Post by chillstar on Feb 28, 2024 3:13:03 GMT
Research Sheds Light on Why Advanced Extraterrestrial Civilizations May Be Confined to Their Planets.
Evolving on Earth has led to an impressive range of lifeforms, including humans, who are actively pursuing a spacefaring existence. Yet, how likely is this scenario on other planets? Specifically, for dominant lifeforms on oceanic planets, what are the prospects of transcending their aquatic confines to venture into the cosmos?
A novel analysis published in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society probes this question by examining potential hindrances for extraterrestrial beings in achieving space exploration capabilities. Authored by Elio Quiroga of the Universidad del Atlántico Medio in Spain, the paper—entitled.
“Introducing the Exoplanet Escape Factor and the Fishbowl Worlds (Two conceptual tools for the search of extra-terrestrial civilizations) “—forges new ground in our understanding of these limitations.
The existence of other Extraterrestrial Intelligences (ETIs), though speculative without concrete evidence, is a subject of significant intrigue. Our current discussions on ETIs are anchored by the Drake Equation, which proposes a method to estimate the number of active, communicative ETIs in our galaxy by considering variables like the rates of star and planet formation and the potential for life to evolve to advanced stages.
Quiroga introduces two compelling concepts—the Exoplanet Escape Factor (Fex) and Fishbowl Worlds—into this dialogue, linking them to the Drake Equation to illuminate the challenges facing extraterrestrial civilizations in their spacefaring aspirations. He emphasizes the key role of planetary mass and the resulting escape velocity barrier for space travel.
“It could therefore be the case that an intelligent species on these planets would never be able to travel into space due to sheer physical impossibility.”
Elio Quiroga, Universidad del Atlántico Medio
This discussion extends to the enormous difficulties of re-entry on massive planets and the impact of atmospheric density on safely decelerating spacecraft. Quiroga’s Fishbowl Worlds concept depicts planets with insurmountable escape velocities, effectively sealing their civilizations from the cosmos. He also speculates on the sociological implications, such as how restricted views of the universe or a lack of need for telecommunications could impact the development of a civilization and its classification within the Drake Equation paradigm.
The exploration of Quiroga’s Exoplanet Escape Factor offers avenues to hypothesize the types of planets that could incubate ETIs and whether these beings could ever escape gravitational shackles to explore or communicate beyond their home worlds. It paints a picture of civilizations evolving in complete isolation, oblivious to the vast universe beyond their reach. Source (here)
Footnotes: However, it's also important to consider the possibility of highly advanced extraterrestrial civilizations that have developed innovative propulsion systems or have discovered ways to manipulate gravity to overcome the limitations posed by their planetary mass. It seems premature to assume that their spacefaring aspirations are limited solely by their physical environment. Regardless, Quiroga's conceptual tools provide an interesting perspective on the challenges faced by extraterrestrial civilizations and add to the ongoing discussion on the possibility of communicating with intelligent beings beyond our solar system.
Evolving on Earth has led to an impressive range of lifeforms, including humans, who are actively pursuing a spacefaring existence. Yet, how likely is this scenario on other planets? Specifically, for dominant lifeforms on oceanic planets, what are the prospects of transcending their aquatic confines to venture into the cosmos?
A novel analysis published in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society probes this question by examining potential hindrances for extraterrestrial beings in achieving space exploration capabilities. Authored by Elio Quiroga of the Universidad del Atlántico Medio in Spain, the paper—entitled.
“Introducing the Exoplanet Escape Factor and the Fishbowl Worlds (Two conceptual tools for the search of extra-terrestrial civilizations) “—forges new ground in our understanding of these limitations.
The existence of other Extraterrestrial Intelligences (ETIs), though speculative without concrete evidence, is a subject of significant intrigue. Our current discussions on ETIs are anchored by the Drake Equation, which proposes a method to estimate the number of active, communicative ETIs in our galaxy by considering variables like the rates of star and planet formation and the potential for life to evolve to advanced stages.
Quiroga introduces two compelling concepts—the Exoplanet Escape Factor (Fex) and Fishbowl Worlds—into this dialogue, linking them to the Drake Equation to illuminate the challenges facing extraterrestrial civilizations in their spacefaring aspirations. He emphasizes the key role of planetary mass and the resulting escape velocity barrier for space travel.
“It could therefore be the case that an intelligent species on these planets would never be able to travel into space due to sheer physical impossibility.”
Elio Quiroga, Universidad del Atlántico Medio
This discussion extends to the enormous difficulties of re-entry on massive planets and the impact of atmospheric density on safely decelerating spacecraft. Quiroga’s Fishbowl Worlds concept depicts planets with insurmountable escape velocities, effectively sealing their civilizations from the cosmos. He also speculates on the sociological implications, such as how restricted views of the universe or a lack of need for telecommunications could impact the development of a civilization and its classification within the Drake Equation paradigm.
The exploration of Quiroga’s Exoplanet Escape Factor offers avenues to hypothesize the types of planets that could incubate ETIs and whether these beings could ever escape gravitational shackles to explore or communicate beyond their home worlds. It paints a picture of civilizations evolving in complete isolation, oblivious to the vast universe beyond their reach. Source (here)
Footnotes: However, it's also important to consider the possibility of highly advanced extraterrestrial civilizations that have developed innovative propulsion systems or have discovered ways to manipulate gravity to overcome the limitations posed by their planetary mass. It seems premature to assume that their spacefaring aspirations are limited solely by their physical environment. Regardless, Quiroga's conceptual tools provide an interesting perspective on the challenges faced by extraterrestrial civilizations and add to the ongoing discussion on the possibility of communicating with intelligent beings beyond our solar system.