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#REDIRECT [[Fermi Paradox (Borealis Universe)]]
The '''Fermi Paradox '''was the apparent contradiction between the lack of evidence for extra-terrestrial civilizations, even though the probability of extra-terrestrial civilizations is very high. It was named after physicist Enrico Fermi in a 1975 paper by Michael H. Hart. The basic tenants of which are listed below:
* There are billions of stars in the Milky Way similar to the Sun.
* With high probability, some of these stars have Earth-like planets, and if the Earth is typical, some may have already developed intelligent life.
* Some of these civilizations may have developed interstellar travel, a step the Earth is investigating now.
* Even at the slow pace of currently envisioned interstellar travel, the Milky Way galaxy could be completely traversed in a few million years.
* And since many of the stars similar to the Sun are billions of years older, this would seem to provide plenty of time. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox</ref>
In short, the probability of alien civilizations is so high, that the fact that humanity managed to be first civilization to control nearly the entirety of the Milky Way and it's closest neighbors is incredibly unlikely.

For thousands of years, scientist have been trying to understand what has happened, and with new data, the Fermi Solution has been created. This "solution" is a set of data and observation compiled into an overarching theory explaining why humanity was first even though other civilizations had inhabited the Milky Way and its neighbors long before. This is not the only solution, but it is the most probable.

== The Fermi Solution ==

=== Elimination of Planets ===
Below, are probabilities explaining why so many planets are unable to have civilizations form on them.
* Toward the center of a galaxy, intelligent life is less probable as more supernovae and gamma ray bursts occur in that area. Sterilizing most planets that ever had intelligent life (while bacterial life is fairly resistant). This eliminates almost 50% of planets.
* Ten percent of planets are [[Einsam Class Objects]] (meaning they were ejected from their galaxy). These objects, while fully capable of producing intelligent life, very rarely have that life leave the system, as the prospect of travelling thousands of light years to the nearest star is far too daunting.
* Five percent of civilizations are sterilized by a comet or similar.

=== Elimination of Civilizations ===
Below are things that destroy civilizations. Approximately 50% of civilizations destroy themselves, while 20% are destroyed by external causes.
* Five percent kill themselves in a global conflict, typically causing a mass extinction event (nuclear, thermonuclear, antimatter, etc. See [[Vinos]] as an example)
* Another five percent destroy their planet via climate change.
* Two percent kill themselves with a non-self-aware [[Artificial Intelligence|artificial intelligence]].
* One percent kill themselves with self replicating nanobots (although this only seems to delay self-aware life by a few billion years, see [[Ror Units]] or [[Xentari]] as an example)
* One percent are killed with a super-plague they cannot eradicate.
* 0.5% of civilizations kill themselves by accidentally dropping an asteroid on their planet during the early days of asteroid harvesting on their planet.

=== Other Solutions ===
Miscellaneous solutions. They typically are cultural in nature.
* Ten percent of civilizations never leave their home system (for a multitude of reasons).
* Ten percent never develop faster than light technology.
* Five percent still try to colonize the galaxy without FTL, taking millions of years. In that time, the civilization collapses.

== Analysis ==
In short, roughly 55% of planets end up becoming inhospitable to intelligent life. This means that only 45% of planets are able to have intelligent life.

Approximately one in a billion planets are capable of producing life. Typically, one in 100 Billion planets support intelligent life. (~10 - 100 per galaxy). Irregular galaxies are too young to produce intergalactic civilizations. Of these 0.0000001% (1 in one One ten billion) of total planets, ten percent of ''those ''are Einsam class objects, making intergalactic colonization impossible.

Twenty percent of these civilizations never leave their home systems either because they don't develop FTL, or they never leave their system (Either because they upload themselves to computers, or simply never have a reason to leave).

Approximately 15% of the civilizations that do spring up destroy themselves.

=== Totals ===
In total, 50% of civilizations become incapable of becoming galactic civilizations. So, 0.00000005% (1 in twenty billion) planets develop life capable of forming a galactic civilization.This suggests that there should only be approximately twenty civilizations in a typical spiral galaxy.

=== Flaws ===
Most galaxies have far less intelligent species, with many having none at all. Galaxies like the [[Milky Way]] and [[Andromeda]], have developed hundreds of intelligent species.

== Criticisms ==
The Fermi Solution does not account for why no civilization managed to form before humanity in the Milky Way. Hundreds of destroyed worlds have been uncovered. Many being billions of years old. Why every civilization that formed before humanity fell is still a mystery.

It's all too convenient that every civilization before humanity arose. Unfortunately, an answer to this mystery may never be found.
<references /> [[Category:Core Concepts]]

Latest revision as of 20:09, March 6, 2025