We
may not yet have found evidence of alien life, but that doesn’t mean it hasn't
found us.
This
is according to a group of scientists who gathered this week in Paris to
discuss why, despite decades of searching and the high probability that life
exists beyond our own atmosphere, we’ve yet to make contact.
One
possibility, albeit unflattering, could be that intelligent aliens are intentionally
shielding us from the truth because humans would struggle to cope with the
reality of their existence, some say.
Researchers
at the METI International meeting proposed that aliens could be keeping us in
somewhat of a ‘galactic zoo,’ simply watching us without revealing themselves
so as to avoid spurring cultural upset on Earth.
The
day-long workshop organized by METI International (Messaging Extraterrestrial
Intelligence) is held every other year in Paris, according to Forbes.
Scientists
from all disciplines gathered at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industriem
science museum to explore a question that dates back to 1950, now known as the
Fermi Paradox: ‘Where is everybody?’
While
it’s an unnerving thought, some suggest extraterrestrial observers have been
there all along without us realizing it.
‘It
seems likely that extraterrestrials are imposing a “galactic quarantine”
because they realize it would be culturally disruptive for us to learn about
them,’ said co-chair Jean-Pierre Rospars, the honorary research director at the
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, according to Forbes.
‘Cognitive
evolution on Earth shows random features while also following predictable
paths.
'We
can expect the repeated, independent emergence of intelligent species in the
universe, and we should expect to see more or less similar forms of
intelligence everywhere, under favourable conditions.
‘There’s
no reason to think that humans have reached the highest cognitive level
possible. Higher levels might evolve on Earth in the future and already be
reached elsewhere.’
To
break the silence, then, the researchers say we may need to be more direct in
our approach.