Amedeo Balbi
February 13, 2025
Zoom recording
Abstract:
The detectability of extraterrestrial technosignatures—and, by extension, the success of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)—is profoundly influenced by their longevity. This talk delves into the pivotal role of technosignature duration and its relationship to the lifespan of the civilizations that produce them. I explore how assumptions about the probability distribution of technosignature longevity shape both the likelihood of detection and the characteristics of the technosignatures most likely to be observed. Finally, I address the biospheric bottlenecks that influence the emergence of technology, as well as the thermodynamic constraints on planetary habitability imposed by energy-intensive civilizations, and how these factors may ultimately limit the longevity of both civilizations and their technosignatures.