In our quest to understand our place in the cosmos, two important concepts often emerge: the Fermi Paradox and the Drake Equation. The Fermi Paradox underscores a contradiction between the high probability of extraterrestrial civilizations existing in the universe, as suggested by the Drake Equation (a formula designed to estimate the number of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations), and the complete lack of evidence for or contact with such civilizations.

An intriguing explanation for this paradox may lie in the Great Filter concept, which posits that at some point between the emergence of life and the development of civilizations capable of colonizing galaxies, these civilizations face challenges so formidable that they hinder further progress or lead to extinction. This idea may resonate particularly well within psychological and sociological contexts, where a species' instinct for survival might inherently resist changes and innovations that could fundamentally alter or threaten its existence.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an example of this phenomenon, as many modern-day humans feel reluctant to allow AI to advance past a certain point (a.k.a. a possible Great Filter), fearing that it could result in human extinction. Part of our survival instinct is to believe that the greater good prioritizes human survival above all.

Approximately 1.9 million years ago, Homo Habilis likely thought that the greater good prioritized them as they were evolutionarily........

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