Fermi Paradox

Simulation

If the universe is so vast, where is everyone? Explore the Fermi Paradox through interactive simulations. Adjust Drake equation parameters, watch civilizations rise and fall, and see if first contact is possible.

Why is this taking so long?
  • ~6 radio civilizations per galaxy, each broadcasting for ~500 years
  • Spread across 13,800 Myr of cosmic time — civilizations flicker on and off like sparks in the dark
  • Radio signals travel at light speed. In our simulated patch of galaxy (1,000 ly across — roughly the width of a spiral arm), a signal takes 100–1,000 years to cross between stars. In the real Milky Way (100,000 ly), it would be far worse.
  • The temporal overlap probability per pair is roughly 500yr / 10,000 Myr ≈ 5×10−8
  • With ~15 pairs per sim, contact chance per sim is roughly ~10−6 (one in a million)
The estimated median is somewhere around 500,000+ simulated universes to find one contact.

2D Space Model

100 x 100 tiles · 1,000 x 1,000 ly
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Galaxy Grid

Top-down view of the galaxy as a grid. Each tile is 10 light-years. Watch life emerge, civilizations develop, and radio signals propagate as expanding circles.

Canvas 2D 2D Model
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3D Galaxy View

Rotating 3D view of the galaxy with stars as particles. Fly through space, see radio bubbles as glowing spheres, and witness first contact in three dimensions.

Three.js 2D Model
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Statistics Dashboard

Full parameter control with real-time charts. Run Monte Carlo simulations. Explore how each Drake equation variable affects the probability of contact.

Dashboard 2D Model
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Drake Waterfall

The Drake equation as a cascading waterfall. See 20,000 stars filter down through each probability gate until almost nothing remains.

Waterfall 2D Model

Analysis & Exploration

Parameter space · Monte Carlo · Sensitivity
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Phase Space

A 2D heatmap revealing sharp phase transitions. Small changes in parameters flip the galaxy from silent to teeming with life.

Heatmap 2D Model
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The Great Filter

Where does the Great Filter sit? Drag sliders to hypothesize which evolutionary step kills most civilizations and see the consequences in real time.

Interactive 2D Model

3D Space Model

50 x 50 x 50 tiles · 500 x 500 x 500 ly
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3D Slice Viewer

Explore the 3D galaxy model layer by layer. Switch between XY, XZ, and YZ planes and slide through depth to see life emerge in three dimensions.

Canvas 2D 3D Model
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True 3D Galaxy

The full 3D simulation rendered in Three.js. Stars fill a cubic volume with real 3D positions. Radio bubbles are true spheres. Rotate and fly through the volume.

Three.js 3D Model

Deep Dive

68 min · Audio

Why the Great Silence Is a Graveyard

A deep dive into the simulation's key findings: the N²×L scaling law, five independent filters that overdetermine the silence, temporal fireflies, and why the galaxy is likely alive but invisible.

68 MIN · DEEP DIVE PODCAST

Research

75,000+ simulations · 700+ papers · N² × L = 5500
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Research Overview

The science behind the simulation. Key findings from 75,000 Monte Carlo universes, the master equation, and the five profound ideas that explain the Great Silence.

Overview
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The Drake Equation

Modern estimates for each parameter. From Kepler-solved certainties (fp = 1.0) to mysteries spanning 15 orders of magnitude (fl, L).

Parameters
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Evolutionary Timeline

Nine stages from abiogenesis to radio. Two critical bottlenecks — eukaryogenesis and intelligence-to-technology — that may filter out most civilizations.

Evolution
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The Great Silence

Why 75,000 simulated universes produced almost no contact. The parameter hierarchy, sharp phase transitions, and five independent filters.

Synthesis
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Sources

100+ peer-reviewed papers supporting every simulation constant. Organized by topic from stellar census to SETI detection, with links to arXiv and journals.

References