Researchers from the University of Nottingham (UK) used a new method for estimating the probability of existence of intelligent life on other planets, and estimate that in our galatica there may be more than 30 technically advanced civilizations.
a Brief report is given on the website of Nottingham University and all the study published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal. Astrophysics was based on the assumption that intelligent life can form on other planets the same as on Earth. This method allowed them to obtain a fundamentally new assessment of the possible number of intelligent civilizations in our own galaxy, the milky Way.
Previous studies considerably differed in their results. While some scholars have argued that intelligent life elsewhere, while others believe that such civilizations could be billions. In the new study, the range is much narrowed.
Astrophysicists believe that the number of civilizations depends on how long they are actively sent into space “signals of its existence”, such as transmissions from satellites, television and more. This helped to calculate that in our galaxy there may be 36 technically advanced civilizations.
However, the average distance to them from earth, according to the calculations of authors, could reach 17 thousand light years. It will be difficult, they warn, not only their detection, but also the communication with them, including their part. While scientists admit that we may be the only existing civilization in our galaxy, if the lifetime of such civilizations, like ours, is not long.
“In our galaxy must be at least several tens of active civilizations, if we assume that the formation of intelligent life on other planets takes five billion years, as on Earth, says Professor of astrophysics at Nottingham University, Christopher Consoles. We call this calculation method astrobiology limit Copernicus”.
the Researchers used two main astrobiological constraints. One of them is that intelligent life forms can form in less than five billion years, or about five billion years, similar to the Earth, where this process took 4.5 billion years. The second mandatory and strict criterion – the existence of stars, no less rich in metals than the Sun.
“Our study shows that the search for extraterrestrial intelligent civilizations not only indicate the possible existence of other life forms, but also give us clues on how long it will exist, our own civilization, – says Christopher Consoles. – If we discover that intelligent life is common, it is will point to the fact that our (technologically advanced) civilization can last much longer than a few hundred years. But if we find that in our galaxy there is no existing civilizations, it is a bad sign for the prospects of our own long-term existence. The search for extraterrestrial intelligent life, even if we do not find anything, we open your future and destiny.”
