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The ice is so thick that no probe sent from Earth can detect life under the ice. Radio would not work well under the ice so we could not communicate with Europians if they are advanced.

What would life be like in the Ocean of Europa as a mermaid? How would a civilization develop under water without eyes but with echolocation?

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https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/32421/how-could-a-transmission-be-relayed-wirelessly-from-the-bottom-of-europa-ocean-t

https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/28556/is-there-enough-light-to-grow-plants-in-the-ocean-of-europa

Muze
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    Too broad! One question at a time. – nzaman Dec 02 '18 at 17:43
  • @nzaman better? – Muze Dec 02 '18 at 17:58
  • One thing at a time. First we have to establish that any life at all is possible on Europa. Given that life has established itself a particular way on Europa, then we can start making speculations on intelligent life. See https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/17662/what-would-life-around-a-hydrothermal-vent-on-europa-be-like for the first part. – kingledion Dec 02 '18 at 18:34

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Mermaids are air breathers, so couldn't live on Europa. For the rest, it's certainly scientifically possible for life to exist there. NASA's even working on a proposed mission to detect it: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/nasa-panel-supports-life-detecting-lander-for-europa/

But of course life could be a long way from an intelligent civilization. Life of some sort has existed on Earth for 3.5 billion years or so. but multicellular life forms have only been around for a billion, intelligent life (using a very charitable definition of intelligent) for maybe a million, and technology maybe 10,000. So even if there is life, it would seem that there's only about a 1 in 100,000 chance of a technological civilization.

For what that life MIGHT be like, the closest we can come on Earth would be undersea vent communities.

jamesqf
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