The search for spectroscopic biosignatures with the next generation of space telescopes could provide observational constraints on the abundance of exoplanets with signs of life. An extension of this spectroscopic characterization of exoplanets is the search for observational evidence of technology, known as technosignatures. Current mission concepts that would observe biosignatures from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths could place upper limits on the fraction of planets in the Galaxy that host life, although such missions tend to have relatively limited capabilities of constraining the prevalence of technosignatures at mid-infrared wavelengths. Yet searching for technosignatures alongside biosignatures would provide important knowledge about the future of our civilization. If planets with technosignatures are abundant, then we can increase our confidence that the hardest step in planetary evolution—the Great Filter—is probably in our past. But if we find that life is commonplace while technosignatures are absent, then this would increase the likelihood that the Great Filter awaits to challenge us in the future.

中文翻译：

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大滤镜的观测约束。

下一代太空望远镜对光谱生物特征的搜索可以为存在生命迹象的系外行星的数量提供观测限制。对系外行星的这种光谱表征的扩展是寻找技术的观测证据，即技术签名。当前的任务概念将观察从紫外线到近红外波长的生物特征，这可能会限制银河系中有生命的行星的比例，尽管此类任务往往具有相对有限的能力来限制中红外波长的技术特征的流行。 。然而，与生物签名一起寻找技术签名将提供有关我们文明未来的重要知识。如果具有技术特征的行星丰富，那么我们就可以增强信心，即行星进化中最困难的一步-大过滤器-可能已经过去。但是，如果我们在没有技术签名的情况下发现生活是司空见惯的，那么这将增加大过滤器在将来等待挑战我们的可能性。