Why haven’t we found aliens? A physicist shares the most popular theories. | Brian Cox

Chances are, we’re not alone in the universe. But if that’s true - why can’t we seem to find our neighbors?
This question is known as the Fermi paradox, and it continues to go unsolved. However, some theories could offer potential solutions.
Physicist Brian Cox explains the paradox and walks us through our best guesses as to the reason for our quasi-isolation.
0:00 Who is Enrico Fermi?
0:22 What is the Fermi Paradox?
1:29 Rare Earth Hypothesis
2:41 Extinguished Civilizations
3:51 Technological Singularity
4:34 Vast Distances
5:14 Cosmic Quarantine
7:31 The Great Filter
9:51 The Great Silence
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About Brian Cox:
Brian Cox obtained a first class honors degree in physics from the University of Manchester in 1995 and in 1998 a Ph.D. in High Energy Particle Physics at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg. Brian is now Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Brian is widely recognized as the foremost communicator for all things scientific, having presented a number of highly acclaimed science programs for the BBC watched by billions internationally including ‘Adventures in Space and Time’ (2021), ‘Universe’ (2021), ‘The Planets’ (2018), ‘Forces of Nature’ (2016), ‘Human Universe’ (2014), ‘Wonders of Life’ (2012), ‘Wonders of the Universe’ (2011) and ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ (2010).
As an author, Brian has also sold over a million books worldwide including ‘Black Holes’, ‘Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos’, ‘Quantum Universe’ and ‘Why Does E=mc2?’ with co-author Professor Jeffrey Forshaw. He also wrote the series of books to accompany his popular television and radio programs.

[@stevesm2010]

"The moment you are shown to be wrong, you learn something" Words to live by!

[@veritas41photo]

Yes! Indeed, this statement expresses the central idea of the Scientific Method.

[@duncanmacleod7287]

@@veritas41photo Which seems to be highly despised by governments these days.

[@Corusame]

Which a lot of people nowadays hate to hear. That's why we're in this mess.

[@genxin9636]

Another moment is when you realize that you are wrong and you make changes.

[@petebusch9069]

It should be worded, you MAY learn something. Most people will argue facts just to be right, at least in their mind.

[@nega9000]

"If we destroy ourselves, we might destroy meaning in an entire galaxy forever." That's some responsibillty that. Thanks Brian...

[@257rani]

❤🌏🌍🌎❤🌌🎇🌅✨🌃🔵❤🛸🔭🛰📡🔵🕊💎💫🕊❤🗝

[@CEELOW3000]

too bad the powers that be don't feel this way

[@fredeemoon6053]

Dont worry Brians got it completely wrong There are plenty of other more intelligent species out there , Humans messed up their chance to be anything decent Besides why cant the universe live with just wild animals ? Brian , stop making out humans are all that .. We are all obsessed with money, status and material things ...its been killing the earth ..and everything on it

[@nega9000]

@@darktagmaster1861totally

[@ctakitimu]

Well to be fair, the responsibility was always there. Just know you know about it.

[@samstevens2021]

Idk if it's his accent or what , but the way he explains things and breaks things down for us normal people to grasp is just beyond awsome. Hes amazing

[@Jasmin.M-hz5ty]

If their are any aliens out there,then we should all be happy,and honored by their visit.Becouse we can leave planet earth,see,and learn more.

[@Seventeen_Seconds]

I love how Brian Cox presents this type of information, he almost makes it more accessible for non scientific people. Could listen to him all day.

[@oahujuniorgolfassociationc6656]

This guy could explain anything well.

[@erikas974]

Me too

[@breadyegg]

He's got the kind of voice that would make you feel both relaxed and smart explaining how to put your shoes on.

[@waseatenbyagrue]

"almost"

[@46oranges]

@@breadyegg That's why he's been chosen to be the baby face of truth, in spite of the fact that he talks silly, unreasonable crap.

[@ProWrestlingJoe]

It's fascinating how Brian Cox have gone over these theories 1000 times already and he's still as enthusiastic about telling them to potential new ears listening as he was the first time he went over the theories. Just wanted to point out how awesome that is.

[@ordinarryalien]

He's a wholesome guy. I love listening to him and Greene.

[@atheistsince1210]

I have his Black Holes Book he’s such a gem I don’t know how he can smile knowing the Truth ?

[@andersonsystem2]

There are definitely other civilizations out there sos e us so vast and our technology is kinda primitive and so it Combe that we don’t have the technology to reach them and maybe they don’t actually have the 12:27 technology to reach us. They could be on the same evolutionary trajectory we are on. That’s my hypothesis

[@ngmookleong3415]

because that is the only thing he can tell

[@axnyslie]

I was privileged to have a front row seat at his Horizons lecture in 2022. He is the only one that comes as close to Carl Sagan in being the great science orator and evangelist to the stars.

[@wj2036]

The fact that we only started to understand space in the blink of an eye relative to the time life emerged, leads me to believe either we don't have the technology to detect them, or we just haven't found the needles in the hay stack yet.

[@marcosdheleno]

i made a post explaining it, people use Sci Fi logic when it comes to aliens. when all they need to explain why we have not found them is simply because its literaly impossible for us to, right now. just look at the andromeda galaxy, that thing is 2.5 Million light years away from us. so what we do see, is so far away, if an alien were to come here at the speed of light, from the point we see andromeda as, there would be no humanity up until the last 25th leg of the trip.

[@stupidveganworld]

We’ve traveled so little in the grand scheme of things. They're planning on sending out clippers to other moons on Jupiter/ Saturn. They think there may be life on those. It does seem lack of technology limits our ability to know.

[@Bob-pd1wf]

We don't understand space. It can't exist as described. The lights in the sky are closer than we are told.

[@kjjohnson24]

Military radar-involved UFO sightings suggest that they do have the technology to detect them. Our own senses, however, may not be able to detect them. These things could be zipping around our skies all the time at such high speeds that we just can’t even see them…

[@Bob-pd1wf]

@@kjjohnson24 aliens are a myth. Extra terrestrials from beyond antarctica could very well exist.

[@peg1028]

I did NOT make a mistake clicking on this vid and I learned something !!! Excellent discussion and presentation.

[@6XXBANSHEEXX8]

I love and appreciate how Brian Cox, a brilliant physicist, can speak to the majority, in plain English, with great enthusiasm and passion. Thank you, Sir!

[@paulwilliams2663]

Best explanation I heard, was a lady scientist at SETI, who posed, " you can dip a child's fishing net into the sea, a thousand times, and it's unlikely you'll catch a fish. Yet, we know our oceans are teaming with life".

[@Dionysos640]

Explanation of what?

[@kanukki84]

@@Dionysos640 Why we havent found alien life.

[@Daniel-xg3ul]

Lady scientist? So....a scientist.

[@markmonaghan2309]

​@@Daniel-xg3ul , that's right 100% .

[@Frankie5Angels150]

@@Daniel-xg3ul Silly! Ladies can’t be scientists! They can be secretaries, nurses, teachers, or mommies.

[@wade8130]

"Every scientist should be delighted it they're shown to be wrong, because the moment you've been shown to be wrong, that means you've learned something, and that's the way knowledge progresses." That's brilliant and beautiful.

[@Dudanation12]

That earned him my thumbs up

[@user-tq9dg5cb2u]

One of the most excellent and thought provoking presentations I have seen for a vey long time.

[@user-fu5no5rh6d]

Simply brilliant and concise. Enables a layman to grasp some understanding.

[@mv11000]

Prof. Cox is by far my most favourite science communicator. Thank you for this vid.

[@ctwentysevenj6531]

I always enjoy Prof. Cox's documentaries.

[@tonyjohnson3717]

We get it y'all like cox

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

If schools were honest they would teach you this 👉The Connections (2021) [short documentary]💖

[@juliajames2]

Yes he draws you in and it was nice hear about all the different theories, he has charisma and is a great story teller, i subscribed to watch his videos. :)

[@irisbaez1972]

WHERE CAN I SEE THE THUMB DOWN? TO SEE YOUR.

[@ElvisRandomVideos]

I love how Dr Cox is able to present complex information at a human level that anyone can understand. While at the same time accepting that he could be wrong, because there’s so much we don’t know.

[@katelyndoxsee2710]

😊

[@SparkyLabs]

I wouldn't call it complex.

[@alfredosilvaneto]

@@SparkyLabs the Fermi paradox particularly isn't complex, but Brian Cox, just like Carl Sagan, already talked about many other extremely hard subjects in a way that everyone can understand.

[@4J_777]

I supposed the weight of science we are carrying currently proves only for humans since we are very limited until then you are right, we might be wrong. Because science could be different for other beings. Pretty cool to think that

[@chrisstevens-xq2vb]

He talks a lot nonsense mostly which is why he gets on tv

[@mdesign8675]

Love the mysterious background music at the beginning.

[@user-tz4xx8ly1l]

In every way a really exceptionally good analysis. So worth the time to watch. Treat yourself.

[@Frankie5Angels150]

“There are but two possibilities. Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” -Arthur C Clarke

[@DilankaDias]

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

[@RnR1001]

​@DilankaDias who created God?

[@RavingEngineer]

God could be a software programmer....

[@222ableVelo]

Being "alone" in the universe is not terrifying. I appreciate the attempt to sound profound, but it's not accurate. Why would it be terrifying? Besides we have all sorts of creatures and animals on the Earth. We're not alone in the first place.

[@alantasman8273]

@@RnR1001Since God is infinite and actually created space-time...your question is like an ant trying to understand the infinite.

[@jamesbuckley8917]

That old photo at 6:56 is of bison extermination. A grisly image of a mountain of bison skulls. It was taken outside of Michigan Carbon Works in Rougeville, MI, in 1892. At the close of the 18th century, there were between 30 and 60 million bison on the continent. By the time of this photograph, that population was reduced to only 456 wild bison.

[@brandondetroitfanmichaels4325]

19th*

[@tm2jetfire]

@@brandondetroitfanmichaels4325 No, re-read it. 18th is correct.

[@leaveitbetterthanyoufoundit]

Thank you - wondering what was in the photo.

[@Corusame]

Humans doing what they do best.

[@ThePaulv12]

@@Corusame Yes but what was the purpose of exterminating them all? It was to control the Indians and it worked.

[@JP-re3bc]

Professor Brian Cox is a great person. I wish there were many like him, which is not the case at all.

[@sroberts605]

Perhaps there is only one Brian Cox in the known universe?

[@Noise_floorxx]

Would he say that? Doubtful so why don't you try to be more like him

[@penguinmaster7]

when you think about it, Star Trek's prime directive would make a lot of sense in how we've never noticed extraterrestrial life.

[@mjolnir_swe]

Agreed.

[@kaptainkrampus2856]

@@mjolnir_swe All while MSM and 'Ex'-Military personell like David Grusch, Luis Elizondo, David Fravor and others, after the renaming from UFO to UAP, suddenly trying to sell us the long history of a "recovery and reverse engineering program and that it is in possession of "non-human" spacecraft along with their "dead pilots" (Wiki: "David Grusch UFO whistleblower claims")

[@kaptainkrampus2856]

@@user-wi4iw9ko6j Well, to be precise, you have to differentiate between claims, clues and proofs. What proof do we actually have? We have claims from (shady) military personell (Grusch, Fravor ring my BS alarm bigtime) from agencies who supressed and ridiculed the UFO topic for more than half a century - and all of a sudden do a 180 and try to sell us UFO ... oh, sorry, UAPs? ANd that does not ring your alarm bell? We had hearings before, the Greer 2001 National Press Club thing, for example. and Greer 'briefing' politics and military for decades now, also? Why the change of tune all of a sudden (and what took Fravor 10 years to come out?) Serious question: What do you think the 'Phoenix lights' were? A military holographic tech test run or aliens? And how do you define 'extraterrestrial' - definitely from 'outer space' or does this include 'subterranian' or 'subaquatic' life forms? How do you know they are not from the bottom of the ocean, which is a total 'alien' world to us? What do we really know? We see things flying around at best - but in the age of drones, you cannot assume 'alien life' from a UFO sighting, or can you?

[@GlynWalters]

The biggest Goldilocks aspect for Earth I learned recently was that we're lucky to have tectonic plates, a meteor strike fracturing the surface. Without that, the first emergence of algae and plant life would have cooled the planet to an ice ball it never recovered from. It seems we have more Goldilocks factors than just being a workable distance from the sun

[@Morgan-yl3ou]

Things went right? We are lucky we are here ? After all weve done We are the biggest mistake ever made Ruining everything in our path Our and greed selfishness has cestroyed earth , animals , nature, wildlife, oceanlife We should never have evolved We are toxic

[@Frankie5Angels150]

Or… There is God who made us in His image. Why does no one ever consider that in these silly comments?

[@nikkiishh690]

@@Frankie5Angels150because god doesn’t exist

[@Camibug]

@@Frankie5Angels150god doesn’t exist, evolution does

[@LisaMedeiros-tr2lz]

@@Frankie5Angels150 How old is the Earth?

[@mrpearson1230]

One of the most fascinating physicists to listen & learn from!

[@ManjulaD]

Dude how did you comment on this video two days ago ? Video was released 12 minutes ago

[@dixonjavier]

@@ManjulaDso damn true😮😮😮😮

[@miguelsalas4852]

​@@ManjulaDThat's a pearson. They are build differently.

[@privettoli]

​@@ManjulaD could it be a live premiere? Or maybe there's a patron group for early access?

[@mrpearson1230]

@@privettoli bingo

[@user-ww5lg9xv1s]

I love your enthusiasm!!!!

[@TheEnd-pp9mo]

Really enjoyed this video!

[@ToriHalfon]

He has a gift of explaining things very easily and succinctly.

[@CorporationscontrolNewMexico]

The Escajeda Time Paradox is the answer. Humans learn how to develop universes in the future. We created this universe we are in and start the process over again. The universe we created is exactly the same as the one before it so the life develops into humans who create technology to repeat the process. We are in an infinitely repeating loop where we create ourselves and thatis why there are no aliens . It's just us creating ourselves again and again.

[@oggyoggy1299]

@@iociccio936 and you’ve fallen for it.

[@Corusame]

​@@iociccio936let me guess. Its all gods plan.

[@markarundel7856]

It's all in his head. How does he know. No aliens, what about the millions of UFO sightings

[@earth2death]

Almost as if the Gov made it for him

[@tucker9162]

I have watched and listened to the Prof for many years. He could read out a menu and I'd listen intently. A national treasure. I always learn.

[@cowtownokla]

We don't know if there is "life" in other areas of our galaxy. It could be possible that we are using a far too rudimentary definition of "life" and therefore don't recognize or haven't developed the ability to see it.

[@KratosAurionPlays]

I personally like the idea of the cosmic quarantine. Maybe there are just intergalactic laws saying you can't interact with lower developed civilizations.

[@newride5367]

Yes Brain Cox is amazing. However all of you are ignoring the fact that they are already here. 30 whistleblowers providing evidence to congress, since David Grusch testified under oath. He and other whistleblowers have provided names, locations of craft and biological material to the IG. Please keep up guys x

[@vice2versa]

Exactly its so annoying and close minded how people like him just ignore this.

[@MysticsofIndia]

This video is so profound. Best 12 minutes one would spend watching a video on KZbin ❣

[@harryelise2757]

How stupid are you,we are absolutely alone in the universe, and I can prove it. I am the one the world 🌎 has been waiting for. When you say you believe , you say you don't know. I'll answer any question you have ,then the question is will you understand the answer. This is the impossible question.

[@thingonathinginathing]

Ypu should look into the UAP phenomenon with serious intentions. There's over 80 years of overwhelming evidence. We're already so far beyond the points in this video.

[@markg.7865]

​@@thingonathinginathingIf u talking about extraterrestrials on Earth, that's all phony baloney.

[@tannerjones6564]

​@@markg.7865then what is it?

[@markg.7865]

@@tannerjones6564People's fantasies, not one credible evidence of extraterrestrial life on earth. It's same as Bigfoot and other crap like that. You can't even comprehend the vastness of space and time.

[@worldwide846]

Very well told with the orchids sounds spot on.

[@garethbrowne6289]

Super video. Thank you.

[@juankruger2598]

I LOVE Brian Cox. Could and would love to listen to him speak for days

[@Yewbzee]

Great video. I think it's crucial for everyone to grasp that the Fermi Paradox isn't as baffling as it may seem at first. When we ask 'Where are the Aliens?' we often forget about the concept of time and the limitations of the speed of light. Consider this: We've actively searched for extraterrestrial signals with any relevant technology for only about 70 years, which is like looking through a series of 'time windows' into the past. Imagine we're watching a movie, but we've only seen the first few frames, and we're wondering why we haven't seen the whole plot yet! The universe is 13.8 billion years old, and our 70 years of searching are just a tiny snapshot. What's even more surprising is how few reputable scientists discuss this significant temporal gap in our search, glad to see Dr Cox did mention that. The universe's secrets may take far longer to reveal themselves than we initially thought.

[@hannaboba7965]

Totally agree. The movie example is a good one. 70 years as a percentage of 13.8bil is almost 0%. So that’s like watching the first 0.000001 seconds of a movie and wondering what is the plot.

[@hannaboba7965]

Ok I just worked out the percentage.. it’s even less than I thought. It is 0.0000005% 😂

[@ottodidakt3069]

yeah, fully agree, now put that into context of my other post ...

[@johnalden948]

Yes!@@iociccio936

[@mcinb9]

They cant even find a missing dog on my street. You expect to find aliens.

[@mdwoods100]

One of my favorite science personalities.

[@418cjpaul]

a great analysis!!

[@g00nyt]

Brian Cox is just a brilliant man tbh.

[@W1ldSm1le]

I could listen to him forever

[@PoeLemic]

@@W1ldSm1le Same. If I could have a man-crush, it'd be him.

[@ramirezlensonjosephwhiteca5030]

@g00nyt he's fucking blind to know what's really going on. Don't follow this man. Follow Linda Moulton Howe

[@oggyoggy1299]

@@iociccio936 No.

[@SlimeBall_Dev]

What are your thoughts on Dr. Steven Greer?

[@scottpitner4298]

So glad to see Brian C doing so much for this field and science in general. He will help kids and others learn and become interested, kickstarting careers of future minds to further the knowledge of people.

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

He's a front, like all of mainstream science's scientists.

[@thegoat11111]

😂

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

Brian Cox is highly dishonest he is doing a disservice to science in general. He doesn't even accept the established research in his own field that shows the universe had a finite start thus is not cyclical or eternal because it counters his Atheistic WORLDVIEW. This from some of our most proven science the space time theorems. How pathetic is that. Once I saw that I lost all respect for him and can't trust a thing he says after hearing him say we don't know if the universe had a start. The audacity of this guy.

[@robertsimon6674]

wow ..what a wonderful presentation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@johnhaxby306]

excellent, lots to think about.

[@MichelleCarithersAuthor]

love this conversation and discussion.....these hypothesis deserves this type of attention and the willingness to take it there....expand the possibilities....I agree to be proven wrong or make a mistake is a great learning experience which will elevate your thoughts

[@DataSmithy]

Amazing! The best summary of the fermi paradox and related great filters that I have watched in a while. All alien "watchers" should absorb this, and think deeply about our, and the Earth's, long term fate.

[@bitemyshite]

how many different summaries of simple concepts do you actually watch? Why should I absorb some hyperbole and think deeply about Earth's fate?

[@maxsaeheim3603]

Brian Cox does a good job explaining the Fermi paradox. I know most people will not believe me but we are not alone, they are here and have been for some time. Some of us have had contact.

[@regalcartoon3952]

One of my all time favorite quotes explains it best: “Two Possibilities Exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” - Arthur C. Clarke

[@emo_galaxy9413]

Brian Cox is one of the good ones. I always appreciate his take on things. Great video!

[@matildagreene1744]

The good one what ? (good ones ) ??

[@mrsparkymajor5284]

@@matildagreene1744humans

[@davidcross8028]

He's so very wrong about a lot of things. Rarely bother to watch him.

[@watts18269]

@@davidcross8028and yet here you are

[@natesilvers2166]

@@davidcross8028 and he's not even vegan, so can't be that smart or value life that much

[@2BAvalon]

What a pleasure to listen to this man. Lovely way to teach and speak.

[@pippastar1606]

my thought exactly

[@ga6589]

@@iociccio936 Nah... indoctrination is what religions excel at.

[@nessie022]

I like listening to Brian Cox, its a pity that the background noise ruins this video! Whats it for, is it supposed to enhance the video?

[@onemorechris]

the greatest living science communicator. no one else even comes close

[@ChristopherStrevens]

The problem is that people who see them are attacked by psychiatrists who destroy the evidence by cutting out the witness brains.... I've seen it happen.

[@user-wi4sd2pd2c]

Well said Brian, you keep it on a realistic level of understanding.

[@VicJang]

Great video. I watched the Kurzgesagt one long time ago so I knew about the different theories. It’s great to hear more explanations on this topic for sure.

[@SixSioux]

Amazing channel Kurzgesagt!!

[@Shumito-jq5oh]

There are numerous of encounters, confirmed in effect. So we are not the only one, for sure these encounters dont happen frequently.

[@farmergiles1065]

Love this discussion. One paradox. A multitude of approaches to resolve it in some way. And no clear manner in which to choose among them. An answer may deliver itself to us. Or we may stumble upon something. Or we may strain and search and explore, and find a result, or not. But the question is so big, we have great difficulty in just accepting that the unknowns are unknown. So the implacable silence of the problem only feeds us energy not to be docile, or lazy, but prompts us to be active, alive, and engage our understanding. I know something of my own preferences about this paradox, but they don't really matter much. What matters is that we all pay attention to what we see best.

[@steelswarm2721]

What if "what you see" is systematically controlled?

[@farmergiles1065]

@@steelswarm2721 And just how do you propose that that is done?

[@steelswarm2721]

@@farmergiles1065 I don't mean the empirical act of you doing your own research or reaching certain findings with your own funds. I mean realizing the fact that essentially the information you take as truth from mainstream science that comes from peer reviewed articles and scientific magazines is controlled by the agencies that offer the grants and the funds. This meaning that you essentially are shown only what those up there want you to see or the conclusions they want you to reach. If there is evidence they don't want you to see or to understand, you most likely aren't going to even be aware of it. They will cut your research funds dead on. Noone will discuss it.

[@steelswarm2721]

@@farmergiles1065 In conclusion, there is no paradox, but this topic is purposefully not funded and studied (just like many others like anti-gravity propulsion) to prevent information from reaching the majority of the public.

[@farmergiles1065]

@@steelswarm2721 One thing I love about this video is that it is not bringing this junk into the discussion again. Yes, yes, it's happening. Set it aside for a moment to consider something else. Your point is not essential; it's practical. But it also makes the same mistakes everyone makes when they begin to talk about the practical. First, you are making assumptions, not particularly on the mark in my case. For example, "the information you take as truth from mainstream science". You assume I take mainstream science as truth. Well, "truth" is too powerful a word for it in any case. And not all of science is equally consistent with truth. Next, you do not know what I see. Yes, I am shown this or that by various sources, and it's not too difficult in most cases to see what conclusions they have reached. But I don't just absorb everything I "see". I see that there is manipulation, that there are failed efforts at being convincing, and that there are more than one way to draw conclusions, as well as more than one logical conclusion that can be drawn (often). I pity the poor idiot who believes everything he sees or is told. There has been misinformation as long as there has been language. And to top it all off, science is not about proving things true. It is about collecting evidence and trying to make sense of it. The best science can say is "this is the best we've been able to determine to date". And every scientist hopes that later a better understanding will rise. I think that's more along the lines of what this video is about. The problem you raise is eternal and universal - a given in the world. The most important thing to learn first is how to deal with it. And then you can put it in its place.

[@Boodschap]

Civilizations probably exist for a relatively short time on a cosmic time scale. Bringing together 2 civilizations from 2 worlds at the same moment in time is probably like pressing the heads of 2 pins together on a timeline as long as the distance to the sun.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

Evolution isn't real. Cosmic requirements for life show there is pretty much no chance there is another location in the universe that can support life. Why would God create life beyond earth when as Dyson wrote it's as if the universe knew we were coming, it was all created just so we could exist is what the evidence shows.

[@bitemyshite]

"probably" 😅 Do you mind if I check your math?

[@ZIN74FF]

My opinion is that there is intelligence somewhere else as well. it doesn't necessarily mean that being alive brings intelligence. there must be other forms of intelligence, for example: energy based, machine based or even dark matter based. we mainly focus on finding life which resembles our way of understanding life and intelligence whereas life is indeed an intriguing concept to understand more about.

[@JF-yo7vu]

Nice and entertaining to let our imagination flow. But that isn’t how science developed. We build on what we already know, not on the craziest ideas we can imagine. Theres a reason the structure of the universe looks the same everywhere. The laws of physics are the same everywhere, so we are indeed talking about intelligent species on planets..

[@ZIN74FF]

@@JF-yo7vu Great point you've bring up there, indeed science is based on factual knowledge but I have another example and would like to know your opinion about it. the series of events occurred here in a specific order in the making of AI, there could be a place in this infinite universe where the creation of AI wasn't done by a superior civilization but by nature via same or similar events. to think about that there's high possibility of life being way wild and different than what we can currently undertand. we maybe the first or the last one of its kind where there could be way different kind of life.

[@lucymilne4086]

I agree, we are a carbon-based life form and it's surely possible, somewhere in the universe, for there to be other forms of life out there. We currently have no way of discovering/detecting even at the ends of our galaxy, sadly, nevermind in other places. But it's fun to hypothesise

[@komalpanchal1118]

​@@ZIN74FFBelieve it or not. You don't understand AI. You consider it as some being but not biological.

[@ZIN74FF]

Why're u assuming that I'm considering AI as non-biological beings.

[@shepshep8654]

Intelligence is not necessarily what you understand but your willingness to change your understanding when quality evidence is presented. I don't know who said it first that but it sounded good to me.

[@dodgecrockett3474]

Dr. Cox uses the word "filter" to explain the limitations that any civilization would face regarding the quest to become a space-faring civilization. Carl Sagan chose the word "impediment" instead of "filter". Carl Sagan said, "Maybe we haven't been visited become of some impediment to interstellar spaceflight that we've so far been too dumb to figure out". A very humbling position for such a brilliant guy.

[@blastically]

This is a good discussion of the issue. Personally, my guess is that it is a combination of (1) the rare earth hypothesis and (2) a filter going from prokaryotic cells to eukaryotic cells. Regarding the second point, as the video implies, so far as we know, the incorporation of a bacteria mitochondria cell into an archaea single celled organism only happened on earth one single time and only happened after about two billion years of bacterial life. It probably is a very rare event, and most planets may not be stable enough to wait that long.

[@rufusmcgee4383]

I might add two other events, extremely rare, also needed to occur, and in the correct order. The second event was the Cambrian explosion, aided by, as I understand it, a great number of environmental factors that came together after the last snowball earth. All the major life subsystems developed in that short period. Finally, the extinction of the dinosaurs, wiped out the largest, most successful predators of the time to make way for the smaller, but smarter species of mammals. Hard to imagine very many planets end up like Earth, even with a whole universe of them to choose from.

[@micealhome6363]

Given the depths of time and the incomprehensible size of even the observable universe I find it hard to believe we are alone. Since there are parts of the universe we will never “see” this only adds to the probability that conditions somewhere in the vastness were/are conducive to the existence of life.

[@marhensa]

I believe that aliens are indeed all around us, observing us in hiding. They are closely watching us, waiting for us to develop some technological advancements that are not in line with their own. If they were to suddenly reveal themselves and their technology to us, there wouldn't be much "new" technological development from their perspective.

[@TheKeirsunishi]

Despite our observable is increasing as more light reaches us, sadly the rate at which this is happening is slowing and will eventually stop due to the expansion of the universe. Our cosmic horizon is also shrinking as time goes on as well😢😢

[@skierpage]

The Fermi Paradox isn't about the prevalence of life, it's about civilizations advanced enough to produce signatures (currently electromagnetic radiation or actual physical objects) apparent to us. There don't seem to be any in the Milky Way galaxy 😢. It would be great to know that other planets have dolphins, ants, or even just protozoa, but that would require us sending probes and sensors all over the Milky Way... so why haven't other civilizations done the same?

[@FOWST]

Some would argue, that aliens have already visited us. There's stories in the mahabarrata, the book of ezekiel and other cultures like the zulu and probably many more indigenous tribes around the world tell stories of their ancestors being visited by sky people, gods or angels. Also, since the atomic age they've made a reappearance, there's been a whole fleet over washington in the 50s, Buzz Aldrin saw them on the way to the moon, The former canadian minister of defence Paul Hellyer saw documents which indicate their existence, the phoenix lights happened with 10.000+ witnesses, military staff stationed at nuclear launch sites have seen them and report them messing with their electronics, the navy has encountered them and chased them numerous times, the latest whistleblower claims they have bodies, but hasn't come forward with concrete proof. Mainstream scientists, Neil DeGrasse Tyson first and foremost, are too quick to dismiss eyewitness testimony. If it weren't aliens, but a shoplifter in court, he would be convicted due to the overwhelming amount of witnesses, including one of the first humans on the moon, and he'd also be captured by multiple security cameras. But most of the scientists speaking about the fermi paradox seem to be completely ignoring all the witnesses and evidence, still trapped in the "science vs religion" conflict of the 60s. Claiming that we have "no evidence of aliens" is a cope which requires extraordinary ignorance. Don't get me wrong, I like Brian, but this is a topic he seems to know nothing about. It's like if a layman was asking for "better" proof of black holes, telling established scientists that "one blurry picture" isn't enough, and that they're not convinced by calculations.

[@honey-fe6pj]

@@FOWST LOL he is the layman you say ?

[@martinstubs6203]

There is one thing about this line of reasoning that puzzels me: Why should someone be "delighted" if the answer to some open question turns out to be one specific thing or the other? This would imply that one answer is seen as being more favourable or "better" than another. This is a quite unscientific approach not least as it tends to compromise a scientists objectivity when working on a scientific problem.

[@powerdavid6235]

The universe is unimaginarilly vaste, why would anyone assume aliens would come to our part of it. It's like dipping a cup into the ocean and saying, "There's no Whales in this cup, where are the whales?".

[@bittersweet7145]

Personally I'd love for them to show up, not just because we'd learn something but it's in the curiosity of the explosion of profound questions and possibilities it opens up and all the other things we can potentially learn from them and the way we interact. It's such an exciting idea - even in discovering single celled organisms on another planet. Also Brian Cox just seems like the nicest bloke

[@zz-nc5kx]

Well, they are not going to show up due to the vast distances and the cosmic speed limit.

[@mikestephens5200]

I personally think they are here. Our own government admitted there are things flying around us that we don't know what they are. Most governments admitted such years ago btw. Most people have seen the military videos by now. To deny it is to deny facts. The questions now are; Are they just unmanned probes sent long ago to Earth? Are other beings already amongst us? Were they here before us? Are they residing under water, in Antarctica or on the far side of the moon? Are they our progenitors?

[@RedLineShortFilms]

What do you mean? They are already here. We also have evidence and testimonies from 952 military whistleblowers. What other proof do you want?​@@zz-nc5kx

[@muzzyali8011]

Yes exactly. I think a lot of people throw what you said away. I believe there could be life in the galaxy other than Earth but due to the cosmic distances, we will never interact with another planet with life like ours. It's sad but look at the distance of the closest star. It would take us over 50,000 years to reach there with a manned spacecraft.@@zz-nc5kx

[@brax2364]

@@zz-nc5kx LMAO. You’re basing that statement on what WE know, not on what THEY might know. Look back at our history at how many times so-called experts said this and that is not possible. Hell, it wasn’t that long ago that striking a common match would have gotten you burned at the stake for witchcraft.

[@beav1962]

I'm a believer in #4 - Vast Distances. The energy involved in traveling to even nearby stars is enormous. Forgetting stable wormholes, the time involved is also prohibitive. We are just now working on getting BACK to the Moon after 50 years. A manned trip to Mars is probably more than a decade away. I will also add that time between technological advances must play a large part.

[@whitey6317]

sort of proves god is real. why is there such a limitation on how fast and far we can travel.

[@Gabrielbodw]

@@whitey6317how does that prove god is real

[@DanielVerberne]

@@whitey6317 I think you're on the wrong channel if that's what you think.

[@Saladicious_]

@@whitey6317 it proves nothing about god

[@whitey6317]

Because we are incapable to traveling at interstellar speeds due to energy limitations. Quantum physics also proves matter behaves differently while being observed. The most renounced physicists in the world believe we live in a simulation. Which proves gods existence to me. And look around at all the Evil in this world and then read the bible. It all starts to make alot of sense. @@Gabrielbodw

[@cordbarnes]

The cosmic quarantine hypothesis is actually consistent with more technologically developed groups. Think about some of the ways modernized society restricts interaction with uncontacted tribes; in some ways that is like a self-imposed quarantine.

[@ajproductions7427]

guys read or watch 3 body problem. they shed a lot of light on this topic

[@DhooomKetu]

Brian cox really understands the universe tbh and guy speaks so well

[@dodgecrockett3474]

Dhooom, thank you for your honesty.

[@CR0NO-NL]

Love brain cox, always good in explaining stuff, smart guy, and no big ego

[@Paul-wd7mc]

Problem is when you drive along the road in broad daylight and a large floating vessel with just a light in each corner with no other form of propulsion appears and it changes size from 3mx3m to 40mx40m in front of you and only 3.6m off the floor and a voice laughs out loud in your vehicle people call you mentally unstable. The Fermi Paradox is best put back in a cave into the days of UG with a club.

[@LeonardoOliveira-sq7sd]

Is this background music on part 7 the submarine theme from FF VII?

[@SmashPhysical]

Love his conversational way of explaining things.

[@asianconnection7701]

Remember the FRENCH GUY who claimed he went to the future and saw himself, what he did was slip into another simulation of himself in the future and see himself. A similar thing happened to me and I witnessed exactly what this FRENCH DUDE saw.

[@VaughnGeorge]

Great calm, reasonable and sane argument from a brilliant mind.

[@michaelneuber1120]

What meaning are you talking about? What is meaningful in this world on a perspective other than our own? Why do we have any kind of responsibility? To what degree do we even really understand? Is there anything to understand? Why can we not just let something be what it is without looking for some sort of causal relationship between everything?

[@mellowstrangler]

Fascinating video! One of my favorite theories is that we are one of the first civilizations to reach this technological level. I'm not the best to explain it, but it has to do with how long it will take time for life to emerge in the conditions we have, which were and are quite ideal for us humans. According to that theory, we are actually the early comers in our universe considering the time that has passed until now. All the other advanced civilizations would be roughly at the same level of technology as we are now, provided that their conditions were equally ideal than ours on Earth, which of course heavily limits the communication and detection possibilities. Therefore, "they" would be equally unable to contact and detect us, as we are of "them".

[@Kat-zj5kd]

Dr Cox is so brilliant - he explained it so well..awesome

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

Brian Cox is highly dishonest he is doing a disservice to science in general. He doesn't even accept the established research in his own field that shows the universe had a finite start thus is not cyclical or eternal because it counters his Atheistic WORLDVIEW. This from some of our most proven science the space time theorems. How pathetic is that. Once I saw that I lost all respect for him and can't trust a thing he says after hearing him say we don't know if the universe had a start. The audacity of this guy.

[@jaymac7203]

Brian is always worth a watch! Very interesting 🤔

[@davidcross8028]

Never seen him go head to head with noted witnesses.????

[@stevefromsaskatoon830]

​@davidcrosss8028 religious nuts aren't welcome here

[@j.a.weishaupt1748]

8. We are the most advanced species in the galaxy. This is one theory of my own which I don’t see mentioned often. Most people think of extraterrestrial life as technologically way more advanced than we are. But what if WE are the most advanced ones? That could explain a lot.

[@ShadyNationGaming]

How does the very first person of the civilization form? Or be created?

[@jasont5871]

Considering how much different life that has existed and exists on earth right down to microscopic I'd say the universe is chock full of life,it's just the massive distances that separate us from actually finding out.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

The fine tuning evidence and requirements for life show the probability there is another earth like planet is a number 1 in a number greater than the number of atoms in the universe. So it's quite doubtful life exists beyond earth. Those requirements keep growing each month as science progresses.

[@richkavanagh2778]

I agree with you , even if we worked out how to travel at the speed of light , it would still take 4.22 years to reach are closest neighbour. It’s insane when you have think about how much space is between each star

[@theicemankk]

Those 20 seconds of narration starting at 11:15 brought goosebumps. Very elegantly said. If we truly are the only intelligent beings to ever exist then it would be a shame to mess up what we have and experience.

[@matildagreene1744]

Already have..that's obvious !! LOL

[@frankgallagher5786]

yes it would be a shame but would it really matter? There is obviously so much that we do not know and probably will not live to see.

[@delir.6488]

We are NOT inteligent. And humans are not human, most men are inhuman. They don't how to Stop fighting. Men don't know, how to do a business without tricking the clint.😂😂😂😂

[@hunter_lite]

Fascinating. With enthusiasts it seems there is always a big revelation around the corner, but it never arrives. Most want to believe -- myself included -- but we shouldn't jettison our critical faculties.

[@steelswarm2721]

You should however, do some research around the fact that this subject has been covered up for about a century.

[@kasturiswami784]

Loved it.

[@Olibelus]

Brian Cox is awesome, I love listening to him.

[@mjproebstle]

There is an economic/resource filter as well, which could also be considered in a greater overall political filter. Attaining the capability of Interstellar travel would, depending on the technology involved, potentially put a heavy strain on global resources, money, labor, time, materials, etc.

[@bchristian85]

We'd have to develop a technology that could give us near-unlimited clean energy before destroying the planet. Life will go on after climate change, but modern civilization may not. Earth will recover, but it will take thousands of years and millions for evolution to replace the species we will lose. There's a high possibility that the future of humans will be permanent pre-industrial level technology.

[@Robin-Visser]

Indeed. It could just be impossible to travel to other stars no matter how evolved our technology becomes

[@vice2versa]

​​@@Robin-Visser people used to say the same thing about man flying before planes were invented. People need to realize that we simply dont know everything yet and wont until new discoveries are made. Inorder for interstellar travel to be possible, we would first need to learn how to create a machine that can create its own gravity waves.

[@ryanleone3007]

What is that image at 6:55? Are those people, animals, bones of animals, etc.?

[@Gazr965]

There's a little convenience store in Pudsey(Leeds), they live up in the loft above the flat !

[@chriswhitenackmediaproduct6906]

I think along the lines of just because we don't see them doesn't mean they aren't there. Our technology today is brand spanking new in space time; not so long ago, the north and south American continents didn't exist. Plate tectonics weren't even an idea. Yeah, we still really need to keep our egos in check.

[@dennistucker1153]

It is "The Great Filter" that deeply moves me. For me, the Great Filter is also known as DEATH. It could be a single event or a series of events that ends all life. I love Brian Cox's speeches.

[@ShadyNationGaming]

The second one is absolutely correct I’ve studied this my whole life civilization goes on for many many years then a catastrophe happens on earth wiping them out then it all starts over again

[@stevenscummy1458]

When he said there's billions of suns with their own systems, I always get depressed thinking about that stuff. There's definitely other civilizations out there living right now, very far away from us, some primitive, some advanced, and some that are about equal to our intelligence and technology. I want to know/see what their planet is like, what they look like, etc

[@baktashgod]

One of the most likeable and brilliant science communicator, Simply The Best.

[@sciencemathematics]

Better than all the rest

[@SGN30]

​@@sciencemathematicsNeil Tyson is great too

[@whataday443]

The most frightening hypothesis is the technological great filter. That every civilization at some point along their evolution inevitably discovers a technology that immediately wipes them. A lot of people point to AI as being that thing, but personally I am much more afraid of things like particle science. Who knows what could happen if we keep toying with anti-matter or discover ways to harness dark energy.

[@ottodidakt3069]

except that "AI" is over exaggerated hype at this stage (marketing if you prefer), not saying AI won't happen, but for now we're really talking advanced calculators who stick to the program !

[@thembamabona9809]

climate change!!!!! why is this so hard to understand?!? completely beats me….. especially with such a scientifically informed crowd. there’s no limits to human denialism….

[@uuhuu]

AI + Particle Science then. AI have the ability to speed up the process of particular issue, whatever it is.

[@undefinedvariable8085]

Personally, it's the Dark Forest Hypothesis. Consider how we would perceive our noisy existence in the cosmic neighborhood once we realise, or some how figure out, how easy it is (relatively) to destroy another civilization in another system. If we had the means to do so, would we not suddenly become alarmed of our own vulnerability? It would be logical to assume that similarly advanced civilizations could do the same. And if they're worried about the same thing, would they shoot first not to risk being targeted? If the ultimate price for naïve good faith is total annihilation paranoia may compel action.

[@oggyoggy1299]

@@ottodidakt3069 Well AI is happening so there’s not point saying otherwise. It exists now.

[@Triadistic]

"Perhaps it is inevitable that with technological advance ultimately comes wisdom." @7m. Except for this quote I find everything he says sane and the same as my thoughts that came up in my mind when I watched ancient aliens.

[@whatsitallabout8912]

What causes intricate crop circles. What are all the recorded sightings of craft beyond our capability?

[@BernieClemenz]

Great video. I am thinking about this myself. Just one thought: Could it be that they are in the same development phase as we are because our time in the universe is sort of a "goldi locks" timezone for (intelligent) life? And because of distance and light speed that their signals have not arrived here because they're just a bit to far away? I mean we are transmitting radio signals for about 100 years now. Meaning that the farthest away a civilisation could have received us is 100 lightyears. That is just a tiny spot in the galaxy...

[@lukesimas]

I don’t know how someone could be an intelligent scientist and be shocked we haven’t seen signs of life for reasons you mentioned. And to be so arrogant and say since we haven’t seen signs then they must not exist should have them terminated from ever being called a scientist.

[@BernieClemenz]

@@lukesimas We just have to be patient… I think..

[@lukesimas]

@@BernieClemenz we will have empirical evidence in 5 years

[@ACDCBOWSKI]

That's exactly what I think, whether wrong or right. I guess there are many exo planets that can harbour life throughout our galaxy, but as you said, if they have been around for as many years as we have, they may or may not be more advanced than us, so as you said we have been sending radio signals out for decades which in cosmic distances is about 0.5cm away from a pea in football field & if they are on the other side of the football field, it'll take 1000's of years to ever hear from them or they us & as for travelling there.....not a chance.....love Prof Brian Cox, he explains things so well.

[@BernieClemenz]

@@ACDCBOWSKI Exactly 👍

[@0ptimal]

To reach super advanced intelligence such that can travel the stars would probably require a mastery of concealment. Its most beneficial to avoid unnecessary conflict and what better way than to stay hidden. Maybe we are playing hide and go seek and dont know it. Concealment could mean different things, like invisible, or even deception. Like the bug that looks like a stick. Imagine the bird scanning the branches for bugs but not knowing such deceptive tactics are used, all this time they were right under its oblivious nose.

[@melon9680]

If something was truly invisible, all you need to look for is a black spot in space.

[@oggyoggy1299]

@@melon9680 Why would the spot be black?

[@ChristopherStrevens]

my friend was abducted by aliens..... They travel light years in milli-seconds.... She was discharged from a treatment centre and is well , doing well.... The photographs I took of the flying saucer were lost and I was told if they were true our civilisation would vanish overnight. I'm on parole now as it is a crime to report ET's Mostly witnesses are attacked by ridicule... If that fails the attackers move on the psychiatry.... You humans are babbling mad, concieted and deluded.

[@starman248]

The wow signal,turn it upside down you get something even more amazing 😉❤️

[@ItzKamo]

"The moment you are shown to be wrong, you learn something" quote of the century.

[@shanastroskyphazer8172]

Brilliant great job! Thanks. I'm with 3 and 5 but I'm also inclined to tick all of the above. Maybe there's also a chance its because we are in some kind of biological headset simulation beyond our current knowledge and comprehension. Anyway life and the universe never cease to amaze me. “The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.” a quote from Anais Nin.

[@NAVMAN987]

Always a pleasure to listen to Brian Cox.

[@barry013]

Another possibility, somewhat in line with the Technological Singularity argument, is that we are all part of a sophisticated computer program (similar to the matrix). It would then be at the behest of the program controllers whether or not we interacted with aliens 👽 or not. It would not be beyond the realms of possibility that a massively advanced civilization could have created such an environment beyond our ability to comprehend. I guess we will not be able to get to the bottom of this until such point that we are able to understand the nature and origin of our own apparent consciousness…

[@TomTschritter]

what may stop us is the fact there are limits to exponential growth. We've reached our biosphere's carrying capacity and if we don't stop there will be a social and perhaps technological collapse, not continuation.