Advanced Civilisations May Be Undetectable Due to Sustainability, Suggests New Theory
Science/Medical/Technology
Tuesday 3rd, June 2025
2 minute read.
A recently revisited theory proposes a compelling solution to the Fermi Paradox, the enduring question of why humanity has not yet encountered evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. According to researchers, advanced civilisations may remain undetected because they prioritise sustainability and avoid leaving visible technological traces.
Originally proposed in 2009 by Jacob Haqq-Misra and Seth Baum, the “Sustainability Solution” suggests that any civilisation which pursues unchecked expansion and energy consumption is likely to collapse before achieving widespread interstellar communication. In contrast, those that survive long-term may do so by integrating technology with nature, effectively erasing signs of their technological presence.
Philosopher Lukáš Likavčan of New York University has expanded on this idea. He explores how a civilisation might adapt its technological development to align with ecological balance. Likavčan argues that advanced societies may develop technologies that “fold back into the biosphere”. This approach would result in a technological footprint that is indistinguishable from the natural environment.
He adds, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from nature”, offering a reformulation of Arthur C. Clarke’s well known statement.
Current efforts by SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) focus on identifying technosignatures such as Dyson Spheres or powerful radio signals, assumptions rooted in the expectation of expansionist behaviour. However, if advanced civilisations choose a more sustainable path, these technosignatures may be either extremely subtle or entirely absent.
The theory implies that humanity’s current search methods may be fundamentally limited. Civilisations that achieve stability over millennia may do so precisely by minimising their visibility, thereby avoiding collapse. This challenges the prevailing assumption that technological progress necessarily leads to ever larger and more detectable infrastructure.
The Fermi Paradox, named after physicist Enrico Fermi, asks why, given the vast number of potentially habitable planets, estimated at billions in the Milky Way alone, no evidence of alien life has been observed. The Sustainability Solution offers one possible answer: they are there, but deliberately undetectable.
The implications extend beyond astrophysics. The theory also invites reflection on the trajectory of human civilisation. If long term survival correlates with sustainability, it may suggest that humanity's own future depends on a similar harmonisation with the environment.
In practical terms, this could mean a future where human technologies are increasingly designed to blend with natural systems, a prospect which may alter how we define and search for intelligence beyond Earth.
Originally proposed in 2009 by Jacob Haqq-Misra and Seth Baum, the “Sustainability Solution” suggests that any civilisation which pursues unchecked expansion and energy consumption is likely to collapse before achieving widespread interstellar communication. In contrast, those that survive long-term may do so by integrating technology with nature, effectively erasing signs of their technological presence.
Philosopher Lukáš Likavčan of New York University has expanded on this idea. He explores how a civilisation might adapt its technological development to align with ecological balance. Likavčan argues that advanced societies may develop technologies that “fold back into the biosphere”. This approach would result in a technological footprint that is indistinguishable from the natural environment.
He adds, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from nature”, offering a reformulation of Arthur C. Clarke’s well known statement.
Current efforts by SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) focus on identifying technosignatures such as Dyson Spheres or powerful radio signals, assumptions rooted in the expectation of expansionist behaviour. However, if advanced civilisations choose a more sustainable path, these technosignatures may be either extremely subtle or entirely absent.
The theory implies that humanity’s current search methods may be fundamentally limited. Civilisations that achieve stability over millennia may do so precisely by minimising their visibility, thereby avoiding collapse. This challenges the prevailing assumption that technological progress necessarily leads to ever larger and more detectable infrastructure.
The Fermi Paradox, named after physicist Enrico Fermi, asks why, given the vast number of potentially habitable planets, estimated at billions in the Milky Way alone, no evidence of alien life has been observed. The Sustainability Solution offers one possible answer: they are there, but deliberately undetectable.
The implications extend beyond astrophysics. The theory also invites reflection on the trajectory of human civilisation. If long term survival correlates with sustainability, it may suggest that humanity's own future depends on a similar harmonisation with the environment.
In practical terms, this could mean a future where human technologies are increasingly designed to blend with natural systems, a prospect which may alter how we define and search for intelligence beyond Earth.
