Why haven’t we found aliens yet? Astronomy teacher explains what we are doing wrong

Humanity’s space exploration missions and advanced telescopes have discovered so many exoplanets, some of which are very similar to Earth. These star systems where planets flourish whose temperature and atmosphere are similar to those of Earth, are ruled by red dwarf stars – weaker than the sun – which are the most common star across the sea. universe. Today, a Columbia University professor of astronomy published an article explaining why our search for alien life on red dwarf star systems is very likely to come to a standstill.

“If there are so many, so durable, potentially trillions of years old, and so they really seem to have it all,” Kipping told Inverse, “it’s kind of weird when we weren’t living around a dwarf red. ” In the new paper which was published in the June issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Kipping presents a “red sky paradox”, according to which he argues that despite the fact that red dwarf stars are five times more numerous than red dwarf stars. yellow stars like the sun, possibly holding the abilities to maintain an Earth-like living planet, life as we know it exists on a yellow star system. Additionally, we have yet to find any evidence of life on a red dwarf star system.

Suggesting solutions to the paradox, Kipping said he and his team came up with three possibilities – Luck, Circumstance, and Lifespan. He argues that the paradox can be resolved either if we are truly special or if red dwarf star systems have something that prevents them from developing life, or because red dwarf stars have a lifespan of trillions. years, they have not yet reached their majority.

If scientists are unable to find life in red dwarf star systems, where life is likely to exist given their configuration, it means that life on Earth is more special than scientists. thought so. However, if the process of developing life is considered a universal process, a belief that is accepted in the scientific community, the paradox that we have not found life with billions of stars similar to the sun and five times more red dwarfs, becomes even stronger.

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