Beyond “Fermi’s Paradox” X: What is the Firstborn Hypothesis?
In this latest instalment, we explore the possibility that humanity is an early arrival to the Universe, and that intelligent species will become more common with time.
Astronomers Thought They’d Found a Red Dwarf That Wasn’t Hostile to its Habitable Zone Planets. They Were Wrong
New research using Hubble archive data shows that GJ 887, the nearby red dwarf star system with two exoplanets, might not be as calm and “boring” as we thought!
Beyond “Fermi’s Paradox” VIII: What is the Zoo Hypothesis?
Another possible resolution to the Fermi Paradox: we could all be living in some giant “nature preserve” where the aliens are monitoring us!
Beyond “Fermi’s Paradox” VII: What it the Planetarium Hypothesis
In this installment, we explore the possibility that we haven’t heard from aliens because they’ve got us in a simulated environment where they can watch us!
Beyond “Fermi’s Paradox” IV: What is the Rare Earth Hypothesis?
Looking to answer the question of “where are all the aliens,” some scientists have suggested that planets like Earth might actually be very rare.
New Estimate Calculates There Could be 30 Intelligent Civilizations Communicating Across the Milky Way
Over the years, scientific estimates of potential intelligent life in our galaxy have ranged widely. Some estimates say just one (only us Earthlings) to just a handful, to possibly thousands or even millions. A new study attempts to quantify the number of other worlds we could potentially talk to by estimating the number of intelligent …
Astronomers Have Found the Star/Exoplanet Combo That’s the Best Twin to the Sun/Earth
At times, it seems like there’s an indundation of announcements featuring discoveries of “Earth-like” planets. And while those announcements are exciting, and scientifically noteworthy, there’s always a little question picking away at them: exactly how Earth-like are they, really? After all, Earth is defined by its relationship with the Sun.
Is the Concept of a Habitable Zone Too Wide?
Exoplanets are often considered potentially habitable if they could have liquid water. But the necessities of biology set the habitability bar a bit higher.
Powerful Telescope Confirms There’s an Earth-Sized World Orbiting Proxima Centauri
There is an Earth-sized planet only four light years from Earth. Whether it has life is yet to be known.
Worlds With Hydrogen in Their Atmospheres Could Be the Perfect Place to Search for Life
We’re waiting patiently for telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope to see first light, and one of the reasons is its ability to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. The idea is to look for biosignatures: things like oxygen and methane. But a new study says that exoplanets with hydrogen in their atmospheres are a …