Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
A recent study proposes that technologically advanced civilizations might inadvertently render their planets uninhabitable within a millennium due to increasing energy consumption and subsequent heat buildup.
Researchers based their findings on the second law of thermodynamics, which states that no energy system is completely efficient. As civilizations grow, they inevitably generate waste heat, leading to planetary warming over time.
The study highlights the rapid rise in humanity’s energy use since the 1800s. For example, in 2023, global energy consumption hit 180,000 terawatt-hours, nearly equal to the solar energy Earth receives annually.
Even if civilizations rely on renewable sources like wind and solar, heat leakage from energy use would still occur, intensifying planetary warming as populations grow and energy demands increase.
The team posits that this inevitable energy-driven warming could lead to climate catastrophes, making a planet uninhabitable in less than 1,000 years from the start of advanced technological growth.
Credit :NASA
The researchers suggest that this self-destructive pattern may explain the lack of observed alien civilizations; in cosmic terms, 1,000 years is extremely brief compared to the billions of years planets like Earth remain habitable.
To avoid such fate, the study recommends civilizations aim for steady-state growth and sustainable living practices. A society maintaining equilibrium with its environment could, theoretically, extend its survival up to a billion years.
This research is currently available on the arXiv preprint server and is undergoing peer review, bringing a fresh perspective to discussions on the longevity and sustainability of advanced life in the universe.