Formalizing the Fermi paradox and combining consistent explanatory hypotheses

Abstract

A formalization of Fermi paradox inside the environment of classical propositional logic is proposed. The notion of Silentium Universi set is launched in order to establish that the Fermi paradox is truly paradoxical. Combining consistent explanatory hypotheses is taken into consideration and discussed inside this framework explaining what would count as a solution to the paradox. By the end, it is argued that Fermi paradox is an unsolvable problem in the domain of science.

The social science perspective on the Fermi paradox

“…The Fermi paradox, which, as some authors point out, is neither a paradox nor Fermi's (Gray, 2015, but see also Costa-Leite, 2023), denotes the fact that there are no visible manifestations of the activity of technologically advanced civilizations in the observable Universe, except for our own (Webb, 2015; Ćirković, 2018). The paradox arises from the fundamental scientific idea that life on Earth, as well as the emergence of intelligent life and modern civilization, is a natural process, and is not the result of an act of divine creation or another process beyond the scope of scientific concepts.…”