The Fermi Paradox: A 10 Step Guide To Finding Aliens

3. Ahead Of Us

Whilst it seems pretty depressing to imagine that we alone have survived TGF, the stubborn silence of the universe could actually be a blessing in disguise. Philosopher, Nick Bostrom, argues that for every sign of life we find in the universe, the likelihood that TGF lies ahead of us increases.

The discovery of complex or intelligent extraterrestrial life would, according to Bostrom, be tantamount to a death knell for the human race as it would mean that TGF is almost certainly ahead of us. If TGF is ahead of us, then it is likely to be at the point of galactic colonisation (or there would be loads of aliens flying around, remember?). Perhaps civilisations that get to this point always self-destruct, maybe outer space is just too dangerous to colonise.

Bostrom has also written a cheery little article detailing all the ways we, or any civilisation really, could be destroyed if you fancy a bit of depressing bedtime reading.