Universe Colloquium: How to travel to the stars and Fermi’s paradox

by Andreas Hein (TUM)

Wednesday 30 Apr 2014, 16:30 → 17:30 Europe/Berlin

seminar room (Excellence Cluster Universe, Boltzmannstrasse 2, Garching)

Since the dawn of civilization humans have imagined travelling to the stars and have asked, whether we are alone in the universe. However, it is only about 50 years that interstellar travel has moved into the realms of physical and technological feasibility. It is also about 50 years that humanity has made first steps to search for extraterrestrial intelligence. From Freeman Dyson’s Project Orion to Project Daedalus to more recent studies, this talk gives an overview of the most promising ways to travel to the stars from today’s perspective, as well as its relevance for the so-called Fermi’s paradox. In particular, a spacecraft concept study based on inertial confinement fusion propulsion will be presented, conducted by a team of volunteers at TUM and an alternative approach using laser-driven sails. The question of interstellar travel has direct relevance for Fermi’s paradox, which asks the question: If there is extraterrestrial intelligence, why can’t we find any evidence for their existence? Various possible solutions to Fermi’s paradox have been proposed and some will be presented. More recent contributions link Fermi’s paradox with the Doomsday Argument and existential risks, leading to possibly gloomy prospects for our own survival in the universe. The Universe Colloquium is followed by a social gathering with wine and cheese.