In a universe teeming with stars, galaxies, and billions of potentially habitable worlds, the most terrifying possibility isn’t that we’re alone. It's that intelligent civilizations are out there, watching in silence, too afraid to speak.⁠ ⁠ The Dark Forest Hypothesis is one of the most unsettling answers to the Fermi Paradox, which asks why we haven’t encountered alien life despite the staggering size and age of the universe. Instead of picturing a galaxy filled with curious civilizations eager to connect, this theory suggests the cosmos is a silent, lethal battleground—where speaking up could mean extinction.⁠ ⁠ Coined by Chinese author Liu Cixin in The Dark Forest, the hypothesis likens the universe to a dark forest where every civilization is an armed hunter moving in silence. To make noise—to announce your existence—is to risk being found and destroyed by others. Game theory supports the logic: in a setting where intentions can’t be known and threats are existential, preemptive st...