Settlement Explorer

Fits the silence

Step 1 of 5

A quiet galaxy

Our galaxy has had stars like the Sun for about 10 billion years and holds at least 100 billion of them. Yet we see no one else, a puzzle known as the Fermi paradox. Here is one possible answer.

A civilization appears. At first it is loud, like us, with radio, lights, and rockets. Then it turns inward. It stops expanding, grows compact and efficient, and goes quiet. What is left is faint warmth.

Each warm dot on the galaxy is one of these quiet civilizations. Plenty of them, and still a silent sky.

Quiet civilization
Settling spreads (white specks are loud)
Earth