Hypothesis that complex extraterrestrial life is improbable and extremely rare
The Rare Earth hypothesis argues that planets with complex life, like Earth, are exceptionally rare.
In planetary astronomy and astrobiology, the Rare Earth hypothesis argues that the origin of life and the evolution of biological complexity such as sexually reproducing, multicellular organisms on Earth (and, subsequently, human intelligence) required an improbable combination of astrophysical and geological events and circumstances.
According to the hypothesis, complex extraterrestrial life is an improbable phenomenon and likely to be rare throughout the universe as a whole. The term "Rare Earth" originates from Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe (2000), a book by Peter Ward, a geologist and paleontologist, and Donald E. Brownlee, an astronomer and astrobiologist, both faculty members at the University of Washington.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Carl Sagan and Frank Drake, among others, argued that Earth is a typical rocky planet in a typical planetary system, located in a non-exceptional region of a common barred spiral galaxy. From the principle of mediocrity (extended from the Copernican principle), they argued that the evolution of life on Earth, including human beings, was also typical, and therefore that the universe teems with complex life. However, Ward and Brownlee argue that planets, planetary systems, and galactic regions that are as accommodating for complex life as are the Earth, the Solar System, and our own galactic region are not typical at all, but actually exceedingly rare.
and 26 Related for: Rare Earth hypothesis information
In planetary astronomy and astrobiology, the RareEarthhypothesis argues that the origin of life and the evolution of biological complexity such as sexually...
of these elements Rare-earth magnet, a type of magnet that employs rareearth elements to increase effectiveness RareEarthhypothesis, the theory that...
The dark forest hypothesis is the conjecture that many alien civilizations exist throughout the universe, but they are both silent and hostile, maintaining...
Panspermia – Hypothesis on the interstellar spreading of primordial life Quiet and loud aliens – Concept in astrobiology RareEarthhypothesis – Hypothesis that...
suggests that planets like Earth should be common in the Universe, while the RareEarthhypothesis suggests that they are extremely rare. The thousands of exoplanetary...
curve towards discovery. The firstborn hypothesis is also a special time-dependent case of the rareearthhypothesis which states that conditions for creating...
reasons they refrain from contacting Earth. It is one of many theoretical explanations for the Fermi paradox. The hypothesis states that alien life intentionally...
paradox, of which the Berserker hypothesis is one proposed solution. A key component of the hypothesis is that Earth's solar system has not yet been visited...
through observation of exoplanets. The RareEarthhypothesis postulates that multicellular life forms found on Earth may actually be more of a rarity than...
the rareEarthhypothesis in their book RareEarth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe (2000). Losch, Andreas (2017). What is Life? On Earth and...
Neocatastrophism – Hypothesis for lack of detected aliens Principle of mediocrity – Philosophical concept Quiet and loud aliens – Concept in astrobiology RareEarth hypothesis –...
The planetarium hypothesis, conceived in 2001 by Stephen Baxter, attempts to provide a solution to the Fermi paradox by holding that our astronomical observations...
on Earth. Other authors consider instead that life in the cosmos, or at least multicellular life, may be actually rare. The RareEarthhypothesis maintains...
The Snowball Earth is a geohistorical hypothesis that proposes during one or more of Earth's icehouse climates, the planet's surface became entirely or...
life requires that planetary temperatures be 'just right'". The RareEarthhypothesis uses the Goldilocks principle in the argument that a planet must...
"Silurian Hypothesis: What If Humans Aren't the First Civilization on Earth?". Extremetech. Schmidt, Gavin A.; Frank, Adam (2019). "The Silurian Hypothesis: Would...
doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64436-z. PMC 7198600. PMID 32366889. "The "RareEarth" Hypothesis, by John G. Cramer". www.npl.washington.edu. "Asteroid and Comet...
Neocatastrophism – Hypothesis for lack of detected aliens RareEarthhypothesis – Hypothesis that complex extraterrestrial life is improbable and extremely rare Space...
famous for their RareEarthhypothesis, for their book The Life and Death of Planet Earth, alters the calendar so it includes the Earth's future leading...
intelligence), for example by Allen Hynek. Extraterrestrial life RareEarthhypothesis Cosmic pluralism Fermi Paradox Extraterrestrials in fiction First...
always believed the world is round". However, a firm belief in a flat Earth is rare, with less than 2% acceptance in all age groups. In early Egyptian and...
the Earth; therefore, the existence of extraterrestrial biospheres remains hypothetical. The rareEarthhypothesis suggests they should be very rare, save...
found some are capable of surviving in extra-HZ conditions. The RareEarthhypothesis argues that complex and intelligent life is uncommon and that the...
Global Information