Dark Aliens, New Looks at Answering Fermi’s Paradox

The question of why we have not yet encountered extraterrestrial intelligence, known as Fermi’s Paradox, remains one of the most intriguing unsolved puzzles in science. In this talk, Brad Templeton will discuss some of the new hypotheses emerging for explaining the Paradox, such as the “dark forest theory” that interstellar civilizations avoid detectable contact because of mutual distrust and potential threats to survival. Other possibilities to be explored include the likelihood of civilizations self-destructing before becoming spacefaring as well as scenarios in which aliens may exist but choose to remain hidden from us. The search for intelligent alien life and potential explanations for its elusiveness provide new perspectives on the destiny of technological civilizations and our place in the cosmos.