I have a question -- can the type of extraterrestrial life out there determine the length of time it can take for us to come into contact with them?
For example, would it take shorter or a longer period of time to discover more primitive, non-intelligent extraterrestrial life? It could take shorter time, because more primitive extraterrestrial life is likely to be more common throughout the universe given their greater biological/evolutional simplicity.
On the other hand, it could take longer to discover non-intelligent ex-life because they have no technology to facilitate any kind of communication. Our discovery of them would have to rely solely on our efforts to reach out to them.
And similar line of thoughts in regards to intelligent, more advaced ex-life. It could take shorter time to come into contact with them, because they could have the technology to reach out to us, while we are making the same effort to reach out to them.
On the other hand, it could take longer, because intelligent, advanced ex-life is likely to be less common than more primitive, non-intelligent ex-life.
So what are other people's thoughts on this?
For example, would it take shorter or a longer period of time to discover more primitive, non-intelligent extraterrestrial life? It could take shorter time, because more primitive extraterrestrial life is likely to be more common throughout the universe given their greater biological/evolutional simplicity.
On the other hand, it could take longer to discover non-intelligent ex-life because they have no technology to facilitate any kind of communication. Our discovery of them would have to rely solely on our efforts to reach out to them.
And similar line of thoughts in regards to intelligent, more advaced ex-life. It could take shorter time to come into contact with them, because they could have the technology to reach out to us, while we are making the same effort to reach out to them.
On the other hand, it could take longer, because intelligent, advanced ex-life is likely to be less common than more primitive, non-intelligent ex-life.
So what are other people's thoughts on this?
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