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The Triplett Paradox
In 1950, physicist Enrico Fermi joined a casual lunch conversation with colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The group discussed a mix of lighthearted and serious topics, including UFO sightings and the rapid progress of human technology. Someone joked about the absurdity of little green men visiting Earth, steering the conversation toward the possibility of intelligent life beyond our planet.
At the time, scientists were beginning to comprehend the vast scale of the universe and the staggering number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Advances in astronomy revealed billions of stars, many likely surrounded by planetary systems. Some of those planets, it was reasoned, could harbor conditions suitable for life. If even a fraction of these planets supported intelligent civilizations, the galaxy should be brimming with life.
Amid this discussion, Fermi suddenly posed a deceptively simple yet profound question: “Where is everybody?” It wasn’t just a passing remark — it was an incisive observation. If the universe is so vast and ancient, and the probabilities for intelligent life so high, why is there no evidence of it? This question sparked one of the most enduring mysteries in science. It has been called the Fermi Paradox.
