“WHER E

I EVERYBOD Y

A N ACCOUN T O FERM I

QUEST I

b

Er i M Jo n

AB S T R

I Fe r m i’ s

fa m o u qu e s t i o n o cent r t de b a a b t pr e v

o f ex tr a ter r est r i a ci v i l i za ti o ar o dur i a lu n c con v e

wit h Em i Ko n o p i n s k i Ed w a Te l l e a n He r b Y o i t s u

o f 195 0 Fe r m i ’ comp a ni o o th a d a h a pr o v ac c o o t

in c ide n t .

Par t o f th e curren t debat e abou t th e existenc e a n prevale n o extraterr e

con c

interstella r trave l an d settlement .

1- 3 I n 197 5 Micha e H a arg u t h

inters t

tr a w o

b e feasibl e fo r a technologicall y advance d civilizati o a n th a a migra t wo u f i t G a

i n a fe w millio n years. 4 Sinc e tha t interva l i sho r compar e wi t t h a g o t h Ga l h t h

conclude d tha t th e absenc e o f settIer s o r eviden c o the i enginee r proj e i t S o

Syste m mean t tha t ther e ar e n o cxtraterrestrials .

Newman , Sagan , an d Shklovski2” 5 recal l th a a lege n o scie n

sa y

t h En r F e a s

th e question , “Wher e ar e they? ” durin g a vis i t L o Alam o dur i t h Se c W o W o

shortl y thereafter . Fermi’ s questio n ha s bee n mention e i seve r ot h re c publi c b

historica l basi s fo r th e attributio n ha s no t be e

establishe d

Tha n t t h exce l me m o

Han s Mark , wh o ha d hear d a retellin g a t

Lo s

Alam o i t h ear l 195 0 w nowlm o F e

di d mak e th e remar k durin g a lunchtim e

conversatio n

abo u 19 5 H i compa n w e

E m

Konopinski , Edwar d Teller , an d Herber t Yor k A l thr e ha v provi d acco u o t inc i

W e begi n wit h Konopinski : “ I hav e onl y fragmenta r recollect i ab o t h occ a . . . I

d o hav e a fairl y clea r memor y o f ho w th e discussi o o extra-terrest r g o starte d

Enrico , Edward , Her b York , an d I wer e walkin g t Iun c a Ful l Lod g

“Whe n I joine d th e party , I foun d bein g discuss e evide n ab o fly i sau c T h

immediatel y brough t t o m y min d a cartoo n I h a recent l se e i t h N e Yor k

expl a

wh y publi c tras h can s wer e disappearin g

fro m

t h stree t o N e

Yo r

Ci t T h N Y o p a

wer e makin g a fus s abou t that . Th e cartoo n show e wh a w a evide n a fl y sa u si t i

th e backgroun d and , streamin g towar d it , ‘litt l gre e me n (endo w w i ante n ca r

th e tras h cans . Mor e amusin g wa s Fermi’ s commen t th a i w a a ve r reaso n th e s i i

accounte d fo r tw o separat e phenomena : t h repor t o flyi n sauc e a w e a

t h

disap p

o f th e tras h cans . Ther e ensue d a discussio n a t wheth e t h sauc e co u som e

ex c

t

spee d o f light . ”

1