Fun Philosophy: The Fermi Paradox - Why Haven't We Been Contacted by Aliens Yet?

TOPICS COVERED: Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind, Anthropology, Evolution, Astrophysics

The aim of my "Fun Philosophy" series of classes is to discuss the most interesting topics in Philosophy, because if we enjoy our first experiences of thinking, then this encourages kids to keep going (see my other class listing for examples). So this is a great way to get hooked on THINKING, by starting with an easily accessible and enjoyable topic. Kids can then use their new thinking SUPER POWERS in all different kinds of situations, from everyday decisions to doing well at school, to even just impressing their friends. No previous experience necessary, just a willingness to think about the topics introduced and to have some fun having your mind blown! (in a good way). I teach in the tradition of Western Analytical Philosophy, stemming from Ancient Greece to modern times, which means we focus on rational logical arguments and how to critically analyse them.

▬▬▬▬▬▬  CLASS SUMMARY  ▬▬▬▬▬
In this class we will analyse the Fermi Paradox - the idea that if recent discoveries of a plethora of exoplanets, means that the Universe should full of habitable planets and therefore should be full of Aliens, then where are they? We look at some explanations for why it may actually be much harder for life to evolve and reach a level of civilization where it can be detected by other species hundreds of light years away. We consider factors like how long civilizations actually last and how different planets might prevent fires and how this would stop science in it's tracks. We also discuss more left field explanations that maybe aliens have already been here or they are avoiding us and maybe, like them, we should be hiding rather than advertising where we are! Maybe it's too late to change that, and maybe we'll never know, but it's fun discussing it all anyway.

▬▬▬▬▬▬  CLASS STYLE  ▬▬▬▬▬
I use PowerPoint presentations for all my classes, so I can mix text and multimedia and make the class more interesting. This class will be run using an "intro-discussion-repeat" format. This means I will take a few minutes to introduce a topic, usually via a fun easily accessible thought experiment, and then we will pause to discuss it briefly. Then we'll move on to the next related topic and another great thought experiment and pause for discussion after that one too. This means that you can enjoy the class however you like. Speak up and get involved in the discussions, or just listen and enjoy with no pressure. If you like this class then you can check out my other Fun Philosophy Courses, cherry picked to choose the most interesting, accessible and relevant philosophy subjects for kids, so they learn to enjoy thinking.

▬▬▬▬▬▬  LINKED TOPICS  ▬▬▬▬▬
Fun Philosophy: Do We (Accurately) Hallucinate the World All the Time? Even Now!
Fun Philosophy: What Is Consciousness? Zombies Help Us Explore Inner Space!
Fun Philosophy: Does Our Evolution Control Us? Can Selfish Genes Allow Altruism?

You can also take all six of my FUN PHILOSOPHY classes as a multi-day course:
Fun Intro to Philosophy: Knowledge, Metaphysics, Mind, Self, Evolution & Morals

Please see my class listings for more details!