If we think about the universe being 14.8 billion years old, it seems reasonable to question where all the advanced civilizations are. Considering that AI could evolve to a point of creating a highly developed extraterrestrial civilization in just a few million years, why don't we see any evidence of such progress? It feels like there's some barrier preventing civilizations from thriving long enough to develop god-tier AI or that we simply haven't detected them yet. Could there be an unknown barrier or filter that we're not aware of?
5 Answers
Maybe a god-tier AI can hide itself if it wishes. There's so much about the universe we don't know. Just because we haven't seen anything yet doesn't mean intelligent life isn't out there; perhaps it's hiding from us or has chosen not to reveal itself.
Right? Just like we might not recognize intelligent life even if it's around us.
It's possible that civilizations don't need to expand. If they become advanced enough, they might just prefer staying in their own solar systems and use resources locally instead of colonizing other planets. Why go through all the hassle if they can thrive where they are?
Exactly! They might just focus on optimizing their own existence rather than traveling across the stars.
That’s a good point! Simplicity could be their goal.
Perhaps it's just that space is so vast and our technology is still catching up. Even if civilizations do exist, they might not be easily detectable. We've only really started to understand how to search for life beyond our own planet.
Absolutely! Our tools are still developing, and there’s still so much we have to learn.
Totally agree. It’s mind-boggling to think about how much more is out there.
It's possible we're just early on the timeline. The universe has plenty of time left, and life may take longer to evolve than we think. Some believe that civilizations might be short-lived, which means they could vanish before another has the chance to develop and communicate with us.
Exactly! It's a huge possibility that civilizations rise and fall quickly, meaning we wouldn't see them coexisting.
But even if we assume we're early, there are still galaxies forming that are quite old. We should see something!
There's a lot of theories around this. The Great Filter theory suggests that intelligent life always hits a barrier, which could explain our lack of communication. If other life forms have existed but ultimately failed to advance, that could mean we might be the first or among the first.
Makes sense! Maybe the odds are just stacked against intelligent civilizations.
Exactly! It's all about survival, and the universe can be pretty harsh.
Interesting thought! If there are civilizations out there, maybe they prefer it that way.