Solving the Fermi Paradox
The Fermi paradox can be expressed by the question: “If it is so likely to find planets in the universe with conditions suitable to support life, why have we not yet discovered evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life?”.
The following is the Drake equation, referred to by articles on the Fermi paradox:
Assuming the universe has a beginning, at least according to the big bang theory, the Drake equation misses one relevant factor: The time from the big bang to when intelligent life appears. Let’s call this Ti.
In evolutionary terms, this is the time for life to evolve to an intelligent level according to the evolutionary theory of choice.
If we assumed that this time is about the age of the Earth, then the effect of Ti would be relatively minor. However, if this time was closer to the age of the universe, because life needed a sequence of nuclear, cosmological and chemical events to happen, then Ti would obliterate all other factors.
The question is then, how long would it take for life to form?
Again, in evolutionary terms, when random mutations are the only possible cause of organization, a simple probability calculation shows that for intelligent life to form would take several orders of magnitude longer than the age of the universe. For example, the article in the following insert shows that to form a specific word of ten characters by randomly choosing a character out of a keyboard every tenth of a second, would take longer than the age of the universe.
Thus intelligent life on Earth, or anywhere else, would be extremely unlikely.
In conclusion, either we have a solution to the evolutionary problem, or almost surely we are the only life in the universe.
The only other option, of course, is that a Creator is in charge. In this case we know that we exist, but we have no idea of whether the Creator might have started life elsewhere in the universe.
