Fermi paradox
E5035
The Fermi paradox is the apparent contradiction between the high probability of extraterrestrial civilizations existing in the universe and the lack of evidence or contact with them.
Aliases (5)
Statements (51)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
astrobiological problem
→
cosmological argument → philosophical problem → scientific paradox → |
| associatedQuestion |
Where is everybody?
→
|
| coreIdea |
there has been no confirmed contact with extraterrestrial civilizations
→
there is a high probability of extraterrestrial civilizations → there is no confirmed evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations → |
| describes |
apparent contradiction between expected abundance of intelligent life and lack of evidence
→
|
| field |
SETI
→
astrobiology → cosmology → philosophy of science → |
| hasNameOrigin |
Enrico Fermi
→
|
| hasNotableAnalyst |
Nick Bostrom
→
Robin Hanson → |
| hasNotableProponent |
Frank Tipler
→
Michael H. Hart → |
| hasProposedResolutionType |
anthropic explanations
→
biological explanations → conspiracy or cover-up explanations → cosmological explanations → sociological explanations → technological explanations → |
| historicalEvent |
informal discussion by Enrico Fermi in 1950 at Los Alamos
→
|
| implication |
advanced civilizations may deliberately avoid contact
→
at least one common assumption about life and intelligence may be wrong → intelligent life may be rare → our search methods may be inadequate → technological civilizations may be short-lived → |
| influenced |
debates about colonization of the galaxy
→
modern SETI strategies → philosophical discussions about humanity's place in the universe → |
| questionRaised |
Are we alone in the galaxy?
→
Do technological civilizations self-destruct? → How common is intelligent life in the universe? → Why have we not observed signs of extraterrestrial civilizations? → |
| relatedConcept |
Berserker hypothesis
→
Drake equation → Great Filter → Great Silence → Kardashev scale → Rare Earth hypothesis → SETI → Von Neumann probes → Where is everybody? → Zoo hypothesis → extraterrestrial intelligence → |
| typicalAssumption |
interstellar travel or communication is physically possible
→
technological civilizations tend to expand or signal their presence → the Milky Way is old enough for advanced civilizations to have arisen → |
Referenced by (14)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Berserker hypothesis
→
Great Filter → Great Silence ("Fermi’s question "Where is everybody?"") → Rare Earth hypothesis → SETI → |
relatedTo |
|
Fermi paradox
("Von Neumann probes")
→
Kardashev scale → |
relatedConcept |
|
Berserker hypothesis
→
|
addresses |
|
Great Silence
("Fermi Paradox")
→
|
alsoKnownAs |
|
Michael H. Hart
→
|
fieldOfWork |
|
Enrico Fermi
→
|
knownFor |
|
Enrico Fermi
→
|
notableFor |
|
Michael H. Hart
("Explanation for the Absence of Extraterrestrials on Earth")
→
|
notableWork |
|
Michael H. Hart
("Explanation for the Absence of Extraterrestrials on Earth, 1975")
→
|
publicationYearOf |