A brief note on aliens
By: Ivan Loredo-Vidal
Tags: Aliens, Science, Science Fiction, Science Communication, Science Education

On the recent Proxima Centauri radio signal causing people to talk about aliens, a caveat is necessary.

First, it didn´te repeat itself. Second, just because they found a single solitary radio signal coming in from Proxima Centauri they think it´s aliens? Speculation is not science. Every time in the past when radio signals like those have been discovered, they turn out to be from other sources.

Parkes radio observatory in Parkes, Australia, which made the discovery

Parkes identified near Sydney in New South Wales

Unfortunately, the lack of science discoveries (other than high energy lasers and semiconductors in ultra cold temperatures and graphene applications and quantum computing and quantum tunnelling, etc, which are really more engineering feats), have led to sensationalistic speculation which is not scientific (like saying Oumamua was an alien spaceship). Even CERN hasn´t given much to talk about since the Higgs-Boson discovery in 2012 (about a particle predicted since 1964).

Oumamua interstellar object

And then there´s the nonsensical theoretical side, which as Sabine Hossenfelder writes, has led physics astray.

Enrico Fermi, the famous, Manhattan Project scientist, once said about aliens: “where are they?”, his questioning became known as Fermi´s paradox.

If the nearest aliens are in Proxima Centauri (the star nearest to us), a red dwarf star, 4.2 light years away (40 trillion kilometres), at what speed could they travel? How long would they have to live to get here? How could they avoid/protect themselves from cosmic rays/gamma rays/hydrogen atoms in ultra fast interstellar travel?

Proxima Centauri illustration

It seems far away, but not really in interstellar distances.

Could an Einstein-Rosen bridge (wormhole) be possible in such short interstellar distances? Anyway, it´s a mathematical theory.

As is Alcubierre´s warp drive (already researched by NASA), which necessitates negative energy, which is a physical impossibility.

The Drake equation is a probability equation giving a brief desription of the possibility of finding life and intelligent life in the galaxy and can be extrapolated to the universe, with no certain number.

“Widely quoted but at best vaguely known values for these factors are: R* = 10/yr, fp = 0.5, ne = 2, fl = 1, fi fc = 0.01, and thus N = L/10. Accordingly, if civilizations characteristically destroy themselves within a decade of achieving radio astronomy, which is taken as a marker of an advanced civilization, then N = l, and there are no other intelligent life forms in the Galaxy with whom terrestrial researchers can communicate. If, on the other hand, it is assumed that one percent of the civilizations learn to live with the technology of mass destruction and themselves, then N = 1,000,000, and the nearest advanced civilization would be on average a few hundred light-years away.”

The anthropic principle (widely abused by the STEM uninitiated) states that since we exist (Descartes ergo cogito sum, notwithstanding), and since we are observers in this universe, therefore, the universe exists to allow its observers to observe it, which is why it came into exstence (which reminds me of a radically powerful Eduard Von Hartmann axiom about that, but that´s for another occasion).

The famous Fermi paradox (by italian physicist and Nobel prize winner and Manhattan project manager, Enrico Fermi), is even more rational and succint: if aliens exist, and they have they techonology to visit us, where are they?

If aliens came to earth millions of years ago to create hybrids from them, why would they be so inclined? Proto humans at the time were basically apes, so not very attractive for such a superior interstellar race to copulate with (with all their viruses that could severely affect them).

Or why would, instead of copulating, would they conduct petri dish experiments to create us as a hybrid species? If they came and left no trace, that means they´re wise and respect the “prime directive” not to interfere. So they wouldn´t have.

Or if as Hawking said, a superior species (with human ambition), would be interested in conquering (with all the associated pillage and plunder), why didn´t they conquer us?

Why do aliens only appear to uneducated farmers in the middle of nowhere? Why don´t they appear in their mothership in the middle of Hyde/Central/Gorky parks so that educated people and even academics could attest to their presence?

Satellite picture of Area 51, Nevada

All that talk of Hangar 18 and Area 51 and Rosswell is more mythical than reality, because if the US army really had alien technology there since the late 40´s (1947), then their aeronautical weaponry and space technology would be far superior than the russians´ or the chinese´s, and clearly, it is not.

US F22 Raptor

Russian Su 57 Felon

Chinese J20 Chengdu

Therefore, Occam´s razor has to apply: “Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity. The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct. With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one. Plurality is not to be posited without necessity.” — William of Occam.

Which means that no more things should be presumed to exist than are absolutely necessary, i.e., the fewer assumptions an explanation of a phenomenon depends on, the better the explanation. In layman´s terms, it means that if you see a zebra, assume it´s a zebra, not a unicorn or a pegasus.

And Sir Arthur Conan Doyle´s famous quote would apply as well: “when you remove the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

If there´s one thing we know about conspiracies, is that they´re not theories, they´re just crazy ideas. A theory by definition, has to be a sound thought construct, with a methodology and a correlation and causation principle which is typically not peer reviewed, therefore, not universally accepted. Whereas a conspiracy is most oftentimes, ignorant or malicious lunacy.