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The New Approach to Discovering the Unknown
The New Approach to Discovering the Unknown
by Emily K.
Astronomy is a complex and fascinating field. Scientists all over the world dedicate their lives to expanding our knowledge on the most unresolved entity known to man.
A University of Manchester astronomer, Eamonn Kerins has developed a new approach to searching for extraterrestrial intelligence called using game theory. Game theory is the branch of mathematics that is responsible for the analysis of strategies where the result of one participant's course of action depends immensely on the other participants' courses of action in a sort of symbiotic way. Kerins’ double branched idea is to either scan the skies looking for signals from space that may be coming from other intelligence on other planets, or to scan the skies for other exoplanets that could potentially be habitable.
Astronomer Eamonn Kerins
Eamonn Kerins dressed as an extraterrestrial while giving his speech at bluedot 2019. Watch the speech to the right.
Some theories that scientists have as to why humans have not discovered signals from other planets is because the other forms of life are not reaching out with any signals, or that they are analysing us just as much as we are analysing them, and intentionally avoid us.
This plays into the SETI paradox. The SETI paradox is the theory that extraterrestrial intelligence is listening, but purposely not sending messages. The game theory suggests that both parties must be actively involved in the search for one another in order to find each other. In this situation both human scientists and the other forms of extraterrestrial intelligence must both be seeking each other. Earth has evolved grossly over the years and it would be understandable that these foreign beings would not be interested in interfering with our lifestyle. The question is, if you were on another planet would you be willing to risk it all to discover the unknown?
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