists as a possible explanation for the Fermi Paradox. So, although the question of “Where are they?” still remains unanswered, the Great Filter theory offers one of the best guesses we can dream up. Unfortunately, that doesn’t answer whether the Great Filter is already in our rearview mirror.
And I don’t know when or if we will get the answers to the Fermi Paradox and when we will get to see an actualization of the Great Filter Theory, but I hope it isn’t in my lifetime for I have a ton of troubles in my life and knowing that my species is headed for a test which may extinguish it’s life would be a mental straw that’ll break my back. Alternatively, given my borderline narcissistic tendencies, I’ll probably turn into a hedonistic crackpot knowing that MY species is the first one to make it past it’s Great Filters.
Fermi Paradox, the Great Filters and the Qu
|
Qu triumphant in the fall of Man. To his left floats a nanotechnological drone, to the right, a genetically modified tracing creature |
"...humanity once again began to build and stockpile weapons,
this time of the interplanetary potency. There were terrible devices,
capable of nova-ing stars and wrecking entire solar systems. Sadly,
even these preparations would prove to be ineffectual in time."
In the book All Tommorows by C.M. Kosemen, we see humanity advance technologically and socially. Political unification of Man on Earth proved crucial to the colonization of mars. Humanity, on the Kardashev Scale was probably now a Type 1 civilization. Humanity faced various Great Filters on Earth such as overpopulation breaking the very ecology of the planet as 12 billion industrialized men and women proved too much for dear old Earth to bear. Humanity's new god... Technology came to it's rescue. Using various terraforming techniques such as comet slingshotting, introduction of cyanobacteria etc turned the barren rusty rock into a new garden of Eden.
"The first steps on Mars were taken not by astronauts, but by barefoot
children on lush, biosynthetic grass."
As humans do, however, people started splitting into factions. In a very American way, the Martians asserted their independence and sense of identity, separate from the mother race, the OG humans. A long spiral of socio-political instability followed which led to an interplanetary civil war. Automated machines fought on behalf of the carbon-based life forms, blowing up asteroids, and striking the poles, causing damage on epic proportions. After copious amounts of fighting, Sol wide peace finally prevailed.
"Barely escaping extinction, the peoples of Earth and Mars made
peace and re-forged a united solar system. It had cost them more
than eight billion souls."
Another Great Filter, came and went, driving humanity damn near extinction, but cooler heads steered us on the path of survival once again. As mentioned before, Great Filters are hypothesized to be events in a civilization's life that may lead to its extinction. To this point in the book, humanity has survived many, many filters, natural and man-made—truly a resilient species. For the humans, they were the first interplanetary species, they conquered their birth planet and broke in a wild, hostile, Mars. The newly reunified Man took it upon himself to colonize the rest of Sol. For the sake of colonization, Man changed himself... genetic engineering of humanity took place like never before, Man was molded into a form suited for space flight and was afforded more intelligence. This uncomfortable move in the wake of the Civil War paid off in a few generations and soon humanity flourished on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, the surface of Venus and many asteroids. However, it wasn't enough...
"Soon however, even the domain of Sol grew too small. The new
people who inherited it wanted to go further, to new worlds under
distant stars. They were to become the Star People."
There's a starman waiting in the sky
Overcoming the issues of long-distance space flight via incubating embryos on the soon to be colonized planets on arrival, humanity inherited the stars. Planet by planet, star by star, Man conquered the galaxy. However this solution to long haul space travel wasn't without it's issues as many of these humans developed Oedipus and Electra complexes as well as other mental disorders.
"Right after Mankind’s colonization of the galaxy came its first true golden age. Reared by machine prophets, the survivors of the Oedipal plagues-built civilizations that equaled and even surpassed their Solar forbears."
|
| There's a starman waiting in the sky |
High speed communication was established overtime leading to better exploitation of resources, development of culture and tech leading to a better quality of life. Many of these planets were teeming with life. But, strangely... no true intelligence.On a newly colonized world, a curious, disturbing find was found... a skeleton. An earthly skeleton. Christened as Panderavis Pandora, this long dead creature was seen to be related to earthly therizinosaurs. Intelligent life was clearly around... intelligent enough to travel the dark space and transport animals from one place to another long before Man reached for the stars. But where was it? Here we see how the Fermi Paradox comes into play... they are there but where? Where was the race behind this animal transport? Was it a friendly face in the cold, dim space or was it a hunter in the dark forest?
"Silently, humanity once again began to build and stockpile weapons,
this time of the interplanetary potency. There were terrible devices,
capable of nova-ing stars and wrecking entire solar systems. Sadly,
even these preparations would prove to be ineffectual in time."
"The first contact was bound to happen. The galaxy, let alone the
Universe was simply too big for just a singular species to develop
intelligence in. Any delay in contact only meant a heightening of the
eventual culture shock. In humanity’s case, this 'culture shock' meant
the complete extinction of mankind as it had come to be known.
Almost a billion years old, the alien species known as Qu were
galactic nomads, traveling from one spiral arm to another in epochspanning migrations. During their travels they constantly improved
and changed themselves until they became masters of genetic and
nanotechnological manipulation. With this ability to control the
material world, they assumed a religious, self-imposed mission to
'remake the universe as they saw fit.' Powerful as gods, Qu saw
themselves as the divine harbingers of the future"
And thus came humanity's next filter... an older, stronger, smarter, intelligent and sentient space-faring society with malice in it's heart. I could go on an on about the whole text and we would be here for probably a whole day, perhaps even more, so I shall now conclude and recap all we have looked at in context of All Tommorow's... a truly fascinating and bone chilling read if you get it's meaning.
A framework for calculating the number of technologically advanced
civilizations in the cosmos is provided by the Drake Equation. The probability
of life and intelligence emerging, the percentage of stars with planets, and
the rate of star creation are some of its determinants. Humanity's voyage from
Earth to the stars in All Tomorrows is a prime example of the conflict captured
by these factors. Every stage, from conquering Mars to expanding throughout the
galaxy, represents overcoming obstacles.
A pterosapien... not very demure
In All Tomorrows, the hypothetical evolutionary paths—from soaring
"Pterosapiens" to degenerated "worms"—offer insights into
how intelligence may not be a fixed or assured characteristic. The novel shows
how delicate intelligent life may be under stress as the Qu, human creations,
and other factors transform life.
The idea of Great Filters offers possible solutions to the Fermi
Paradox, which is the universe's seeming quiet despite the likelihood of
sentient life. The majority of life is unable to overcome these obstacles,
which either stop it from emerging or from persisting.
The potential Great Filters in humanity's destiny are eloquently
explored in All Tomorrows. Existential obstacles include the civil war between
Earth and Mars, the use of flimsy generation ships for interstellar travel, and
the Qu's disastrous intervention. The Qu's capacity to completely alter and
dehumanize people is a reflection of how a highly developed species may serve
as a Great Filter, keeping others from realizing their full potential.
All Tomorrows
introduces an unsettling solution: humanity is not alone, but other intelligent
beings may view us as resources or playthings. The Qu embody this nightmare,
remaking humanity in grotesque forms to suit their whims. This vision aligns
with the Rare Earth Hypothesis, which posits that complex life is exceedingly
rare, and when it does arise, it might be vulnerable to predation by far older
civilizations.
The Qu’s godlike
technological prowess raises questions about what motivates advanced
civilizations. Are they inherently destructive, or does power inevitably
corrupt? If intelligence inevitably leads to entities like the Qu, it might
explain the Fermi Paradox: civilizations destroy others before they can reach
out. In all tommorows, we see humanity flirt with extinction more times than is comfortable. The Qu in their twisted fantasy, genetically abuse Man and turn him into all kinds of abominations. While some forms gain sentience again, several get lost in the pages of history as simple-minded, cattle-like animals while several go extinct, echoing the harsh realities of the Great Filters.
*insert Little Dark Age in the background*
All Tomorrows challenges us to reflect on our species' destiny. Will we join the ranks of silent civilizations lost to the ages or will push our filters behind us that have silenced so many before us? Will we be the hunters in the forest or will we be the hunted? I believe in us... I believe in Mankind... though I am an atheist... WE were made in god's image, WE were born to inherit the stars... the answer to our destiny... the key to our fate lies in our ability to adapt, evolve and strive for all tommorows. Bringing hell to all non-human, canid and equine intelligence... for space aint big enough for everyone...
and I believe it's the destiny of us Terrans to be the masters of this universe.
A framework for calculating the number of technologically advanced
civilizations in the cosmos is provided by the Drake Equation. The probability
of life and intelligence emerging, the percentage of stars with planets, and
the rate of star creation are some of its determinants. Humanity's voyage from
Earth to the stars in All Tomorrows is a prime example of the conflict captured
by these factors. Every stage, from conquering Mars to expanding throughout the
galaxy, represents overcoming obstacles.
|
| A pterosapien... not very demure |
In All Tomorrows, the hypothetical evolutionary paths—from soaring "Pterosapiens" to degenerated "worms"—offer insights into how intelligence may not be a fixed or assured characteristic. The novel shows how delicate intelligent life may be under stress as the Qu, human creations, and other factors transform life.
The idea of Great Filters offers possible solutions to the Fermi Paradox, which is the universe's seeming quiet despite the likelihood of sentient life. The majority of life is unable to overcome these obstacles, which either stop it from emerging or from persisting.
The potential Great Filters in humanity's destiny are eloquently
explored in All Tomorrows. Existential obstacles include the civil war between
Earth and Mars, the use of flimsy generation ships for interstellar travel, and
the Qu's disastrous intervention. The Qu's capacity to completely alter and
dehumanize people is a reflection of how a highly developed species may serve
as a Great Filter, keeping others from realizing their full potential.
All Tomorrows
introduces an unsettling solution: humanity is not alone, but other intelligent
beings may view us as resources or playthings. The Qu embody this nightmare,
remaking humanity in grotesque forms to suit their whims. This vision aligns
with the Rare Earth Hypothesis, which posits that complex life is exceedingly
rare, and when it does arise, it might be vulnerable to predation by far older
civilizations.
The Qu’s godlike
technological prowess raises questions about what motivates advanced
civilizations. Are they inherently destructive, or does power inevitably
corrupt? If intelligence inevitably leads to entities like the Qu, it might
explain the Fermi Paradox: civilizations destroy others before they can reach
out. In all tommorows, we see humanity flirt with extinction more times than is comfortable. The Qu in their twisted fantasy, genetically abuse Man and turn him into all kinds of abominations. While some forms gain sentience again, several get lost in the pages of history as simple-minded, cattle-like animals while several go extinct, echoing the harsh realities of the Great Filters.
*insert Little Dark Age in the background*
All Tomorrows challenges us to reflect on our species' destiny. Will we join the ranks of silent civilizations lost to the ages or will push our filters behind us that have silenced so many before us? Will we be the hunters in the forest or will we be the hunted? I believe in us... I believe in Mankind... though I am an atheist... WE were made in god's image, WE were born to inherit the stars... the answer to our destiny... the key to our fate lies in our ability to adapt, evolve and strive for all tommorows. Bringing hell to all non-human, canid and equine intelligence... for space aint big enough for everyone...
and I believe it's the destiny of us Terrans to be the masters of this universe.
and I believe it's the destiny of us Terrans to be the masters of this universe.
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