The planetarium hypothesis, conceived in 2001 by
Stephen Baxter, attempts to provide a solution to the
Fermi paradox by holding that our astronomical observations represent an illusion, created by a
Type III civilization capable of manipulating matter and energy on galactic scales. He postulates that we do not see evidence of
extraterrestrial life because the
universe has been engineered so that it appears empty of other life.[1]
There is no reliable or reproducible evidence that
aliens have visited
Earth.[2][3] No transmissions or evidence of
intelligent extraterrestrial life have
been detected or observed anywhere other than
Earth in the
Universe. This runs counter to the knowledge that the Universe is filled with a very large number of planets, some of which likely hold the conditions hospitable for life. Life on Earth has shown the tendency to typically expand until it fills all available niches.[4] These contradictory facts form the basis for the
Fermi paradox, of which the planetarium hypothesis is one proposed solution.
Criticism
The hypothesis has been considered by some authors as speculative[5][6] and even next to useless in any practical scientific sense and more related to the theological mode of thinking along with the
zoo hypothesis.[7]
References
^Baxter, Stephen, 2001, The Planetarium Hypothesis: A Resolution of the Fermi Paradox, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol. 54, no. 5/6, pp. 210–216.