Rare Earth hypothesis
E31695
The Rare Earth hypothesis argues that while simple life may be common in the universe, the combination of conditions needed for complex, intelligent life is so improbable that Earth-like civilizations are exceedingly rare.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
astrobiology hypothesis
→
hypothesis about extraterrestrial life → scientific hypothesis → |
| argues |
Earth has an unusually favorable combination of conditions for complex life
→
many independent low-probability factors must coincide to produce complex life → |
| assumes |
simple life can arise under relatively common conditions
→
|
| contrastsWith |
Drake equation optimism
→
mediocrity principle in astrobiology → |
| countryOfOrigin |
United States
→
|
| criticizedFor |
difficulty of assigning probabilities to required conditions
→
reliance on Earth-centric assumptions → |
| emphasizes |
importance of rare astrophysical and geological conditions for complex life
→
role of planetary habitability factors in evolution of complex life → |
| field |
astrobiology
→
cosmology → evolutionary biology → planetary science → |
| hasGenre |
popular science literature
→
|
| includesFactor |
appropriate stellar type and stability
→
galactic habitable zone → long-term climate stability → narrow circumstellar habitable zone → plate tectonics → presence of a large stabilizing moon → protective gas giant planets in the outer system → sufficient time without sterilizing astrophysical events → |
| influencedBy |
Fermi paradox discussions
→
anthropic reasoning in cosmology → |
| influences |
debates about prevalence of intelligent extraterrestrial life
→
interpretations of the Fermi paradox → |
| languageOfWork |
English
→
|
| mainClaim |
Earth-like technological civilizations are exceedingly rare
→
complex life is extremely rare in the universe → microbial life may be common in the universe → |
| notableWork |
Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe
→
|
| opposes |
Copernican principle (strong form)
→
principle of mediocrity → |
| proposedBy |
Donald Brownlee
→
Peter Ward → |
| publicationYear |
2000
→
|
| relatedTo |
Drake equation
→
Fermi paradox → Great Filter hypothesis → anthropic principle → |
| statedIn |
Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe
→
|
| usesEvidenceFrom |
Earth’s climate history
→
Earth’s geological history → fossil record of complex life → stellar and galactic environment of the Solar System → |
Referenced by (6)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Great Filter
→
Great Silence → |
relatedTo |
|
Berserker hypothesis
("rare Earth hypothesis")
→
|
contrastsWith |
|
Rare Earth hypothesis
("Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe")
→
|
notableWork |
|
Fermi paradox
→
|
relatedConcept |
|
Rare Earth hypothesis
("Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe")
→
|
statedIn |