The sun has set, the stars are out, and the sky is cloudless. It's a beautiful night for some stargazing and, if you're anything like me, it results in an existential crisis. Existential crises aren't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes they bring about awareness. On a particular evening like this one, I tend to become more aware of the possibility that we're not the only ones out there. Are we really alone in this universe?
Do you believe in aliens? I sure do. No, I don't necessarily think they're the stereotypical little green guys we see in movies- or are they?
Regardless, some of my friends make fun of me relentlessly because I believe in aliens. "Come on Ozzy, you're smart. You should know better". But what is there to know better? We have hardly scratched the surface of exploring the universe. If Earth alone is so vast that we likely have not uncovered every existing species, then why doesn't the same go for the universe?
It turns out I'm not alone in my thinking. Physicists Enrico Fermi and Michael H. Hart came up with a theory to represent this idea and it's called the Fermi Paradox! The main focus of the Fermi Paradox is "the apparent contradiction between the lack of evidence and high probability estimates...of extraterrestrial civilizations." In simplest terms, this means that, statistically, aliens have to exist (even if we don't have proof...yet). Statistics of the likelihood of extraterrestrial life are calculated by the Drake Equation but, beyond that, most of the "proof" we have of the existence of aliens is based on testimonies and crop circles. Let's be honest - they're not exactly the most reliable sources. The redneck down the road can only cry "abduction!" so many times before you stop believing him, assuming you ever did. If you think about it, though, it makes sense. The universe is so vast. The night sky we see is made up of the closest stars to us, which are several light years away. Our solar system is only a tiny speck in the universe. For every star in the galaxy, there is an equal number of galaxies in the observable universe. Somewhere between 5-20 percent of those are sun-like stars which, on the conservative side of the estimate, comes out to about 500 quintillion. But what is the significance?
The existence of other sun-like stars implies that there could potentially be Earth-like planets that orbit these stars. That would mean there are galaxies similar to our own that could sustain life like ours. It is estimated that at least one percent of the stars in the universe have an Earth-like planet in orbit. The Fermi Paradox emphasizes the existence of other Earth-like planets because of the Mediocrity Principle. We know that Earth can sustain life; it is our primary example. According to the Mediocrity Principle, it is statistically likely that Earth is not the only example of this type of atmosphere. Therefore, the atmosphere we live in is most likely not an anomaly, but exists elsewhere and sustains life similar to ours. There are potentially other life-sustaining environments, but as of now we are only aware of the possibility of life being sustained in Earth's conditions.
In conclusion, where there are sun-like stars, there are Earth-like planets. Where there are Earth-like planets, there are similar atmospheric conditions. With an Earth-like atmosphere, there is the possibility to sustain life and, thus, we have aliens. So, according to a combination of statistics and theories, there are aliens in at least one percent of the universe. These statistics don't include conditions different from ours, so the possibilities are truly endless! But these are only the conclusions we can come to with the knowledge given thus far. Maybe these possibilities excite you, maybe they scare you. Maybe they do a little bit of both. But don't fret! There's probably another living being out there in the universe just as freaked out by the thought of you as you are by the thought of it! You're not alone, and neither are we!
