One proposed solution to the Fermi Paradox is that intelligent species actively try to conceal their… — Ted Chiang
One proposed solution to the Fermi Paradox is that intelligent species actively try to conceal their presence, to avoid being targeted by hostile invaders.
Speaking as a member of a species that has been driven nearly to extinction by humans, I can attest that this is a wise strategy.
p. 231Source: Wikiquote · CC BY-SA 4.0
More from this book
Humans have lived alongside parrots for thousands of years, and only recently have they considered the possibility that we might be intelligent.
I suppose I can’t blame them. We parrots used to think humans weren’t very bright. It’s hard to make sense of behavior that’s so different from your own.
p. 233
Let me always be inquisitive, but never be suspicious.
p. 249
When the public interest is involved, finding out what actually happened is important; justice is an essential part of the social contract, and you can’t have justice until you know the truth.
p. 190
