We spend a lot of time gazing at the stars and listening to radio signals. We hope that we can finally find evidence that we are not alone in the universe.
We look forward to our first official alien contact, but nothing happens. Sometimes we find out that a strange signal has been detected in space, and we revive our hopes again, but later we will be told that it was nothing more than a neutron star with a very strong magnetic field, bursting flares or something similar.
So where are the aliens that we want to hear and possibly meet? If we assume that we are not the only intelligent species in the universe, then they should be.
There are many theories explaining why we haven’t met living aliens yet. Some scientists say that extraterrestrial civilizations may not be interested in contacting us because we are not smart enough to deal with alien species. Our lack of sophisticated technology may also be one of the reasons why we cannot detect aliens. Another option is that aliens can exist in forms that we cannot imagine, for example that some aliens can be invisible.
A disturbing concept known as the Dark Forest Theory could shed light on our lack of progress in our search for aliens. The Dark Forest theory comes from science fiction written by Liu Qixin. It is easy to apply to interactions between humanity and extraterrestrial life.
The plot of the book raises vital questions about what can happen when a civilization is faced with potentially hostile alien life. In his book, Liu Qixin writes that all life forms are struggling to survive.
According to the Dark Forest theory, the biggest problem for other living species is that the real intentions of the other life form are unknown. It is impossible to know if the aliens you are encountering can destroy you if they have the opportunity. To avoid this and ensure its own survival, the safest option for any species is to eliminate other life forms before they can do the same.
In his book, Qixin writes: “The universe is a dark forest. Each civilization is an armed hunter, chasing trees like a ghost, gently pushing away the branches that block the path, and trying to step without a sound. He even breathes with caution. The hunter must be careful, because everywhere in the forest there are cunning hunters like him. If he finds another life - another hunter, an angel or a demon, a tender baby for a staggering old man, a fairy or a demigod - he can only do one thing: open fire and destroy them."
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This is a dark thought in reality - to kill or to be killed. Contact with other alien species can be dangerous and lead to the destruction of your race. Thus, this may be the reason why aliens are deliberately hiding and do not respond to our radio signals.
Whether this theory is plausible or not is a matter of opinion. There may be extremely advanced extraterrestrial civilizations out there, and they will not be afraid of us, because they know that their technological capabilities surpass anything that humans have achieved so far.
In an article published in 1964 in the Journal of Soviet Astronomy, Russian astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev suggested that advanced civilizations should be grouped into three types: type I, II, and III, which mastered planetary, stellar and galactic forms of energy, respectively.
It seems unlikely that the Dark Forest theory is relevant when discussing highly evolved extraterrestrial civilizations.
On the other hand, there could be many alien civilizations similar to us, and they could get scared and avoid the fear of contact with us. Looking back at our history, who can blame them. We are still in wars. Why should you be sure that they will not be attacked either?
Essentially, the Dark Forest theory explains that aliens deliberately hide in the darkness of space for fear of death. This is the reason why we have not received a response to our radio signals.
MIKHAILOV ALEXEY