Intelligent life and the Fermi Paradox

[Jupiter60]

TL;DR

Is it possible that most intelligent life never leaves the "hunter gather" lifestyle?

Is it possible that most intelligent life never leaves the "hunter gather" lifestyle? Could this explain the Fermi Paradox?

 

[Filip Larsen]

There are written entire books enumerating and discussing the many possible resolutions. The Fermi paradox Wikipedia page lists up some of those, include a few that relates reasons why any extraterrestrial life may not "advance" to a stage where we can detect it. In the context of the Drakes equation, arguments of this type address the estimates of the Drake equation factor $f_c$.

 

[sophiecentaur]

TL;DR: Is it possible that most intelligent life never leaves the "hunter gather" lifestyle?

Is it possible that most intelligent life never leaves the "hunter gather" lifestyle? Could this explain the Fermi Paradox?

The Fermi paradox emerged from a lunchtime chat and addresses a need that many of us have for an idea of just how important we are (as individuals and as a life form). The Drake Equation attempts to state the situation in terms of timescales and probabilities but how can it yield a solution - except to indicate that the 'numbers' indicate that it's pretty well unthinkable that we can expect to bump into any aliens with whom we could expect to 'have a chat.'
We are very (=over) optimistic about whether we will survive for long as a species but can we assume we will last significantly more than a millennium or two?

I think the 'hunter gatherer' criterion may not be the relevant one. surely Radio Communication would be needed (both ends) for us and aliens to be aware of each other. That implies a window of just a few millennia.

Studies of past and present DNA seem to suggest that 'we' - meaning all life on Earth - could be evolved from just one individual. That would have a huge consequence if we were to find any alien lifeform at all. Life as we know it (Jim ) would probably not pass even that simple test. It would probably be seriously incompatible as food or even as a predator. Would we even be able to recognise it?