A new paper published in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society suggests two additional factors that could limit the chances of finding intelligent extraterrestrial life in the universe. 24 Channels offers to delve into a new and interesting work.

Locked in their own world

The article, written by Elio Quiroga Rodríguez, a professor at the University of Atlantico Medio in Spain, is based on well-known ground. Drake equationsIt was formulated by astrophysicist Frank Drake in 1961.

But Quiroga argues that the Drake equation does not take into account some physical limitations that might prevent some alien civilizations from leaving their planet or communicating with others.

• First limitation is the escape velocity, that is, the minimum speed required to escape the gravitational force of the planet. Quiroga suggests that civilizations located on planets much larger than Earth, called super-Earths, will face enormous difficulties in launching rockets into space because they will need much more fuel and stronger materials than we do.
• Second limitation There is the possibility of the existence of aquatic or liquid civilizations, which Quiroga calls “worlds in a fishbowl.” He suggests that such civilizations would have less incentive to develop long-distance communication technologies because they could easily communicate using sound waves in their liquid media. In addition, their access to resources such as metal and fire, which are necessary for technological progress, will decrease.

Quiroga’s paper adds a new perspective to the Fermi paradox, the apparent contradiction between the high likelihood of extraterrestrial life existing and the lack of evidence for its existence. His work suggests that some alien civilizations may exist, but are unable to explore or communicate with other worlds due to a number of physical environmental and planetary limitations.