Yes, a NASA scientist said aliens may have visited Earth. But there's some nuance

Hard Science

This morning a white paper by NASA researcher Silvano Colombano, titled "New Assumptions to Guide SETI Research," bubbled up on Reddit.

Yes, a NASA Scientist Said Aliens May Have Visited Earth. But There’s Some Nuance

We have to challenge all previous assumptions if we want to find aliens. 

From living in a simulation, to just being really far away, here are our favorite theories as to why we haven’t come in contact with aliens yet.

One tasty metaphor on why our search for aliens has yet to prove fruitful.

A fruity visual metaphor helps explain Fermi's paradox

Off World

A Fruity Visual Metaphor Helps Explain Fermi's Paradox

A Fruity Visual Metaphor Helps Explain Fermi’s Paradox

There are lots of possible answers to Fermi's Paradox.

Where is alien life? Six of the top theories

Sci-Fi Visions

Six theories about alien existence explore facts surrounding the fermi paradox, the great filter and where extraterrestrials might live.

6 Theories About Alien Existence and Facts | Futurism

Aliens might be out there. Or, perhaps, they might not.

Where Is Alien Life? Six Of The Top Theories

They're too busy swimming to explore space.

Alien life could exist in buried oceans throughout the galaxy

Many have come forward to provide potential answers to the Fermi Paradox. Alan Stern has one: what if alien life exists in oceans deep beneath the surface?

Alien Life Could Exist in Buried Oceans Throughout the Galaxy

Oceans provide a safe place for life to evolve.

What if we haven't found aliens yet because they're all just like us?

Our civilization's relatively short technological lifespan may be shared throughout the universe — which doesn't bode well for finding advanced aliens.

A New Theory Suggests We May be the Only Technologically Advanced Civilization Still Around

Most civilizations may exist briefly, and end badly.

The potential for intelligent life to exist somewhere out there should be enormous.

Astrophysicist argues that if we are indeed typical, it follows that species such as ours could go extinct soon after attaining technological knowledge.

The Implications of Cosmic Silence

Could cosmic silence imply that we as a species lag way behind other potential life forms?

Perhaps we haven't encountered aliens because climate change is our "Great Filter" — not to mention our extinction event.

The Reason We’ve Never Found Intelligent Life Might be Because We Are Already Going Extinct

Climate change might be humanity’s "Great Filter."

The latest solution to Fermi's Paradox argues that aliens could be hibernating in order to maximize their computational capabilities.

Oxford Scientists Suggest That Aliens Aren’t Extinct, Just Hibernating

Extraterrestrials may be biding their time, waiting for a more ideal universe.

Due to advances in technology, scientists have been keeping an eye out for signs of alien megastructures.

We May Be Looking for Alien Megastructures in the Wrong Places

Focusing on these 85 candidates could improve our chances of finding life beyond Earth.

Cox believes we won't be communicating with intelligent life outside our solar system anytime soon. In fact, we may never hear from aliens. 
The best chance of finding alien life would be in bacterial or microbial forms on one of the 3,532 exoplanets currently known to us.

/ fermi-paradox