Kolmogorov complexity, string information, panspermia, and the Fermi paradox
Abstract
Bit strings rather than byte files can be a mode of transmission both for intelligent signals and for travels of extraterrestrial life. Kolmogorov complexity, i.e. the minimal length of a binary coded string completely defining a system, can then, due to its universality, become a key concept in the strategy of the search of extraterrestrials. Evaluating, for illustration, the Kolmogorov complexity of the human genome, one comes to an unexpected conclusion that a low complexity compressed string - analog of Noah's ark - will enable the recovery of the totality of terrestrial life. The recognition of bit strings of various complexity up to incompressible Martin-Löf random sequences, will require a different strategy for the analysis of the cosmic signals. The Fermi paradox "Where is Everybody?" can be viewed under in the light of such information panspermia, i.e. a Universe full of traveling life streams.
- Publication:
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The Observatory
- Pub Date:
- December 2005
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.physics/0508010
- arXiv:
- arXiv:physics/0508010
- Bibcode:
- 2005Obs...125..352G
- Keywords:
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- General Physics;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Refs added. To appear in The Observatory