A study published in the *International Journal of Astrobiology* suggests that the advancement of potential extraterrestrial civilizations near Earth may depend more on cumulative plant energy than on time alone. Led by Chris Doughty, a professor of ecoinformatics at Northern Arizona University, the research examined nearby exoplanets and found that even older star systems may host life that evolves more slowly due to lower cumulative photosynthesis.
Doughty’s team hypothesized that the evolution of complex life is not guaranteed by time but is instead tied to the energy available to plants. This implies that many Earth-like exoplanets in our galactic neighborhood could remain at a microbial stage, despite their age. “Our work suggests that most planets similar to Earth near us are likely evolutionarily behind us and still at the microbial stage,” Doughty said .
The findings challenge the assumption that older planets would naturally host more advanced civilizations. Instead, the study proposes that limited energy for photosynthesis could stall evolutionary progress, leaving potential alien life in a primitive state. The research addresses Enrico Fermi’s paradox by suggesting that the absence of detectable advanced civilizations may stem from these energy constraints.
