Extraterrestrial Life & the Fermi Paradox
The Great Filter
Proposes that some evolutionary or developmental step on the road from non-living matter to a galaxy-colonizing civilization is extremely improbable, “filtering out” almost every attempt — and that whether the filter lies behind us or ahead of us has very different implications for humanity.
Proponents
Robin Hanson
Evidence For
Elegantly reframes the Fermi Paradox as a single, high-stakes question: is the hardest step already behind us, or still ahead?
Evidence Against
Entirely unfalsifiable until we can identify where — or whether — the filter actually sits.
Real Sources
Transmissions
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