Astrobiology: Investigating Fermi Paradox, Abiogenesis, and Evolution

This essay delves into the Fermi Paradox, a central concept in astrobiology, exploring the contradiction between the high probability of extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of observed evidence. It examines the origins of life through the lens of abiogenesis, contrasting it with Darwin's theory of evolution. The essay investigates the conditions necessary for life, including planetary habitability and the motivations behind potential alien visitations. It also addresses the challenges of space travel, including its high costs and technical limitations. The paper concludes by summarizing the key arguments and emphasizing the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life and the mysteries of the universe. The essay highlights the complexities of the Fermi Paradox and the various scientific perspectives that attempt to explain it, drawing on evidence and probability to weigh the validity of different explanations.

Running head: ASTROBIOLOGY 1
Astrobiology: Fermi Paradox
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Introduction
For centuries, human beings have been lost in the middle of the vastness in trying to
understand the universe. Many scientists and bio-astronomers have been working tirelessly to
piece together evidence of life in other planets. As a result, a lot of theories have been formulated
in an attempt to explain just what lies beyond the earth. One such theories are the theory of
Fermi Paradox. The theory of Fermi Paradox was named after the famous physicist Enrico
Fermi. According to the theory, there exist other stars that are similar to the sun. The theory
postulates that these stars are billions of years older than the solar system. With a high
probability, Fermi Paradox believes that there exist plants like the earth. Fermi argues that just
like the earth, some of these planets have developed intelligence. Based on this line of thought,
the earth should have been visited by the extra-terrestrial aliens. The theory has been built in
reference to the contradiction that has existed between the failure of enough evidence of the
presence of extra-terrestrial civilization and the high probability estimates. This research paper
offers an analysis of the Fermi Paradox. It weighs the validity of all the explanations regarding
the theory based on evidence and probability.
Abiogenesis
Critically speaking if biogenesis was human life was true, many links are needed to link
the modern human beings to chemicals that the hypothetical primitive soup postulates (Anders &
Kalogirou, 2014). According to theory, this primitive soup is the origin of life on earth over 3.6
billion years ago. The soup was located in the ocean and mud puddles. Other scientists who still
hold to this theory believe that life came from dray land (Almár & Johnston, 2016). Other better
yet others argue that life occurred under certain conditions that stopped to exist. The origin of
living organisms on earth remains one of the most challenging and intriguing questions

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scientifically. Solving this dilemma will not only help satisfy man’s curiosity but also establish
the probability of the existence of life extra-terrestrial (Ward & Brownlee, 2013).
According to Almár and Johnston (2016), biogenesis theory postulates that life can
actually arise spontaneously from non-living things under certain conditions. Unlike Darwin’s
theory of evolution—that human beings and other animals changed or evolved from other related
species—this theory does not have any evidence so far. Charles Darwin realised that the subject
of how life comes to be was critical in his theory. Formidable evidence is required to bridge the
stages that are involved in the development of living things, and consequently prove the theory
of biogenesis (Almár & Johnston, 2016).
Based on Almár and Johnston (2016), until the all the principles governing the way or
process through which life on earth occurred are resolved, trying to establish life on other planets
will remain a nightmare for man for very long time. This is particularly because life itself is
extremely hard to get started. A lot of experiments have been carried to establish the origin of
life on earth—for instance, the 1952 Stanley Miller and Harold Urey biogenesis experiment—
have, on the contrary, served to prove that life actually did not emanate from or due to natural
conditions that existed on earth (Lincoln, 2013). Because of the failed mission of viable
evidence, an explanation of the origin of life what, and how biogenesis could have occurred,
most evolutionists currently tend to avoid the field because of they afraid of saying they do not
have evidence (Cohen & Stewart, 2012).
Evolution
Evolution is defined as the process by which diverse kinds of living organisms are
“thought” to have formed and differentiated from previous forms of life in the earth’s history

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(Beagin & Sivaram, 2018). In science, there is a difference between a fact and a theory. Fact is
theory accompanied by evidence. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was initially based on
natural selection (Anders & Kalogirou, 2014). Upon the advancement in science and technology,
the theory was backed up with genetics. Based on the theory, all living organisms are related.
The natural selection theory, for instance, dwells on the ability of animals to survive in different
environmental set ups. Only the organisms with the most suitable characteristics get to survive
and mate to pass on its gens to the future generation (Ward & Brownlee, 2013).
According to the first step in evolution entails the development of self-copying particles
of water and carbon IV oxide. However, up to date, no one has provided viable evidence that
self-copying particle can substantially self-generate a compound for instance DNA (Cohen &
Stewart, 2012). Additionally, no one has created in the laboratory despite the advancement of
technology. Intelligent life has been likewise hard to prove it was because of evolution. Scientist
and psychologist have agreed that the recent developments in science and technology are due to
problems that man is always seeking to solve (Kukla, 2015).
Evidence of evolution and intelligence has substantial missing links. In the same manner,
the existence of extra-terrestrial life and aliens visiting the earth is still purely hypothetical. No
aliens have been found nor been seen visiting the earth (Ward & Brownlee, 2013). From the
evidence of the evolution of human beings on the earth, it has shown that the human brain
typically grew due to changes in the conditions of the environment such as shifts in the food
supply. In the same case, the extra-terrestrial life has its triggers that do not necessarily mean that
they are ahead of the earth technologically (Davies & Lange, 2010). Curiosity is built out of an
intended solution to a problem. This implies that if the aliens do not have similar problems like

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the earth, then chances of predicting the correct intelligence levels are low hypothetically (Webb,
2012).
Planetary Conditions
Life is governed by certain conditions devoid of which its existence is no more. Planet
habitability is the degree of the planets ability or its satellite potential to not only develop but
also maintain conditions hospitable to the existence of life (Davies & Lange, 2010). Based on the
current research findings, there are many planets in the universes—beyond the earth’s solar
system—but as far as it is known only a handful can support life (Mayor & Frei, 2016).
Astronomers and space scientists continuously scour the limitlessness of the universe to find
evidence of life away. Environment’s habitability is not considered by the content of life nor are
the conventional habitable zones; the only places life might ascend from (Anders & Kalogirou,
2014).
There a variety of factors that make a planet habitable. First of all, the planet has to be at
a comfortable distance from the star providing it with energy (Webb, 2012). So far, the solar
systems that have been detected by, man do not have this aspect. The paths for planets in these
solar systems are not uniform. The stars in most of the universes detected are also unstable terms
of luminosity (Lincoln, 2013). Most of the star's luminosity increase severely. The atmosphere is
the planets is covered by dust and carbon further ruling out the existence of life (Cohen &
Stewart, 2012). Correct planetary conditions in most of the solar systems observed have
remained rare; hence the existence of extra-terrestrial life holds almost zero chances.
Alien Motivations

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Extra-terrestrial visitation refers to in intentional encounter between human beings and
extra-terrestrial beings (Almár & Johnston, 2016). Throughout history, claims by some people
that aliens have visited the earth have existed. Extra-terrestrial visitation—if there have been
visitations—factors range from the most basic to intricate reasons (Cohen & Stewart, 2012). The
Extra-terrestrial have to possess a high technology than the earth for them to visit. Moreover, For
extra-terrestrial visitation to be deliberated a real concern amongst researchers, extra-terrestrials
must be established to have a useable inspiration for visiting, besides the encounter must duly be
possible and probable scientifically (Bodin, 2014).
There is no doubt that research is problem and curiosity driven. The theory of extra-
terrestrial visitation postulates that the motivation behind human alien encounter could be both
for well or bad intended. According to the hypothesis of ancient astronauts, extra-terrestrials
have played a critical role in the affairs of human life (Davies & Lange, 2010). Based on this
astronauts, the proof of extra-terrestrial visitations can be traced in art, engineering, and
technology. There has been supposed abductions by aliens who have been hypothesised as
warnings or enlightenments to the humans. Another motivation for the supposed alien visitation
is an experimental purpose. All supposed alien abductees tell encounters of being examined. It is
important to note that all the above motivations are only but speculations (Michael, 2018). No
one has scientifically established the existence of extra-terrestrial life and the supposed
visitations. It could be they are listening and studying the earth, or most likely they do not know
about the earth just like the earth doe know about them, assuming there are aliens (Bodin, 2014).
Space Travel
The cost of space travel is undeniably high. According to Prantzos and Nayak (2010), the
cost of things such as mercury, Gemini and the associated programs costed more than 110 billion

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US dollars. Additional the support station for the space ship cost about 250 billion US dollars. In
overall, NASA’s inflation its inception in 1958 through to 2014 the institution has used more
than 900 billion US dollars; representing more than 16 billion per years. Cone of the most
expensive component of launching a space ship is energy. The slow rate of space expedition is
due to the intricate nature of all the parameters. The process entails a lot of calculations to attain
the required efficiency (Prantzos & Nayak, 2010).
The earth, for instance, is grappling with the issues of poverty, drought and climate
change. As a result, most people are currently seeing space expeditions as a waste of money and
resources, which could be used to solve the current planet—the earth—issues such as improving
the lives of people (Anders & Kalogirou, 2014)). Space expeditions are overburdening the
economy of the USA. It is being perceived as living future in the present time. Similarly, the
same could be possible with extra-terrestrial life (Davies & Lange, 2010). May be this other
being also face the same challenges of space travel time, technical limitations and the high cost
associated with space exploration. Coupled with energy issues, these drawbacks have made it
impossible for the two “beings” to interstellar (Lincoln, 2013).
Conclusion
Human beings have been lost in the middle of the vastness in trying to understand the
universe. Many scientists and bio-astronomers have been working tirelessly to piece together
evidence of life in other planets. The theory of Fermi Paradox was named after the famous
physicist Enrico Fermi. According to the theory, there exist other stars that are similar to the sun
and could be home to another being. Using Drake’s equation, the theory is used to estimate the
probability of life outside the solar system. Biogenesis theory postulates that life arose
spontaneously from non-living things under certain conditions. A lot of experiments have been

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carried to establish the origin of life on earth have, on the contrary, served to prove that life
actually did not emanate from or due to natural conditions that existed on earth.
Although no one has provided viable evidence that self-copying particle can substantially
self-generate a compound for instance DNA, the theory of evolution has made strides in proving
the relationship between living things. From the evidence of the evolution of human beings on
the earth, it has shown that the human intelligence typically grew due to changes in the
conditions of the environment such as shifts in the food supply. In the same case, extra-terrestrial
life has its intellectual triggers. Curiosity is built out of an intended solution to a problem. This
implies that if the aliens do not have similar problems like the earth, then chances of predicting
the correct intelligence levels, and whether they have visited the earth are hypothetically are low.

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References
Almár, I. & Johnston, W. D. (2016). Analogies between Olbers' Paradox and the Fermi
Paradox. Acta Astronautica, 26(3-4), 253-256. doi: 10.1016/0094-5765(92)90107-t
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Bodin, M. (2014). Fermi's paradox: Cosmology and life. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam.
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Cohen, J., & Stewart, I. (2012). Evolving the alien. London: Ebury. Chicago: University of
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Gray, R. (2015). NASA Astrobiology Institute. Retrieved from https://nai.nasa.gov/about-
astrobiology/

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Kukla, A. (2015). Extraterrestrials: A philosophical perspective. New York: Oxford University
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paradox-blog/
Prantzos, N. & Nayak, J. K. (2010). Aliens Are Real, But Humans Will Probably Kill Them All,
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fermi-paradox-answer.html
Ward, P., & Brownlee, D. (2017). Fermi’s Paradox - This American Life. Retrieved from
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