Life In The Universe: The Great Filter.

[Dreaming Of Pandora]

Have you ever wondered how possible is it for complex and intelligent life to form in the universe? Many assume that the sheer amount of number of planets in the universe means that life should be abundant, thriving. Aliens should be knocking on our door. Why hasn't it? Is it the distance between worlds? Is it some sort of principle other life has not too mess with "industrial" species? Do we have the wrong "ears" to listen out to their calls? Turns out, advanced life in the universe can be an extreme rarity, and we are just one of possibly few success stories.

Filters. All life, everywhere, have filters. Filters which prevent life from becoming more complex, or developing at all. Take for instance, Mars. Mars may harbour bacterial life but the lack of an atmosphere and severe solar radiation prevents life there becoming more complex. That is Mars' Filter.

If life is adamant enough and conditions permit development, it will pass many of these filters. But what's life's Great Filter? What is the end-all to all? Have humans overcome this Great Filter already? If this is in our past, then humans should become a great civilisation, nothing would stop human development. If not, life on Earth is still to overcome it's greatest test.

What can take out an advanced species? Techology? War? Or a catastrophie? When we look at the possibilities for success, we must also consider the possibilities for failure.