Ask Lemmy

I suppose it depends on why they're being quiet. If other civilizations view each other as competitors for rare resources like worlds that would be inhabitable with out large scale terraforming, then being loud may get your planet targeted. That's the basis for the "Dark Forest" theory. I think that theory is interesting, but it's a bit pessimistic in my opinion. What's way more likely is, if there are other civilizations out there, the odds of them existing during the same time frame that we're here, AND being close enough to receive radio waves in a timely fashion, AND are at a technology level to send and receive those radio waves.... it's all very very very unlikely.

For me, what's way scarier is, it isn't that everyone is being quiet, it's that there isn't any one else out there, and we're one of the first civilizations to develop. If there were other highly advanced civilizations out there, there'd be signs of them, signs of their technology. Shit, I read that large ships moving at close to the speed light would generate detectable gravity waves. But so far, nothing.

Transmit math equations into space, but make them all just a little wrong. If someone’s out there, they’ll come by to correct us.

Invent a warp drive.

Share with them generated videos of us hanging out with other alien species, having a good time, etc. and make it seem like they’re missing out.

Well I'm pretty sure as soon as those 179 episodes of The Apprentice that we broadcast in all directions for 11 years reaches an alien civilization it's going to provoke an attack that destroys the entire solar system.

Say 'Marco' out really loud

This is one answer to the fermi paradox that makes no sense to me. If we did live in a dark forest universe where everyone was hiding from some oppressive existential threat, how would any of the civilisations learn about it?

They would need to be in contact with one another to discover that other civilisations were being wiped out, but for that to happen, the wiping out civilisation would have to be able to find them as well. If they destroyed civ A, they'd definitely be able to find references to civ B in their ruins, somewhere. I see no mechanism by which a civilisation could observe this enemy in action without being detected.

Unless someone has come up with an answer to this issue, in which case I'd like to see it.

Also, if you can detect them, just telling them that you've detected them should change their strategy, because if a basic civilsation like ours can do it then they're not actually that safe by hiding. The dark forest seems like a really fragile arrangement.

Broadcast that we've discovered a cheap and hilariously effective FTL but to kick it off requires us to collapse the vacuum decay. We're willing to do it and relocate to the other side of the universe, but we don't want to destroy everything if anyone is around. Answer quick, we're packing

If I were trying to get quiet aliens to communicate, I would try to get earthlings to clean up their own mess. I can't imagine an advanced civilization wanting to bother with the sad tragedy of humanity's self-destruction. There isn't a day where some random human isn't killing another, and there's usually some government that has organized some mass-kill army operation against another country -- or, worse, it's own people. Even omitting the bloodthirsty, power-hungry, greedy, and liars, the general population can't get together to work for the common good.

Maybe we could start by fixing the climate catastrophe, getting the trash out of the ocean, and then getting food and housing to everyone. If I was an alien that'd been avoiding Earth, that's the sort of thing that would get my attention.

Certainly not destroying ourselves or our own planet. We're already doing that.

Drop a couple nukes on planets in a predictable order with a predictable time in between. They'll reach out sooner or later once we get close enough.

I wouldn't. If you determine that other life is intentionally staying quiet, why would you not also theorize on why they stay* silent?

I don't think that there is likely such a thing that would produce a direct response. If you wanted to not be noticed, why would you change your behavior based on what something else transmits?

I think we're the North Sentinelese of the Milky Way and we're being purposefully insulated so we develop technologically and sociologically up to a certain point where we'll be able to join everyone else. I doubt they'll say anything. That's the point. In fact i think we're being shielded as a kindness, possibly protected too. We, as a species, can't even leave the solar system and return. I'm guessing an advanced enough civilization could create a believable enough reproduction of the universe for us to study.

I think the difference between the alien UN and our global organization is probably the same level as the difference between our UN and the North Sentinel Island tribal elders.

It just doesn't make sense that the galaxy is empty. But my theory is just my best guess. I have no concrete evidence. I do think there are some mighty coincidences around here. For instance, a solar system stocked with several planets and minerals and a long life stable star, almost ideal from all the various star types available. A random meteorite hitting the earth after millions of years of dinosaurs not developing intelligent life. A very logical progression of bodies for a space faring civilization to grow. First the moon, then mars, then venus, etc. A lot of asteroids that seem to zip by Earth but always near miss at an alarming common rate. Jupiter strategically placed to keep Earth safe from a large number of meteors and other celestial bodies.

I think humans are a benevolent, non intrusive biological experiment by an advanced species or at the very least a protected species in some nature reserve. Them interacting with us could potentially hamper our development. It could be that religions were their previous attempts but didn't work out so well.

Lure them with Reece's Pieces.

Marcoooooo

Start launching nukes into space in all directions. Don't stop until someone outside Earth complains.

Or maybe just transmit a radio signal that says "Marco."

It depends on why they're being quiet. In this scenario I think it'd be likely that they're being quiet for some reason that's literally incomprehensible to human-level minds, since they're likely millions or billions of years more advanced than we are. So it's impossible to predict what, if anything, might provoke them to break that silence.

I guess sending a probe there and having it physically poke them might get some kind of reaction, at least.

Make them think some of them have already come to Earth for whatever reason.

end humankind and they will make an memorial of earth of how what not to become as species