The planetarium hypothesis, conceived in 2001 by Stephen Baxter, attempts to provide a solution to the

Fermi paradox The Fermi paradox is the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life and the apparently high likelihood of its existence. Those affirming the paradox generally conclude that if the conditions required ...

by holding that our astronomical observations represent an illusion, created by a Type III civilization capable of manipulating matter and energy on galactic scales. He postulates that we do not see evidence of

extraterrestrial life Extraterrestrial life, or alien life (colloquially, aliens), is life that originates from another world rather than on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been scientifically conclusively detected. Such life might range from simple forms ...

because the

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...

has been engineered so that it appears empty of other life.

Background

There is no reliable or reproducible evidence that aliens have visited

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

. No transmissions or evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life have been detected or observed anywhere other than

in the

Universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...

. This runs counter to the knowledge that the Universe is filled with a very large number of planets, some of which likely hold the conditions hospitable for life. Life on Earth has shown the tendency to typically expand until it fills all available niches."Are We All Alone, or could They be in the Asteroid Belt" by Michael D. Papagiannis, ''Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society'', Vol. 19, p.277
/ref> These contradictory facts form the basis for the

, of which the planetarium hypothesis is one proposed solution.

Criticism

The hypothesis has been considered by some authors as speculative and even next to useless in any practical scientific sense and more related to the theological mode of thinking along with the zoo hypothesis.

References

External links

* {{Use dmy dates, date=July 2019 Extraterrestrial life Hypotheses Fermi paradox 2001 introductions Search for extraterrestrial intelligence