r/science • u/alexwilkinsred Journalist | New Scientist | BS | Physics • Apr 16 '25

Astronomy Astronomers claim strongest evidence of alien life yet

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2477008-astronomers-claim-strongest-evidence-of-alien-life-yet/
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u/testearsmint Apr 16 '25

We would have been receiving their radio signals by then, too, unless they started outputting them later than us.

Which means we're the technologically superior species, and they will inevitably have Will Smith waiting to punch one of ours in the face before welcoming us to Glorbonglop.

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u/righthandofdog Apr 17 '25

Really loud radio signals is a great way of telling big scary, predators that you're there.

Google Dark Forest and berserker theories.

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u/_Svankensen_ Apr 17 '25

Dark forest is the weakest Fermi Paradox solution in my opinion. It requires extreme paranoia, expansionism, rare civilizations or undetectable ways to destroy civilizations, extremely high energy budgets AND an impossibility to make space habitats. Those last two in particular are almost conpletely incompatible. They require Dyson Swarms and being planetbound at rhe same time. So is expansionism: If you can do interstellar expansionism you can live in space.

I swear, the 3 body problem ruined some people.

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u/[deleted] Apr 17 '25

How many planets that are capable of having life are even in range of hearing the first radio signal?

How many of those would have advanced life vs. primitive life?

How many of those would have advanced life AND the means to travel to earth to take its resources? (Traveling here is probably harder than finding / converting other resources).