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arXiv · 1601.05063

The longevity of habitable planets and the development of intelligent life

Fergus Simpson
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Abstract

Why did the emergence of our species require a timescale similar to the entire habitable period of our planet? Our late appearance has previously been interpreted by Carter (2008) as evidence that observers typically require a very long development time, implying that intelligent life is a rare occurrence. Here we present an alternative explanation, which simply asserts that many planets possess brief periods of habitability. We also propose that the rate-limiting step for the formation of observers is the enlargement of species from an initially microbial state. In this scenario the development of intelligent life is a slow but almost inevitable process, greatly enhancing the prospects of future SETI experiments such as the Breakthrough Listen project.

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Fergus Simpson. 2016-01-19. The longevity of habitable planets and the development of intelligent life. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550416000306

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