In the great silence there is great hope

Abstract

The emergence of intelligent life is sufficiently improbable that no advanced extraterrestrial civilizations have visited Earth or made their presence known. If this is true, then it is likely that this improbability is located ahead of us in our future as opposed to behind us in our past. The discovery of life on Mars would indicate that this improbability is likely ahead of us. If so, we must relinquish hope of ever colonizing the galaxy and fear the premature extinction of our species. – AI-generated abstract.