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Intergalactic Bug Bombs
By Linda | April 4, 2008
Some astronomers have theorized that the reason we have yet to encounter intellligent extraterrestrial life is that the stars have literally conspired against it. A phenomenon called a gamma ray burst (GRB) could be the cosmic equivalent of a bug bomb, periodically exterminating all lifeforms within their zone of destruction.
Some super massive stars end their lives by emitting an enormously powerful burst of lethal gamma radiation in two tightly focused beams that effectively sterilizes everything in their path for a range of thousands of light years. If, as the theory goes, these types of dying stars are somewhat evenly distributed throughout the universe, then probability would dictate that every planet capable of evolving intelligent life would at some time find itself in the searing path of a GRB. Depending on the frequency of such events, this could mean that no intelligent life could ever evolve to such a degree that it could develop the technology necessary to predict, avoid or evade this extinction level event before being wiped out by one.
It’s believed that our planet has been hit by at least one GRB in the last billion years. To read what effect NASA believes even a ten second GRB would have on the Earth CLICK HERE.
Topics: The Cosmos |
