The famous Fermi Paradox ponders why billions of stars with billions of planets have not produced a single verified extraterrestrial visiting Earth. The second half of the paradox is regularly debated in ufology circles (are they here yet?),
but a new option began to emerge in the discussions. Last month, Nick Pope, England’s best known UFO expert, proposed the idea that the ETs who are seeing Earth today might be afraid to visit because a certain world leader was exhibiting destructive behavior towards their similar, which could also pose a danger to them. . Now, a well-known biopsychologist has written an article exposing this issue… and expanding on what ETs fear.
Dr. Gordon Gallup is an American psychologist at the University of Albany, best known for his work in animal behavior, particularly for developing the mirror self-recognition test that measures animals’ self-awareness. What does an animal behaviorist know about extraterrestrials? In his article, published in the Journal of Astrobiology, he explains:
“To assess intelligence elsewhere in the universe, we describe two of the main scientific claims about intelligence on Earth. One involves the idea that intelligence involves discovering the reasons for our own existence. The other involves self-awareness and the ability to make inferences about what others know, want, or intend to do.
According to Gallup, knowing what others know, want, or intend to do is why humans kill themselves. And any long-term study of human behavior will quickly show that humans regularly kill each other with bloody means and in large numbers. In addition to wars and murder, killing is carried out through pollution, habitat destruction, and other means. For a recent example, Gallup points to “the utter destruction of the highly advanced Aztec and Inca civilizations, the subsequent enslavement and genocide of native peoples, their temples and buildings destroyed, their wealth and natural resources stolen and shipped across the seas.” What would ETs looking at historical records or travel brochures think of Earth and Earthlings based on this?
“However, if the intelligence exists elsewhere in the universe, it may not have revealed itself because humans are dangerous and are considered too great a risk.”
That would be a fitting conclusion to Dr. Gallup, but he steps forward and turns the mirror to face us. If we are so destructive that other intelligent civilizations are afraid to visit us, what is our future?
“If humans become extinct, it is highly unlikely that human-like intelligence would re-emerge on this planet, and the chances of human-like intelligence evolving on other worlds are infinitesimally small.”
Take us back before they find us!
Gallup recommends René Descartes’ famous maxim: “I think; therefore, I am,” needs to be revised to read, “I am; therefore I think. However, that’s only half the battle. The famous American poet, writer, critic and satirist Dorothy Parker was once asked to use the word “horticulture” in a sentence. She quickly responded with the pun: “You can lead a horticulture, but you can’t make it think.” Are we the whores of Earth who have culture and brains but cannot think? Is this why we never find ETs? Are they really scared of us? Are they just waiting for us to go extinct?
Would ETs understand Parker’s joke?
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