NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  1. Question

    How come we have not been visited by intellegent life if it does exist? Is it because they cannot travel faster than the speed of light?

    The fact that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light may be the reason we are not being visited; it is so much easier to just communicate by electromagnetic waves! Electromagnetic signals (radio or optical) are by far the most economical way to bridge the distances between the stars, so that is how SETI approaches the problem of searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. Your question is really a restatement of what is called the "Fermi Paradox". A good source for this topic is the book by Stephen Webb called "If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens... Where Is Everybody? Fifty Solutions to Fermi's Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life --". David Morrison
    NAI Senior Scientist

    November 14, 2006

    1. Tell us what you think!


      It's your Astrobiology Program: please help us out by sending comments on what's here, and ideas for new features.

    Page Feedback

    Email (optional)
    Comment