Unveiling the Silent Cosmos: Exploring the Dark Forest Hypothesis and Its Connections with Collegiate Life
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I Want To Believe, plastered in a bold white font on a small, rectangular poster depicting a fuzzy photograph of a chrome, oblong orb hovering over a forest of pine trees. The poster was surrounded by a small room with an assortment of space-related paraphernalia: heavy black binoculars, a small space shuttle model of The Discovery, and a sleek, silver telescope. A shaggy, black haired child with Star Wars pajamas laid on the floor, pondering one of humanity’s oldest questions: are we alone in this universe?
The question of extraterrestrial life seems to be an innate curiosity of our species. Italian philosopher and astronomer, Giordano Bruno, proposed the theory of an infinite universe that was populated with many worlds. He also wrote that these worlds “have no less virtue nor a nature different from that of our Earth” and, like Earth, “contain animals and inhabitants” (Bruno 1584). Unfortunately, under the charges of heresy, Bruno was burned at the stake. However, his theories live on with the first confirmation of an exo-planet in 1991 by radio astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail. Even so, mayhaps his theory of extraterrestrial life lives on through the immense depiction of aliens in pop culture, such as television shows like Doctor Who and Star Trek. Still, with our confirmed modern knowledge of a vast universe and myriad of exoplanets, the probability of life littering and zipping across the stars should be high.
Unfortunately, our radio signals have not been received and the universe seems shockingly bare. This lack of life in the universe despite the probable odds is known as The Fermi Paradox.
Now, there have been many attempts in resolving the Fermi Paradox, such as the Rare Earth Theory, habitable planets being extremely rare, or the Zoo Hypothesis, which states that alien species are aware of humanity but, for some reason, they choose to observe or study us without interfering. Still, of all these theories, this essay intends to explore The Dark Forest Hypothesis, as it has transferable qualities to collegiate lifestyles.
The Dark Forest Hypothesis can be described by author Cixin Liu’s second book of the Three Body Problem trilogy. He states:
“The universe is a dark forest. Every civilization is an armed hunter stalking through the trees like a ghost, gently pushing aside branches that block the path and trying to tread without sound. Even breathing is done with care. The hunter has to be careful, because everywhere in the forest are stealthy hunters like him. If he finds other life—another hunter, an angel or a demon, a delicate infant or a tottering old man, a fairy or a demigod—there’s only one thing he can do: open fire and eliminate them. In this forest, hell is other people. An eternal threat that any life that exposes its own existence will be swiftly wiped out. This is the picture of cosmic civilization” (2016).
At its core, under the definition of The Dark Forest Hypothesis, the universe is teeming with life, but fear prevents any civilization from making contact. After all, a quick glance in humanity’s history shows destruction, genocide, and war; what makes humanity an friendly species in the first place? Therefore, humanity should also be fearful of other suppositive species, who probably have the same lust for competition and greed. So, in this cycle of fear, two parties refuse to acknowledge the benefits that may emerge from fostering a relationship with each other. In the same vein, attending university for the first time may feel like a “dark forest”: a lack of belonging and friends due to fears of judgment or social anxiety.
As, the “Dark Forest Hypothesis” shows, when one allows for this cycle of fear to persist, the environment fostered will be barren and seemingly devoid; however, to break free from this cycle allows for a lush and vibrant universe, similar to those pop cultural worlds of Star Wars. Even so, just because internal feelings of social outcasting may fester, the feelings of others are quite starkly different. In a research study by Matthew Mayhew that analyzed how friendships impact college lifestyles, “more than 70 percent of student respondents said they placed importance on their colleges’ ability to provide opportunities to ‘get to know’ people from different religious and nonreligious perspectives” (2019). This shows that others are willing to create new and unique friends, despite feelings casted upon one self. So, although aliens might be hiding in the thick underbrush of the galaxy, perpetually afraid of encounter and spelling downfall on themselves, your experience at university does not need to be the same.
In fact, the best way to step out of the “dark forest” is to take the plunge into the lush meadow, chances are you’ll find a friend waiting for you there.
References
Bruno, G. (1584) On the Infinite Universe and Worlds (De L’infinito Universo Et Mondi) The History of Science Society. Accessed through: https://sofiografskaskola.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ђордано-Бруно-О-бесконачности-универзума-и-светова-уводна-посланица-на-енглеском.pdf
Ciccone J. K. (2019, November 14). Friendships matter: How college students are bridging polarizing differences. OUS.edu. https://ehe.osu.edu/news/listing/friendships-matter-how-college-students-are-bridging-polarizing-differences Liu C. (2016) Three Body Problem: The Dark Forest (J. Martinsen, Trans) Tor Books. (Original work published 2008)