The Fermi paradox or “Where is Everybody?”

This talk examines the question of whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the Universe. The simple answer is that we do not know. But by looking at the huge numbers of stars in our Galaxy and beyond, the vast numbers of planets around them, and the immense age of the Universe throughout which life might have developed, we can formulate the question in a different way: if alien civilisations have developed elsewhere, surely we might see evidence for their existence?

In 1950, the distinguished physicist Enrico Fermi famously formulated the paradox as `Where is everybody?’.  This talk will will examine the problem in a number of ways, including: What is life? Do we have any ideas of how common life, or intelligent life might be? Is the Earth special in the conditions under which life on our planet formed? What sorts of searches for life are being carried out today? And if we find nothing, what are the implications of one possible conclusion: that we are alone in the Universe…

Michael Perryman, Adjunct Professor, University College Dublin