The Fermi paradox

Enrico Fermi

You are there
Milky Way

WHERE IS EVERYBODY?

THE KARDASHEV SCALE

DYSON SPHERE

SO WHERE IS EVERYBODY?

WELCOME TO THE FERMI PARADOX!

EXPLANATION GROUP 1
There are no signs of higher (Type II and III) civilizations because there are no higher civilizations in existence.

WHERE IN THE TIMELINE DOES THE GREAT FILTER OCCUR?

DEPENDING ON WHERE THE GREAT FILTER OCCURS, WE’RE LEFT WITH THREE POSSIBLE REALITIES:
We’re rare
We’re first
We’re f#ck3d

1. WE’RE RARE (THE GREAT FILTER IS BEHIND US)

2. WE’RE THE FIRST

3. WE’RE F#CK3D (THE GREAT FILTER IS AHEAD OF US)

EXPLANATION GROUP 2
Type II and III intelligent civilizations are out there—and there are logical reasons why we might not have heard from them.

10 POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS:
Possibility 1) Super-intelligent life could very well have already visited Earth, but before we were here.
Possibility 2) The galaxy has been colonized, but we just live in some desolate rural area of the galaxy.
Possibility 3) The entire concept of physical colonization is a hilariously backward concept to a more advanced species.
Possibility 4) There are scary predator civilizations out there, and most intelligent life knows better than to broadcast any outgoing signals and advertise their location.
Possibility 5) There’s only one instance of higher-intelligent life—a “superpredator” civilization (like humans are here on Earth)—that is far more advanced than everyone else and keeps it that way by exterminating any intelligent civilization once they get past a certain level.

10 POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS:
Possibility 6) There’s plenty of activity and noise out there, but our technology is too primitive and we’re listening for the wrong things.
Possibility 7) We are receiving contact from other intelligent life, but the government is hiding it.
Possibility 8) Higher civilizations are aware of us and observing us (AKA the “Zoo Hypothesis”).
Possibility 9) Higher civilizations are here, all around us. But we’re too primitive to perceive them.
Possibility 10) We’re completely wrong about our reality.

POSSIBILITY 1) SUPER-INTELLIGENT LIFE COULD VERY WELL HAVE ALREADY VISITED EARTH, BUT BEFORE WE WERE HERE.

POSSIBILITY 2) THE GALAXY HAS BEEN COLONIZED, BUT WE JUST LIVE IN SOME DESOLATE RURAL (COUNTRYSIDE) AREA OF THE GALAXY.

POSSIBILITY 3) THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF PHYSICAL COLONIZATION IS A HILARIOUSLY BACKWARD CONCEPT TO A MORE ADVANCED SPECIES.

POSSIBILITY 4) THERE ARE SCARY PREDATOR CIVILIZATIONS OUT THERE, AND MOST INTELLIGENT LIFE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO BROADCAST ANY OUTGOING SIGNALS AND ADVERTISE THEIR LOCATION.

POSSIBILITY 5) THERE’S ONLY ONE INSTANCE OF HIGHER-INTELLIGENT LIFE—A “SUPERPREDATOR” CIVILIZATION (LIKE HUMANS ARE HERE ON EARTH)—THAT IS FAR MORE ADVANCED THAN EVERYONE ELSE AND KEEPS IT THAT WAY BY EXTERMINATING ANY INTELLIGENT CIVILIZATION ONCE THEY GET PAST A CERTAIN LEVEL

POSSIBILITY 6) THERE’S PLENTY OF ACTIVITY AND NOISE OUT THERE, BUT OUR TECHNOLOGY IS TOO PRIMITIVE AND WE’RE LISTENING FOR THE WRONG THINGS.

POSSIBILITY 7) WE ARE RECEIVING CONTACT FROM OTHER INTELLIGENT LIFE, BUT THE GOVERNMENT IS HIDING IT.

POSSIBILITY 8) HIGHER CIVILIZATIONS ARE AWARE OF US AND OBSERVING US (AKA THE “ZOO HYPOTHESIS”).

POSSIBILITY 9) HIGHER CIVILIZATIONS ARE HERE, ALL AROUND US. BUT WE’RE TOO PRIMITIVE TO PERCEIVE THEM.

Michio Kaku

???

POSSIBILITY 10) WE’RE COMPLETELY WRONG ABOUT OUR REALITY