Ah yes, the Fermi Paradox. The question of why we have not found any evidence of extraterrestrial life, despite the high probability of it existing. This has long perplexed cosmologists and astronomers. One explanation for this, the Hart-Tipler Conjecture, suggests that if advanced extraterrestrial civilizations (ETCs) have emerged in our galaxy, we should see signs of their activity everywhere. However, a German-Georgian research team has proposed an alternative explanation for this paradox. They suggest that ETCs could use black holes as quantum computers, making them invisible to our observations.
The benefits of quantum computing, such as the ability to process information exponentially faster than digital computing and immunity to decryption, make it entirely plausible that an advanced civilization could adapt this technology on a grander scale. While radio waves are the most popular tool used in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) to detect technosignatures, the researchers recommend exploring the “spectrum” of potential technosignatures, including directed energy (lasers), neutrino emissions, quantum communications, and gravitational waves, which are described in the NASA Technosignature report.
The notion that black holes could be the ultimate source of computation expands on the theory of Nobel-prize winner Roger Penrose, who famously proposed that tapping into the ergosphere of a black hole could allow for the extraction of limitless energy. Just outside the event horizon, infalling matter forms a disk that accelerates to near the speed of light and emits tremendous amounts of radiation. We refer to this space as the ergosphere. Several researchers have suggested that this may be the ultimate power source for advanced extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) either by feeding matter onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH) and harnessing the resulting radiation, or simply harnessing the energy they already put out.
The researchers propose that advanced civilizations could use black holes as capacitors for quantum information. The idea is based on the notion that a civilization’s advancement is directly correlated to its level of computational performance and that there exist certain universal markers of computational advancement that can be used as potential technosignatures for SETI.
Gia Dvali, a theoretical physicist with the Max Planck Institute for Physics and the physics chair at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, and Zaza Osmanov, a professor of physics at the Free University of Tbilisi, conducted this study. The researchers recently published their findings in a paper, which is currently under review for publication in the International Journal of Astrobiology.
For many researchers, the limited focus of SETI on radio technosignatures is one of the main reasons why it has failed to find any evidence of technosignatures. In recent years, astronomers and astrophysicists have recommended extending the search by looking for other technosignatures and methods. Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) is one such method, while directed energy (lasers), neutrino emissions, quantum communications, and gravitational waves are other potential technosignatures.
Proposal: Black Holes Most Efficient at Holding Quantum Data.
The researchers suggest looking for evidence of large-scale quantum computing to explain the apparent lack of activity we see when we look at the cosmos. Although we have ample documentation of the benefits of quantum computing, such as its ability to process information exponentially faster than digital computing and its immunity to decryption, the notion that black holes could be the most efficient storers of quantum information represents a new proposition.
Although our recent studies show that theoretically, there may exist devices created by non-gravitational interactions that also saturate the capacity of information storage (so-called “saturons”), black holes are the clear champions, explain Dvali and Osmanov. According to their belief, any extraterrestrial intelligence that is advanced enough would use black holes for information storage and processing, regardless of how advanced their civilization is or how different their particle composition and chemistry are from ours.
Although using black holes as quantum computers presents an intriguing possibility for explaining the Fermi Paradox, there are still a number of challenges that we must address. Our limited knowledge of black holes presents one of the biggest challenges in understanding how to use them for computation.
As Dvali and Osmanov note, “the whole field of black hole quantum computing is still in its infancy.” Although the principles of quantum mechanics suggest that black holes could serve as efficient capacitors for quantum information, there are still many unknown factors, such as the methods to extract and process the information stored within a black hole.
Additionally, the use of black holes for computation raises a number of ethical and moral questions. If advanced civilizations are using black holes to store and process information, what are the implications for the rest of the universe? Could such activities be harmful to other forms of life or even the fabric of space-time itself?
Despite these challenges, the idea of using black holes as quantum computers offers a tantalizing possibility for resolving one of the biggest mysteries in the universe. If advanced civilizations are indeed using black holes for computation, it could explain why we have yet to see any evidence of their activities in the cosmos.
Naturally, we must consider that this is only one possible solution to the Fermi Paradox, and there are many other proposed solutions that are equally intriguing. As our knowledge of the universe continues to expand, it is likely that we will discover new and exciting ways to explore this enduring mystery.
Whether we ever find definitive evidence of extraterrestrial life or not, the search for answers to the Fermi Paradox offers a fascinating and thought-provoking journey that has captured the imaginations of scientists and science fiction writers alike for decades.
