Formula for the search for extraterrestrials: Conditions in our cosmos not ideal
The more stars there are in a universe, the better the chances of possible life. This would not make our cosmos ideal, says a research team.
(Image: ASA, ESA, G. Duchene (Universite de Grenoble I); Bildbearbeitung: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)/CC BY 4.0)
Our universe does not offer the best conditions for the emergence of intelligent life: There would have to be a higher proportion of so-called dark energy. At least that's what a new model suggests, which, based on the famous Drake equation, should make it possible to determine what conditions should prevail in a hypothetical universe that is most likely to produce intelligent life.
It was compiled by a team led by Daniele Sorini from Durham University in the UK. It is based on the question of the circumstances under which most of the conventional matter in a universe is converted into stars.
How likely is intelligent life?
With the Drake equation, the US astrophysicist Frank Drake had put together a formula to estimate how many civilizations there are in the Milky Way. Rosini's team now wanted to determine the conditions under which a universe like ours would develop in such a way that there would be the greatest possible probability of intelligent life emerging at least once. Not only would this require the formation of as many stars and planets as possible, they would also have to remain stable long enough to give evolution time. According to current understanding, dark energy ensures that the universe expands faster or slower, which has a direct influence on this stability.
Videos by heise
With their research, the team now believes they have found an optimal amount of dark energy to create as many stars as possible. Interestingly, this value differs from that in our cosmos. While around 23 percent of matter becomes stars over the entire history of our universe, up to 27 percent would be possible. So if there are other universes besides our own, some of them could be more likely to produce intelligent life. This cannot be verified, butthe model presented in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society links the search for intelligent extraterrestrials with the properties of the cosmos itself.
(mho)
