In my previous blog, I introduced the Fermi Paradox, the disagreement between the relatively high likelihood of alien life forming somewhere in our vast universe and the apparent absence of it.
Now, I want to discuss a possible answer to the paradox, which goes by the dramatic name of “The Great Filter.” The basic principle is quite simple: we don’t see alien life because there exists a barrier at some point in a civilization’s lifetime that hinders it from becoming interplanetary.
There are two kinds of barriers that go from trivial to straight-up frightening.
Filter of the first kind:
The idea here is quite simple and relates to something we discussed in the post about the Fermi Paradox. This filter is simply that our assumption was wrong, and civilizations are extremely rare to become interplanetary. It could be because life itself is incredibly rare or because it is intelligent life that doesn’t appear often. Or perhaps civilizations like ours are abundant, but they always manage to wipe themselves out before they can ever leave their home planet.
This would be the ideal scenario because it would mean that The Great Filter is likely behind us, assuming we don’t do anything stupid in the next couple hundred years, like continue to rely on fossil fuels with complete disregard for its effect on the global climate.
Honestly, I hope that this is the case. It means there could be abundant alien life out there, just waiting for us to reach out to them. At the very least, it leaves us without worrying about what might come.
Filter of the second kind:
This is where things get a bit nerve-wracking. If The Great Filter is not behind us… well, then, it is in front of us. And that would be a massive problem. It means that there is something ahead of our development that no other civilization has been able to surpass, and we’re heading straight for it.
In the best-case scenario, the Filter is us, our greed, hatred, and contempt for each other, and once we manage to overcome it, we will be able to harness our full potential and literally reach for the stars.
But the worst-case scenario is that the Great Filter is not a what but rather a who. There could be a civilization out there so advanced that their technology would be outside our comprehension and even imagination. Trying to understand them would be like an ant trying to understand quantum mechanics.
That civilization could be out there, monitoring life as it develops and waiting until a species begins its interplanetary adventures. Then, it swings by, annihilates the species, and returns to its vigil. We would not stand a chance against such a Filter, and we better hope and pray that we never have to face it.
Why care about this at all?
This is a fair question. After all, as fun as it is to entertain these ideas, it is impossible (at least for now) to test any of what we have been discussing. It is fundamentally unscientific, and many of you may think that the thought of this is quite ridiculous. And while you may not be wrong, I want to offer a counterpoint.
The idea of the Great Filter provides perspective on our existence and our place in the universe. It is a notion in which we identify not only as a species but as a planet, where we all share the same fate. I hope that by dreaming, reflecting, and imagining what may or may not be out there, we may realize that our national, religious, or ethnic differences become insignificant.
If there is a Great Filter, I believe that it is our hatred of each other, our refusal to collaborate, and the lust for profit that have enthralled our politics and ruling class. Perhaps by becoming aware of this Filter, we may be able to stop quarreling against one another and work together to overcome it, not just to become an interplanetary species but also to make Earth what it always should be: the home and safe haven of all beings who inhabit it.
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