The zookeepers are having fun as earthlings are trying to stack the boxes - What do you think about the zoo hypothesis?
Where is everybody? The zoo hypothesis is one of a number of suggestions that have been advanced in response to the Fermi paradox, regarding the apparent absence of evidence in support of the existence of advanced extraterrestrial life. According to this hypothesis, aliens would generally avoid making their presence known to humanity, or avoid exerting an influence on human development, somewhat akin to zookeepers observing animals in a zoo. Adherents of the hypothesis consider that Earth and humans are being secretly surveyed using equipment located on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system which relays information back to the observers. It is also suggested that overt contact will eventually be made with humanity once humans reach a certain level of development.
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Um, isn’t that the “Prime Directive” from Star Trek?
Certainly adds a layer of meaning to the “rapture.”
I’ve seen enough evidence/speculation about being observed, etc, so I’d go along with the general idea, but I would doubt asserted certainty of the specifics.
Suppose there is someone there watching (aliens, gods, whatever) and taking no actions that have any consequences for us. I fail to see how that could possibly be any different for us from having no one there watching, with exactly the same result. Occam votes for the latter.
@syz – Hmm… very interesting question. Well, we’ve got no warp drive yet, but a few earthlings have walked on the Moon. Plus our probes have visited Mars and other planets in our solar system. And we got Microsoft making smart operating systems. Does this count? I know, I know, the Vulcans are waiting for the warp drive test and won’t show up any earlier. But maybe some zookeepers aren’t Vulcans. And maybe, they’ll show up. Hopefully not Independence Day style…
I think there could be another very real possiblity that not a whole lot of people think of. We leave in a rather secluded part of the milkly way, and our galaxy is also in a very secluded part of the universe, with very few other galaxies around us. The problem may just be that the amount of time if would take to travel from planet X(being the homeplanet of alien life) and earth is simply too great. Or they do not know we are here, much like we don’t know where they are. The most advanced telescopes that we have are incapable of looking at specific planets in great detail, we know they are there and what they are made of, but we don’t know what’s on them. Is it so difficult to think that within a reasonable distance there aren’t many life forms much more advanced than us?
@Jeruba I think radio signals would be very benificial. Because obviously when attempting to contact other worlds one wouldn’t send merely static(or any equivalent) it’d be some manner of a message. And through this a transfer of history and ideas could be accomplished.
And 5.2 million participants already have set their home computers to the task of listening. Take a look at the links I supplied.
Okay now I believe in ET’s however silly it may sound. I also find Drake’s Equation fascinating. This hypothesis is interesting but it doesn’t cause much deep thought for me. I’m content in believing and waiting till we do have some “proof”.
Psychic Sylvia Brown says that aliens will reveal themselves in 2010. LOL
@Jeruba – I think Seti@home is a wonderful project! Let’s keep listening and analyzing.
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