1. Dr. Bruce Cordell Fullerton College May, 2006
An update on Fermi’s famous question about ... EXTRATERRESTRIALS: “Where Are They?”
Dr. Bruce Cordell
Fullerton College
May, 2006

2. Tonight’s Path... What is Fermi’s Paradox anyway?
How has Fermi’s Paradox traditionally been explained?
What new data do we have that illuminates this question?
What tentative conclusions are possible at this time?

3. Our Galaxy is Old

4. Fermi’s Paradox “Where are they?”
Our Galaxy is old (12+ billion years)
Plus, it is moderate in size (100,000 l.y.)
Any advanced civilization could colonize the Galaxy in a few million years…
Therefore, ETs should be here…so...
“Where are they?”

5. Possible Types of Answers to Fermi’s Paradox
They don’t exist
They can’t contact us (comm or trans)
They don’t care to contact us
They are here.

6. N=R*fs*fp*ne*fl*fi*fc*L
Maybe...They don’t exist...
The Drake Equation
N=R*fs*fp*ne*fl*fi*fc*L
Does N=1 ?

7. Are There Other Planets?
As of 11/14/2008, 326 planets are known to exist outside our solar system!

8. No Earth-like Planets Are Known

9. A Unusual Solar System!

10. The Secret to Earth...

11. Earth’s Big Brother

12. Are Earth-like Environments Rare?
Jupiter Comet Filter
Solar (2%+) Metallicity
Galaxy Orbit (a few %)
Magnetic Field/Atmos
Star Lifetime
Distance/Spin/Oceans
Mass/Atmos Recycling
Circular Orbits
Large Satellite

13. Earth’s Climatic Anchor

14. Do They All Die Young?
Cosmic Dust Clouds
Supernovas
Small Black Holes
Environmental Crises
Machine Intelligence
Others...

15. Maybe...Contact is Impossible...
They Can’t Find Us?
Von Neumann Machines
They Can’t Get Here?
V= 0.001c
They Can’t Communicate?
Arecibo and beams

16. Maybe…They’re Just Not Interested...
We are subjects of an experiment?
We are being monitored and controlled?
They are not gregarious?
They are playing with an inferior species?
We’re considered dangerous?
We cannot judge their motivations.

17. Maybe…They’re Here!… Are Some UFOs ET Spacecrafts?
Extraordinary unidentified sightings do exist by reliable observers
Physical evidence includes photos and environmental effects
Influentials add authenticity (e.g. Mitchell)
Government interest and cover-ups are documented

18. “UFOs are real.” Apollo Astronaut

19. A UFO Sightings Sampler Whatever they are, UFOs do exist.
Best FOIA Jet Incident - Tehran, Iran (1976)
Best Photo -McMinneville,OR
Best Public Sighting- Washington National Airport (1952)
Best UFO Survey of Astronomers - Sturrock
Best self-admitted Gov’t CoverUp - Roswell, NM (1947)
Best multi-witness CE-III - Fr. Gill, Papua New Guinea (1959)
Best Abduction - Travis Walton, AZ

20. The Astronomical Observations...
There are no electromagnetic signals from ETs
There are no Dyson Spheres
There is no observational evidence for ET spacecraft in the Galaxy
There are no “polluted” stellar spectra
There are no known Earth-like planets
There is no convincing evidence for ET artifacts on other planets

21. Two Preliminary Observations
Everything we see in the Galaxy is consistent with a non-ET model… Therefore,
ETs may not exist.
A wealth of unidentified sightings by reliable witnesses exists that is supported by impressive evidence...Therefore,
UFOs may exist.

22. 2 Speculative Models Currently Consistent with Observations
1. A Blast From the Past
UFOs might be Von Neumann Machines of ancient ET civilizations that are no longer present
2. Messengers of Deception
UFOs might be a human-created Control System designed to reduce global conflicts by simulating an ET threat