Consider this the first of a little series – bad solutions to the Fermi Paradox. I have issues with the idea of that framework but as it’s the way most people think about the possibility of extraterrestrial life, I’ll just go with the flow for now until I get to the end of this series and into what I think.
What I’m criticizing here is the classic zoo hypothesis, the idea that intelligent, high-tech aliens are purposely avoiding humans and the planet earth. Any species that is capable of fast traveling to Earth must be populous and diverse enough that total, 100% compliance with no-contact rules or the Prime Directive is impossible. But it gets even worse the more other species or star systems are involved.
Continue reading When Space Geeks Sound Like Conspiracy Theorists