Chapter 39 The Dark Universe

This is good, the problem comes back to the matter of the explosion of the Earth.

If it is true that Noah's civilization destroyed the Earth because of various conspiracies, according to Rimbaud's logic, it is still possible that human civilization has passed the Great Filter and is a rare civilization in the universe ...

But exactly what civilization destroyed the Earth, it is clear that the scientists here can not get any answers.

For the Earth's explosion, scientists have analyzed for a long time, only know that the destruction of the Earth is likely to be the work of alien civilizations, rather than any natural phenomenon.

As for what civilization destroyed the Earth, it can only be said that do not know, mankind has never even seen a living alien civilization ...

For a time, the entire meeting hall was silent, and the group didn't know what to say for a while. People's knowledge of the universe is really too little, too little.

"Well ... everyone, let's not consider the issue of the explosion of the Earth for the time being. About the Great Filter Theory, I'll say a few more about the rest." Hagel took the lead in breaking the silence, "And these are the ones that we humans have not crossed yet. If one of them is true, then this terrible Great Filter, is still ahead of us ..."

The optimist Rimbaud has finished his point of view, it is the turn of the pessimist to take the stage, Oliver is also quietly waiting.

"The first one, the difficulty of interstellar navigation technology is likely to exceed human imagination."

"Interstellar navigation, the first thing to do is to accelerate the ship to the level of sublight speed, which requires a large amount of energy, controlled fusion technology is only the first step. Only controlled fusion technology can provide so much energy.

Secondly, the ship itself needs a lot of new materials with excellent performance, long voyage time also requires large hibernation silo technology and so on. Perhaps, some of the technologies here are extremely difficult ..."

"Because all kinds of technology for interstellar navigation is very difficult, so that all civilizations are stuck on their own planets. Just like us humans, we can never cross out of the solar system ... This one, I think, is a possibility for the Great Filter."

The silence was slightly broken as the scientists whispered and discussed. For humans almost all interstellar navigation technology, including engines, materials, energy, etc., are not up to par.

If there are barriers to science and technology, and almost all civilizations are blocked by this barrier, then the possibility of interstellar navigation is greatly reduced.

"No, Professor Hagel, I have a different opinion!"

It was Dr. Rimbaud, who jumped out again: "In addition to sublight ships, different civilizations can send electromagnetic waves, or send unmanned probes and other means. These things, which will not disappear in the universe for millions of years, can't civilizations communicate with each other in this way?"

"Why have we never found out? Can you explain it?"

Hagel thought for a moment and gestured with his hand, "If you want to ask why people have not received alien electromagnetic waves? I think it has to do with the nature of electromagnetic waves."

"Regardless of the power of the transmitting source, the intensity of electromagnetic waves will decay with distance, probably in an inverse relationship. Moreover, the universe is filled with a large amount of electromagnetic radiation, and alien electromagnetic waves are likely to be interfered with to the extent that human instruments cannot distinguish them.

I think it is likely that our human civilization has received electromagnetic wave greetings from alien civilizations, but missed these opportunities because these electromagnetic waves are too cluttered, or the intensity is too weak."

"After all, electromagnetic waves are still not suitable for long-distance transmission, ah. Unless their electromagnetic wave emission power is the same as a star, but that's impossible."

This explanation is quite reasonable. Light is also a kind of electromagnetic wave, even if it is a powerful star, transmission of the Earth is also so much stars, not to mention the power of only a few kilowatts of instruments, even if the power of these instruments amplified 10,000 times, but also may not be able to receive.

"What about unmanned detectors? Unmanned detectors do not weaken, what should be the explanation?" Rimbaud asked unconvincingly.

Hagel thought about it, that is, the Department said: "Like you said the unmanned detector, there is a similar problem. Its flight speed is slow, and it may take millions or even tens of millions of years to fly to another star."

"But the number of such unmanned probes that humans have launched is also too small, I haven't counted them exactly, but I think there are only a few hundred in total."

"Millions of years of navigation time, these unmanned probes have long run out of power, they can only rely on inertia drifting in the universe, perhaps collided with a meteorite, perhaps crashed into an ordinary planet, all kinds of accidents are possible.

Even if it is extremely lucky and happens to pass a living planet, because it is a dead thing without electricity, it may be treated as space junk or a comet and simply ignored ..."

"So each probe has only a very low probability of being captured by an alien civilization, one in a billion or one in ten billion, or less?"

"If all civilizations launch hundreds of probes aimlessly, as we humans do, then there is indeed only a very, very low probability that our Earth civilization will pick up these probes.

Of course, if they launch hundreds of millions of probes every year, then there is only a high probability that they will be detected by humans. However, launching several hundred million probes every year is almost impossible from an economic point of view."

"That's my explanation." Hagel finished speaking and looked at Rimbaud quietly.

After thinking for a long time, Rimbaud finally sighed and sat down heavily. For a moment, he had no rebuttal. This kind of statement should also be reasonable.

Hearing Hagel's words, Oliver, however, felt stuffy and a little breathless.

If there are numerous evolved intelligent civilizations in the galaxy, but because the distance is too far away, trapped in their own planets, each other can never travel, that is also too sad, too cruel ...

The universe, really is cold ...

Oliver suddenly thought of that dark space, that piece of dull starlight representing the human race, really too small, too weak ...

The smallness of civilization compared to the vastness of the universe is really too shocking, too desperate. Fortunately, Professor Hagel's statement is also just a guess, not necessarily true.

While the crowd was silent, Professor Hagel spoke again: "This is the first possibility I mentioned, the technological barrier. There is a second possibility: destructive technology."

"The ocean of truth is endless, and we humans are like children collecting shells on the beach. For the sake of image, I will divide the shells into three categories: 1. white shells, representing technologies that are beneficial to mankind.

2. red shells, representing technologies that may destroy mankind.

3. black shells, representing technologies that have a high probability of extinction."

"Although we all want to pick up the white shells, the process is random and completely uncontrollable. As of now, most of the shells we humans have picked up are white, but we have also picked up red shells before."

"This red shell is the nuclear weapon!

The nuclear bomb, it has the ability to destroy human civilization, but fortunately, we humans are still relatively restrained and not completely destroyed. So, it is still just a red shell."

"But what if, in case, we pick up a black shell? Faced with this black shell, where do we humans go from here? Will we be destroyed?"

"Perhaps the vast majority of more advanced intelligent civilizations have been destroyed by black shells. So, this is also a kind of big filter a possibility ..."

Hagel's series of questions, so Oliver had a little creepy, this damn, the universe is too dangerous, really is a step crisis, say is a knife mountain fire is not too much, even the protector of mankind - "technology" may be revolted at any time!

But what Hagel said is really not much of a logical flaw, is reasonable ...

So, what are the black shells? Is it possible for humans to bypass them?

Some speculate that it is a biochemical virus or bacteria, a disease that can be spared by no one. It could be some kind of zombie virus, or possibly mutated HIV, etc. ... Anyway, it sounds a little more metaphysical, but these are all possibilities ...

There is also speculation that it is artificial intelligence.

The danger of artificial intelligence is that it is completely uncontrollable and unpredictable. There are many people who believe that the kind of AI that can really think will bring an absolute disaster to mankind once it appears, and that they will be able to exterminate mankind in a minute.

Others speculate that it is nanobots. A nanobot that can self-replicate and, if left unchecked, will reproduce itself in an exponentially growing form. Then ... they would consume the entire planet's resources in a matter of days!