Where is everybody?" were the immortal words uttered by Enrico Fermi - the famous atomic scientist from the 40s who was asking about extra-terrestrial intelligence. Being a mathematician, his numbers always convinced him about probable alien civilizations, some very advanced, that exist somewhere ‘out there‘. His trouble was, if our galaxy is 10 billion years old, and if there are billions of stars, there has to be billions of planets some of which may support life and some, if not all, will have super advanced technology. Sure his math convinced him., trouble was, if it were indeed true, where is everybody? This is Fermi’s Paradox.
Much later, another famous radio astronomer (obviously a mathematician himself), Frank Drake furthered this quest in a mix of intuitive logic and mathematic formula. Seemingly daunting at first sight, his formula, which is the famous Drake Equation, compelled astronomers around the world by giving a number (approximate) to the possible number of earth-like or much advanced civilization that could exist right here in our own Galaxy - the Milky way. His number is around 10000 such planets and the world, by and large, is in agreement. Here’s the drake equation:
N = R* x fp x ne x fl x fi x fc x L
Terrifying, isn’t it? Well, I thought so too in the beginning, but the barking dog needs a gentle pat of understanding and you’ll see how simple and elegant it turns out to be.
N = The number of communicative civilizations
R* = The rate of formation of suitable stars (stars such as our Sun)
fp = The fraction of those stars with planets. (Current evidence indicates that planetary systems may be common for stars like the Sun.)
ne = The number of Earth-like worlds per planetary system
fl = The fraction of those Earth-like planets where life actually develops
fi = The fraction of life sites where intelligence develops
fc = The fraction of communicative planets (those on which electromagnetic communications technology develops)
L = The "lifetime" of communicating civilizations
Here is a cool link to an interactive Drake Equation where you can learn more about it by actually entering your own numbers!
Link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/drak-flash.html
Why I like this? For the first time, Mathematics, a chronic, linear, numerical disease proudly owned by some advanced human minds, married the simple non-linear assumptional tendencies of non-mathematical ordinaries; like you and me. Was Drake able to find anything, a signal or a discarded tissue paper from an extra-terrestrial space craft? Unfortunately No! They are still searching at SETI. Ofcourse, he had his detractors, but that’s not important, even Jesus had detractors., what is important is the fact that he climbed down the high horse of formulas and equations and algorithms and mathematical what-nots, to base and mould his theory on conjecture, and many clapped! Including me!
Do I believe in this equation? Yes and No!
Yes because the search for advanced intelligent races moved a few inches from the strict cauldron of numbers to a more loose area of probabilities and hypothesis.
No because, the search has to move from Telescopes, EM signals, Mathematics, and Physics itself, and into the realm of the human consciousness.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking entirely about spirituality and suggesting Frank Drake become a long-bearded, cave-dwelling, ochre-robed, Guru. Instead, I will explain via another theory that is prominent among ET researchers - The Zoo Hypothesis. I personally feel that this theory, is by far the most convincing and the most non-linear. I am all for non-linearity, as you can smell by now.
I have nothing against Mathematics, which is an extremely linear, product derivative, immensely useful scientific language, perhaps even an advanced version must be in use somewhere deep in the Big Black, but my problem is, how do you find something so elusive, by calculating a few numbers to decide on the co-ordinates and point your telescope there? If you think they are advanced, then its even worse, its like a 4th grade kid trying to look for a 10th grade kid in his class, using mathematics!!!
While Math is no doubt extremely useful, I think human intuition is equally important. Our world knows how to train humans to excel in the former, they catch us young, in schools, even if our ambition is to be a plumber, we are forced to learn Modular Arithmetic, Relation between Roots and Co-efficients, Algebra, Quadratic Equations, Trigonometry, Advanced Geometrics and of course, the brain melting theorems and equations and laws from Pythagoras of 572 BC to Albert Einstein of 1900 AD and all the blokes in between them!!! I have nothing against mathematics, really!
Intuition development, on the other hand, is largely ignored by teachers and parents alike, because, it’s a bad word in a world dominated by science, which needs proof for everything. While math and science are good to get a job, its mostly intuition that gets you a good life partner and happiness. You don’t go on a date working out an algorithm and scientifically proving beforehand, that this relationship will last forever, do you? A mother does not love her child after working out the square roots and co-efficient prime numbers, nor name her child ‘Electro-magnetic Spectrum Field‘. There is this side also to us humans, Intuition, which is a skill set by itself, and which needs to be nurtured and developed. You can hear the faint but sure voice of your intuition, only if you learn to shut the non-stop chatter of your mind. This is not easy, but high-school Math wasn’t either!
I think, extra-terrestrial intelligence is also something like finding a date. While our scientists unanimously agree that if the Aliens are from an older planetary / star system, then they HAVE to be that much more scientifically advanced than us, but comfortably ignore the possibility of them being that much more civilized and cultured, and good hearted (assuming they had a heart)
If they are scientifically so advanced, won’t they be spiritually advanced too? Won’t they be a species that has evolved beyond the limitations of technology inasmuch as they would have learnt to love and respect each other? Would they not have understood the foibles of war and violence and moved to a place of peace and togetherness? Won’t they know, from such an evolution to respect their planet and protect it with care and responsible actions? Wouldn’t they, assuming they have a super advanced space craft, visit our planet in a manner we cannot yet see, figure that we are still such a violent species that destroys each other and the planet in the name of greed and therefore, choose to remain an observer, or lose interest? Would you shake hands with a hungry Lion?
This is where the Zoo-Hypothesis needs explanation. This was born in continuation of Fermi’s Paradox to explain the apparent absence of proof of advanced ET life. I like this a little more because, the mathematicians in the Fermi meeting, sailed a longer distance away from mathematical gobbledygook into ordinary human intuitive skills.
Now, Imagine ETIL (Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent Life), was the research photographer from National Geographic. He is documenting through his camera, the intimate life of let’s say, the Meer cats. He knows where they live., but they do not know where he does. He’s got sophisticated observational gears while the meer cats are busy with survival, their daily routine of scurrying for food and not ending up as food to their predators. They live in the Kalahari desert while ETIL has just landed from New York, which to the meer cats, is Andromeda galaxy. Once ETIL sets his gear, which is neatly camouflaged with the cats’ habitat, the observation starts, remotely at a better location where all his digital imagery is routed from the site transmitter to a telecommunications satellite above the Indian Ocean and into a laptop in his New York office. All in real time!
ETIL learns everything about their behaviour and decides to give them an evolutionary nudge, perhaps a remote neuro-surgery to wire their brains or gene-splicing, into making them think.
Time goes by and the meer cats start evolving by developing thoughts and language. ETIL continues to watch and nudge while successfully remaining unseen. By now they are used to ETIL’s hi-tech gear, without understanding what it is, and accept it as part of their landscape and call it the Great Pyramids of Giza or The Stone Henge - a great monument raised by a great king who believed in after life and who………, get the drift??
While ETIL is sitting somewhere so far off, the mathematician meer cats are breaking their heads to see what lies beyond their world and if there are any advanced intelligence ‘out there’!
But if the meer cats evolved into a species of positive thinking, altruistic species, and gave up war and violence, and respected the land they lived on with such care and responsible actions, National Geographic will send ETIL on a chartered flight to immediately make contact with the meer cats and help them evolve further!
So, Zoo-Hypothesis is a theory which says an advance alien civilization is already watching us from wherever they are, on a non-interfering observational basis, until the time we are ready to be made contact with. Our planet is like a zoo, we are the caged animals, and they the zoo-keepers!
So until we clean up our acts, become worthy of ourselves, and adopt a lot more non-linear thinking (by which I mean, math counts my money and I love my coffee and what if the meer cats were actually the aliens we‘ve been looking for?!), ETIL’s of the universe will be in their distant offices, watching, waiting, hoping and praying we evolve into a better species, worthy of being friends, so we can finally meet.
16/05/09
