Given that our galaxy has a volume of approximately 8 10¹² ly³, what would be the average minimum amount of time to exchange messages between civilizations if there are currently 125,000 intelligent civilizations in our galaxy?
A) 800 years
B) 1,200 years
C) 200 years
D) 400 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Given the volume of the galaxy and the number of civilizations, we can estimate the average distance between them and then calculate the time it would take for light (or any electromagnetic communication) to travel that distance. Assuming each civilization is evenly distributed throughout the galaxy's volume, we divide the volume by the number of civilizations to find the volume each civilization occupies on average. Then, by finding the cube root of this volume, we get an approximation of the average distance between neighboring civilizations in light-years. Given the vast distances involved and the speed of light, the time for a message to travel between civilizations would be significant, with 800 years being a reasonable estimate based on these assumptions.

Given That Our Galaxy Has a Volume of Approximately 8