No one can say for sure whether alien civilizations exist, but a new study suggests the Milky Way is full of them, though many could be dead.
The research, which can be read in the arXiv repository, was written by experts from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and Santiago High School in Corona, California. 8 billion years after the Milky Way was formed.
“Because we cannot assume that the likelihood of destruction is small, intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy may be too young for us to observe,” the researchers wrote in the study. “Therefore, our findings may imply that intelligent life may be common in the galaxy, but is still young, supporting the optimistic aspect for the practice of [search for extraterrestrial intelligence]. “
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The experts also looked at where other civilizations in the universe might live, noting that they are likely to reside on planets in the galactic habitable zone, places in the galaxy where there is an abundance of metals. This could be about 13,000 light-years from the galactic center, the researchers noted.
In comparison, the solar system and Earth are about 25,000 light years from the galactic center. A light year, which measures distance in space, is about 6 trillion miles.
However, the researchers also noted that the potential for self-destruction in galactic intelligent life is “very influential,” suggesting that every intelligent life may have already destroyed itself.
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“[I]If intelligent life is likely to self-destruct, it is not surprising that there is little or no intelligent life elsewhere, “said the researchers.
While there is no “explicit” evidence that intelligent life will eventually self-destruct, the researchers called research dating back to the 1960s that advances in science and technology “will inevitably lead to complete destruction and biological degeneration.”
Some possible scenarios suggested by the researchers include war, climate change and the development of biotechnology.
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More than 4,500 exoplanets have been discovered so far, only a small number of which have the properties to contain life. A study published in November suggested that the galaxy may contain 300 million planets that can support life.