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Enrico Fermi is widely credited with giving voice, in 1950, to the question, "Where are they?" In our Universe, the basic conditions for life an intelligence are seemingly readily met, and yet there is no evidence whatever of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations.
Over the past half-century, there have been numerous attempts to resolve what is no known as Fermi's paradox. While no consensus has been reached, our understanding of the basic scientific issues that underlie the paradox has increased dramatically. We now know, for example, that planets are common in the galaxy, and the molecular basis for life is understood at a fundamental level.
"Here to Go" is an interdisciplinary 2-day workshop organized with the goals of taking a critical look at the Fermi Paradox, and with evaluating whether the paradox can give us important information with respect to our condition as a society. Experts in the relevant astrobiological disciplines will review the current understanding of the formation frequency of environments that can give rise to life, intelligence and civilization, with a particular focus on potential bottlenecks. We will also investigate how the direction of human society, in terms of technology, exploration and social issues can make the paradox less mystifying than it appeared at the dawn of the space age.
For further information contact:
Stephanie Langhoff
Stephanie.R.Langhoff@nasa.gov
650-604-6213
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