Self-annihilation

Near-synonyms: self-destruction, suicide; self-murder

If technologically advanced civilizations can avoid self-annihilation for a period L_(lifetime) at least as long as the existence of Homo sapiens (over 100 000 years), the consequences suggested by the Drake equation are enormous for how we view ourselves. But perhaps our solar system is far from typical. Some people would claim that it is unique, in the strongest sense. […] The original suggestion that civilizations may be able to communicate with radio signals for about 10 000 years was considered by many to be far too long a period. Human self-annihilation through nuclear war was being much debated at the time of the Green Bank conference, and there are of course many other scenarios in which a technologically advanced society perishes, due to actions of the inhabitants or to natural disasters. But even if the typical L_(lifetime) is much shorter than 10 000 years, the Drake equation suggests that the search for extraterrestrial life is worthwhile, and many enthusiasts are engaged in that endeavor.