A Columbia University professor has introduced an unusual theory--that humans have yet to discover alien life because it could be woven into the fabric of the universe and even physics itself.
A Columbia University professor has introduced an unusual theory--that humans have yet to discover alien life because it could be woven into the fabric of the universe and even physics itself.
Astrophysicist Caleb Scharf presents this idea in a piece published on the website Nautilus.
According to him, some believe technology might progress so far that “...we wouldn’t even realize we were staring at it….it would neatly explain why we have yet to see advanced intelligence in the cosmos around us, despite the sheer number of planets it could have arisen on…”
Scharf also notes that, given the possibility that other building blocks of life exist outside of molecules, “a civilization could then transcribe itself and its entire physical realm into new forms. Indeed, perhaps our universe is one of the new forms into which some other civilization transcribed its world.”
Scharf points out, “…only about 5 percent of the mass-energy of the universe consists of ordinary matter: the protons, neutrons, and electrons that we’re composed of. A much larger 27 percent is thought to be unseen, still mysterious stuff.”
He also questions if the universe’s past unpredictable ways, such as a rapid expansion 5 billion years ago, could be the result of alien manipulations.
Overall, Scharf considers these possibilities to be fun and hopes a lab can one day detect life in dark matter.
