Amidst the vast nothingness of Outer Space and nothing but mere fluctuations in the quantum field, the subatomic particles lie at the foundation of the reality as we know it.


It's all started with an explosion. 13.7 billion years ago, within a fraction of a second, the entire Universe expanded from an infinitely dense point, called singularity, into the size of an atom. Thus, began the spacetime. At this point only energy and four fundamental forces existed: strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, electromagnetic force and gravity. As the Universe continued to expand, its density and temperature kept on decreasing, allowing particles like protons and neutrons to form, which later fused into nuclei of the first atoms of helium. Thus, began the matter. Newly formed atoms of hydrogen and helium existed in the form of atomic gas clouds. Denser clusters attracted more matter into their gravitational wells, allowing the first galaxies to form. Thus, began the stars. First generation stars were large and exhausted their energy quickly. They collapsed and exploded in the first supernovae, that gave birth to heavier chemical elements, which then dispersed into nebulae, only to be pulled together into second generation stars, which were richer in metals and other heavy elements. Those elements allowed a new type of celestial bodies to form around the second generation stars. Thus, began the planets: the astronomical objects that orbit stars. Capable of maintaining atmospheres and nesting life. Of all planets in the entire Universe we know of ONE on which life has formed: The Earth.

Does that mean we are alone in the Universe? Drake's equation argues, that the probability of all conditions we deem as vital to the formation of life, called the Goldilocks' conditions, is high enough, the Universe should be full of planets like Earth and civilizations like ours. But so far there has only been silence. Does that mean we are alone in the Universe? The Rare Earth Hypothesis assumes that the probability of the formation of life is much smaller and that the Earth is one of the few if not the only planet on which life has yet appeared. Fermi's paradox hypothesizes the reasons why we have found no evidence of any extraterrestrial life yet. Perhaps we are alone in the universe. Perhaps no other intelligent species have yet arisen. Perhaps other intelligent species lack advanced technology to be detectable by us. Perhaps we are not advanced enough to detect them. Or maybe... Perhaps it is technically impossible to colonize beyond native solar system.

The Great Filter is a part of the explanation that tries to determine which stage of the evolution of life is most likely to filter out possible Kardashev scale 2 civilizations. Perhaps the formation of life itself. Perhaps the formation of multicellular life. Perhaps the formation of intelligent life. And the most dreadful case: the one which lies ahead of us. The possibility of space colonization and interstellar travel.

The fastest speed at which information can move through space is 299,792,458 m/s. It is the single greatest limitation any space age civilization would face. At this speed it would take four years for light to reach the nearest star to Sun. We are nowhere near reaching that speed with our current technology. While colonization of our Solar System seems probable our lifespan is too short and our technology too limited to even hypothesize the possibility of interstellar travel.

Why are we so optimistic when it comes to space colonization? Because we imagine it naively. Because we have no idea how vast, empty, hostile and ruthless space really is. We have evolved fragile and even with our current technology we are not even close to be adapted to its environment. The time is short and the resources are limited. If we are to survive, we must abandon the Earth, colonize the Solar System first, mine all the required resources by deconstructing other planets and asteroids, to build a sphere around the Sun and harvest enough energy to attempt to go interstellar. We must act quickly. Even if we assume that we can solve our current problems and manage to not to destroy ourselves in the process, the truly thrilling realization is that we might have always been doomed to extinct in our own cradle due to the fundamental laws of the Universe and them only.

This vision is a warning for future generations of human beings. If we do not manage to travel faster than the speed of light and solve other problems, like the effects of radiation or zero gravity on human bodies, the possibility of interstellar space colonization and the survival of our kind is very improbable.