The search for extraterrestrial life has led scientists to conclude that humans may not be ready for contact with alien civilizations. Despite years of exploration, scientists have not found any proof of intelligent life beyond our planet. According to the Kardashev scale, which measures the level of technological advancement based on the ability to use energy resources, humans are still on level zero, capable of using only a small fraction of our planet’s energy potential.
Meanwhile, type 1 civilizations can harness all energy from their home planet and parent star, type 2 can control the energy of their star system, and type 3 can control the energy of their galaxy or even the universe. However, the capacity at which we can transmit and receive signals is limited, and our noise can only be detected by our closest neighbors.
The paradox of great silence is that, given the large number of potentially inhabited planets in our galaxy, it is unlikely that humans are the only intelligent civilization. However, we have not yet heard from any other civilization, which suggests that they may have other things to worry about or may simply not be interested in communicating with us.
