Dark Forest Theory – Introduction

Dark Forest Theory is one among several theories that will explain the Fermi paradox. If you aren’t aware, the Fermi Paradox is the apparent contradiction between the lack of evidence and high probability for the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations elsewhere in this vast, unending Universe.

Dark Forest Theory – In Depth

There are thousands of billions of galaxies within the well-known universe. The Milky Way Galaxy alone has a minimum of one hundred Billion stars; every star additional or less like our own (which we have a tendency to decision the Sun, or “Sol”). Each of those stars probably has many planets in orbit around them.

Even if only the tiniest fraction of these planets held life, and only the tiniest fraction of life-bearing planets held intelligent life, we are still looking at thousands of extraterrestrial civilizations out there in only the milky way Galaxy alone. And that’s not even as well as the opposite many billions of galaxies!

But we’ve got completely ZERO proof for extraterrestrial civilizations! Hence, the Fermi Paradox.

There are several theories that arrange to make a case for the Fermi contradiction in terms. One is that life is therefore implausibly rare and hence Galaxy is so broad that finding it elsewhere would be like finding a selected grain of sand on a beach. Another theory suggests that life itself might not be so rare, but intelligent life is incredibly rare. Another theory posits that the majority civilizations destroy themselves early. Think of humanity’s close calls with atomic/nuclear weapons. The theories are endless. But one among these theories is way darker than the rest: The Dark Forest Theory!

The Mystery of Dark Forest Theory

The ”Dark Forest Theory” could be an actually alarming rationalization for the Fermi paradox, however, nevertheless, it makes a lot of sense. It might sound sort of a paranoid plan, however, it may simply make a case for why we can’t realize anyone. Essentially, it says that we haven’t found extraterrestrial civilizations because they are purposely being quiet for their own safety. The argument for the Dark Forest Theory is set out like this:

All life desires to stay alive

There is no way to know or understand if other lifeforms will or can destroy you if given the actual chance.

Lacking assurances, the safest option for any species is to stay quiet and monitor the others.

The universe may probably be similar to a Dark Forest. Every civilization may probably represent an armed soldier stalking through the trees. Each soldier should be silent and careful, because everywhere in the Dark Forest are stealthy, silent soldiers like himself. Each breath should be silent… every footstep should be silent. If he finds another life- he either risks his own life by trusting it, or he opens fire to eliminate them before they can be able to eliminate him.

So why precisely is this theory, therefore, alarming to the USA, right now? Because we’ve got inadvertently broadcast our existence to the Universe for one hundred years now! Ever since the radio was invented! Every TV Broadcast, each radio wave, each WLAN connection! Every potential civilization in one hundred light years of us may be wordlessly watching us, seeing what moves we make, and thinking about how incredibly stupid we are!

If you were lost in a scary dark, creepy forest at night… would you scream out to alert all the nearby predators where you were? Probably not! But that’s what humanity has been doing for one hundred years!

Conclusion

If we had a solid reason to avoid extraterrestrial civilizations from knowing about us and our planet, as Stephen William Hawking thought we did, we might have a problem! But since we’ve never really successfully made contact with anyone, our curiosity defeats our self-preservation. One of the characteristics that have allowed us, humans, to get to the point that we are at is our natural inclination to be curious about the unknown. This curiosity can and will catapult us to the stars someday, but it could also be the reason for our extinction!

Hopefully, there aren’t any predators on their way to our worldly location within the Dark Forest as we speak!