Scientist pitches ‘morbid’ theory on why aliens haven’t made contact — RT World News

Alien civilizations have not yet come into contact with humans because they may have been wiped out by gamma ray bursts (GBRs), the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday, citing Frederick Walter, an astronomer from Stony Brook University in New York.

According to NASA, gamma-ray bursts are short-lived bursts of light that erupt with a quintillion times the brightness of the Sun. Walter believes that the force of the explosion will be enough to destroy any extraterrestrial civilization.

“It's a tightly focused beam. If it was directed across the galactic plane, it could basically sterilize about 10% of the planets in the galaxy.” Walter explained. The astronomer noted that, according to his estimates, there is a GBR in any galaxy approximately every 100 million years.

“Over a billion years, on average, you would expect a large number of civilizations, if they existed, to be wiped out… It's just one of many possible explanations, and it's kind of a satisfactory explanation, I think.” He said.

By Walter's estimates, the Milky Way would have seen about 45 GB stars in Earth's 4.5 billion year history. He stressed, however, that any potential threat to humanity from this type of event is possible “It's not worth worrying about.”

“It's rare, and it's directed.” He stated, noting that this makes it unlikely that the GBRs will collide with Earth.

NASA describes GBRs as “The most powerful events in the known universe.” This phenomenon was first observed in 1967, via a pair of American Vela satellites designed to detect nuclear weapons tests. However, most researchers say GRBs are more common in distant star-forming galaxies, and are unlikely to occur in the Milky Way.

Walter also speculated on other reasons why humanity has been unable to detect extraterrestrial life, suggesting that other worlds may be filled with life forms that resemble aquatic species such as whales and dolphins. For this type of civilization, he said, it would be impossible to develop the technology necessary for space travel or communications.

He went on to say that some alien civilizations may simply choose not to take the risks that come with contact with other potentially dangerous life forms. Another explanation, supported by many physicists and astronomers, is that technologically advanced life forms on other planets may have self-destructed, he added.

“Just look around, you know? We're polluting the atmosphere. We're making it doubtful whether we'll have a viable civilization in a century, unless we do something radical. If civilizations tend to evolve in the same way they do on our planet, “It will affect everyone.” “At the current pace,” he said, cautioning “There is a risk that we won't be able to get through another 150 years.”