Close encounters of the very stupid kind await alien visitors to Earth
According to scientists at the University of Nottingham, there are at least 36 intelligent alien civilisations currently living in our galaxy. They make no mention of non-intelligent alien civilisations, in which beings wear red caps reading MAKE THE MILKY WAY GREAT AGAIN, but I assume they’re out there, too.
The paper, published on Monday in The Astrophysical Journal, uses “galactic star formation histories, metallicity distributions, and the likelihood of stars hosting Earth-like planets in their habitable zones, under specific assumptions”. It also makes an extremely strong argument that when it comes to funding silliness, the hard sciences need never step back for the humanities...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
This article is reserved for HeraldLIVE subscribers.
A subscription gives you full digital access to all our content.
Already subscribed? Simply sign in below.
Already registered on DispatchLIVE, BusinessLIVE, TimesLIVE or SowetanLIVE? Sign in with the same details.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@heraldlive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.