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Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

There are a lot of possibilities to explain this state of affairs other than the absence of life out there. Another possibility: Some civilizations are very hostile and other civilizations have learned to hide from the hostile civilizations.

The hostile civilizations could be quiet because they assume other intelligent species are just like them: dangerous and aggressive.

Could be we are being watched by some less hostile civilizations that are waiting to decide which category to put us in. Until we develop AI and genetically engineer offspring our future direction is unclear.

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Tim Tyler's avatar

The Milky Way doesn't seem to be a Kardashev Type III civilization composed of Matrioshka Brains - or we would know about it!

Other galaxies are still fair game, though. Most of them are very distant. We have very little idea about what the atoms over there are being used for. Again, I think circular polarization will probably be the most obvious signature.

"High Circular Polarization in the Star Forming Region NGC 6334: Implications"

- http://www.aspbooks.org/a/v...

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