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Formalizing the Fermi paradox and combining consistent explanatory hypotheses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2022

Alexandre Costa-Leite Open the ORCID record for Alexandre Costa-Leite [Opens in a new window]
Alexandre Costa-Leite*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Brasília, Brasília-DF, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: Alexandre Costa-Leite, E-mail: costaleite@unb.br
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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.

Keywords

Astrobiologyconsistent explanatory hypothesesFermi paradoxlogic
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , April 2023 , pp. 111 - 117
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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