What is microbial intelligence?

 Bacteria, humble microorganisms inhabiting our planet, seem to have the ability to collectively learn, remember, solve problems, make decisions, and adapt to dynamically changing environmental conditions. This form of collective microbial intelligence leads to an intriguing reflection on the possibility of advanced biotechnospheres that could have been created by alien civilizations on Earth. In this context, bacteria can be considered not only as simple life forms but also as evidence of the potentially advanced biotechnology of an alien civilization.

When considering the hypothetical presence of an ancient, non-human civilization on Earth, one can assume that such a civilization could have used specially designed bacteria to create biotechnospheres. These bacteria, descendants of the microorganisms created by this civilization, could still exist on Earth, inheriting the functions and characteristics associated with their original purpose in the biotechnosphere.

The long-standing search for extraterrestrial intelligence has focused mainly on traditional methods, such as scanning radio signals and analyzing the atmosphere of exoplanets. However, newer theories suggest that planetary biotechnospheres and biotechnosignatures may be the key to understanding alien civilizations.

Planetary intelligence can be seen as a form of collective intelligence that allows for novel insights into the evolution of biotechnospheres. Formed by the merger of the technosphere and the biosphere, biotechnospheres have the ability to shape the development of the planet through the shared intelligence of technology and living organisms. Thanks to this, it is possible to imagine a world in which specially designed life forms cooperate with advanced technologies to monitor and regenerate the planetary environment, support space travel or terraform other celestial bodies.

We can consider the impact of life not only on Earth but also in deep space. The evolution of our planet may lead to the expansion of the technosphere to other planets or objects in space. The key question is how to identify these subtle biotechnology signatures?

In response, researchers are focusing on ten potential biotech-features and their detection strategies. Observations and artifacts left behind by biotechnospheres could provide key information about the existence of intelligent life beyond our solar system. (Planetary biotechnospheres, biotechnosignatures and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence)

It is a challenge to consider the possibility that Earth may have been inhabited in the past by another advanced civilization that created and left traces of the technosphere. Bacteria that are heirs to these ancient microorganisms may still exist on our planet, carrying with them the characteristics of their ancestors and performing functions related to their original purpose. The so-called hypothesis of "cosmic descendants" opens the door to fascinating questions about our origins and the possibility of interactions between various intelligent civilizations in space.

Moreover, if the technologies created by these ancient civilizations were advanced enough, it is possible that they could have migrated to other regions of our solar system. Such technologies, bearing biotechnological traces, may constitute evidence of the presence of alien civilizations in space.

If we look at space as a potential place for many intelligent life forms, the concept of biotechnospheres and biotechnosignatures becomes the key to unlocking the secrets of our cosmic neighbors. There is a real possibility of encountering interstellar asteroids or other space objects that carry with them a biotechnosphere, indicating the presence of advanced life.

Renowned astrophysicist Dr. Carl Sagan emphasized the unlimited possibilities of the universe, saying: "The universe is quite a big place. If it were just us here, it would seem like a terrible waste of space." The quest to discover other intelligent life in space is not only a matter of curiosity but also of expanding our knowledge of the Universe and our place in it.

The concept of biotechnospheres and biotechnosignatures offers a new, groundbreaking perspective on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. In a world where biology and technology can interpenetrate and interact on a cosmic scale, our understanding of life and its evolution in the limitless expanses of space may change radically.