The Fermi Paradox

What this episode covers

In a special follow-up to episode 6 on extra-terrestrial life, Megan and Frank examine the Fermi Paradox. The Fermi Paradox holds that the observable universe ought to (on a set of plausible assumptions) contain evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Yet, no such life has ever been credibly observed. What, if anything, best explains our seemingly significant celestial solitude? Beyond the Fermi Paradox, they also explore two other questions: is ET life compatible with various religious worldviews? And are alien abduction reports a kind of religious experience? ----------------------- Hosts' Websites: Megan J Fritts (google.com) [https://sites.google.com/view/meganjfritts/home?authuser=0] Frank J. Cabrera - Research (google.com) [https://sites.google.com/view/frank-j-cabrera/research?pli=1] Email: [email protected] ----------------------- Bibliography: Ezra Klein | What the Heck Is Going On With These U.F.O. Stories? - The New York Times (nytimes.com) [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-leslie-kean.html] The Great Silence (2018) - Milan M. Ćirković - Oxford University Press (oup.com) [https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-great-silence-9780199646302?cc=us&lang=en&] (The book we draw heavily from in the episode) Milan M. Ćirković  - Fermi's Paradox - The last challenge for copernicanism? [https://doiserbia.nb.rs/Article.aspx?id=1450-698X0978001C](An article which covers most of the main themes of the 2018 book) Milan M. Cirkovic - Our Attitude Toward Aliens Proves We Still Think We're Special - Nautilus [https://nautil.us/our-attitude-toward-aliens-proves-we-still-think-were-special-237159/?_sp=3774edb7-a045-44e5-bcab-8aba4132520e.1687387173342] (Short, popular piece on Fermi Paradox) David Wilkinson (2013) - Science, Religion, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence | Oxford Academic (oup.com) [https://academic.oup.com/book/6842] Whitmore, J. (1995). Religious Dimensions of the UFO Abductee Experience [https://ixtheo.de/Record/1843676702] ("UFO abductions seem to be primarily an American phenomenon; although several important cases have been reported outside the U.S., some argue that abductions are mainly confined to this country.", p. 81) Plotinus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plotinus/] The Experience Machine | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (utm.edu) [https://iep.utm.edu/experience-machine/] ----------------------- Cover Artwork by Logan Fritts ------------------------- Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/neon-signs License code: HU4PAS2LONZMNQOU