Great Silence
E32387
The Great Silence refers to the puzzling absence of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations despite the vastness and apparent habitability of the universe.
Statements (51)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
astrophysical paradox
→
concept in SETI → cosmic mystery → philosophical problem → |
| alsoKnownAs |
Fermi paradox
→
surface form: "Fermi Paradox"
|
| arisesFrom |
apparent habitability of many exoplanets
→
assumption that intelligent life should be common → vast size of the universe → |
| concerns |
detectability of alien civilizations
→
extraterrestrial intelligence → search for extraterrestrial life → |
| contextOf |
arguments about human uniqueness
→
debates on existential risk → speculation about future human expansion into space → |
| describes |
absence of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations
→
lack of observed alien signals → non-detection of advanced extraterrestrial technology → |
| discussedBy |
David Brin
→
Enrico Fermi → Frank Tipler → Michael H. Hart → Nick Bostrom → Robin Hanson → various SETI researchers → |
| highlights |
discrepancy between probabilistic arguments and observations
→
tension between expected abundance of life and lack of evidence → |
| implies |
civilizations may avoid detectable communication
→
civilizations may be short-lived → either intelligent life is rare or hard to detect → our assumptions about life and intelligence may be wrong → |
| involves |
analysis of exoplanet atmospheres
→
optical SETI searches → radio astronomy searches → search for megastructures → search for technosignatures → |
| motivates |
debates about long-term survival of civilizations
→
development of new SETI strategies → ethical reflection on humanity’s cosmic role → |
| relatedTo |
Drake equation
→
surface form: "Drake Equation"
Fermi paradox →
surface form: "Fermi’s question "Where is everybody?""
Great Filter →
surface form: "Great Filter hypothesis"
Rare Earth hypothesis → Zoo hypothesis → anthropic reasoning → cosmic pessimism about advanced civilizations → cosmic timescale arguments → simulation hypothesis → |
| studiedIn |
astrobiology
→
cosmology → futures studies → philosophy of science → |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.