We will be able to detect alien life in about 2-3 years. Here's how:

[gigantes]

i see this kind of post pop up pretty often on the net and on ISH, so i thought i'd give it a stab--

...This is probably the answer to Fermi's Paradox. That is the question that if there are so many trillions of planets out there that aliens should theoretically be living on, why have we seen nothing?

ANSWER: because our technology is not advanced enough to peer across those incredible distances and see any real detail... yet.


as of now, cosmologists 'detect planets' (i.e. propose their existence based on evidence) through means such as physics modeling, the slight dimming caused by passing in front of their parent stars, gravitational lensing and other methods.

so far these methods have mainly been able to detect gas giants, like our own jupiter and saturn. not to mention, the number of direct images we have of extra-solar planets is close to zero.

this is all about to change, though.

in 2017 TESS is scheduled for launch, and in 2018 the JWST is scheduled. these two orbiting telescope projects are successors to hubble and spitzer and will be able to detect far more detail than we're currently capable of. we will soon be able to visualise small rocky planets (like earth), the presence of water, and the chemical composition of planetary atmospheres.

if you've read news items the past couple years featuring various astronomers predicting the discovery of life in the near future, this is generally the reason for the optimism.

there is no consensus formula that predicts a specific likelihood of life arising across the universe, but we can agree it's a small percentage. but with roughly one hundred billion planets in the milky way, that sure is a lot of lottery tickets to hit that jackpot.

soon, we should be able to put those lottery tickets to use. we will be able to detect the presence of various planetary atmospheres created by living organisms, as well as ones which have an advanced civilisation such as our own (i.e. pollution is the clue). and we should be able to recognise life that does not conform to our current theories, given time to look over the data.

there is also a new theory proposes that life may be inevitable. this is a big deal. this would make the odds even more favorable... maybe hugely more favorable.

some science-heads here probably know a lot more about this stuff, but i wanted to point out some basic facts and new information some may not have been aware of.

[L.A.Showtime]

Too long to read about "potentially" contacting aliens in the future.

[knickballer]

Lemme guess you learnt this today and you wanted to share it with all of us to brag how much of an intellect you are. This ain't reddit bruh quit being a beta

[Draz]

Lemme guess you learnt this today and you wanted to share it with all of us to brag how much of an intellect you are. This ain't reddit bruh quit being a beta

Dam. This post reminded me of when Charmander lost its flame. Don't know why..

Btw I didn't understand shit you wrote op. Maybe I'm just not thinking properly or that was a mind fck

[ItsMillerTime]

Btw I didn't understand shit you wrote op. Maybe I'm just not thinking properly or that was a mind fck

tldr: we are launching telescopes into space that can see distances further then ever before

[Draz]

tldr: we are launching telescopes into space that can see distances further then ever before

Thanks for the eli5

[Patrick Chewing]

I read somewhere about how humans are in the middle of an alien war and how we miss the signs all around us. Lizard people are real and are the enemy, and they are at war with the Greys. The reptilians are interested in global conquest, and have infiltrated themselves into high positions within the planet. The greys may want human DNA to advance their race.

I also read that they only thing that is protecting humans from the aliens is the Animal Kingdom, primarily dogs. Lizards and greys are not fond of dogs and dogs can sense when they are around and alert us by barking.

[shlver]

tldr: we are launching telescopes into space that can see distances further then ever before

What's the point of finding an earthlike exoplanet on the other side of the universe? The TESS telescope will look at nearby stars, monitoring exoplanets and observing any earthlike qualities.

[TonyMontana]

If you have knowledge of the occult and are adept at the practices you can experience them at this very moment. But you have to have a trained mind. Aliens exist as sort of a "spiriual" entity.

The greys, the reptillians, giant nordics, demons, angels. Some of the different kinds and names they go by.

[robert de niro]

If you have knowledge of the occult and are adept at the practices you can experience them at this very moment. But you have to have a trained mind. Aliens exist as sort of a "spiriual" entity.

The greys, the reptillians, giant nordics, demons, angels. Some of the different kinds and names they go by.

this is true.

[BigNBAfan]

What's the point of finding an earthlike exoplanet on the other side of the universe? The TESS telescope will look at nearby stars, monitoring exoplanets and observing any earthlike qualities.

I think we're better motivated for hardware research if we have a planet to explore in mind. If we found out that there was a planet that had the qualities to sustain life you don't think it would make people think twice about research/exploration?

[Dresta]

I still haven't heard someone explain why exactly Fermi's paradox is a paradox at all when there are a bunch of logical solutions to it. Paradoxes don't have clear and logical solutions to them.

[nathanjizzle]

perhaps earth is the seed planet to colonize the universe.

if you think about it, multiple things dont just pop up from nowhere, they start at one thing and multiply, just like all creatures on this planet, came from one living cell. going by that theory, how can aliens from far planets exists, since we or they would have have to come from one another, and that would mean they would be very close in proximity to us. There is the explanation of life traveling on comets and astroids, but that would be very improbable. perhaps earth is that 1 cell, and were meant to populate the universe.

then that leaves us with the question, where did humans or the creatures of this planet come from. from god? this kind of cycle of thinking leaves us not more or less enlightened. thats why we shouldnt bother wasting energy debating on it unless its just for entertainment.

[rufuspaul]

I think we're better motivated for hardware research if we have a planet to explore in mind. If we found out that there was a planet that had the qualities to sustain life you don't think it would make people think twice about research/exploration?

The one major obstacle being the laws of physics. The closest earth-like planet in our galaxy is over 1200 light years away. Even if these new telescopes detect an advanced civilization it would take millions of years to get there.

[~primetime~]

Yep. The universe is just really f-ing big and even two civilizations with fairly advanced tech relatively close together might not be able to detect each other.

It isn't a paradox any more than someone not having yet been pulled over by a cop is a paradox.

Isn't radio waves where the real issue is? SETI has been listening for radio waves and gets nothing. "Eathlike planets" have been around for billions of years, so they have had plenty of time to reach us. If the universe is full of intelligent life like ourselves, there would be lots of signals out there.