Physicist Suggests He Knows Why We Haven’t Met Aliens Yet — And His Theory Is More Terrifying Than You’d Expect

The universe is so big we can’t even comprehend just how much, which leads us to the questions: are there others like us, and where are they? With billions of stars just like the sun, and trillions of planets like Earth, it feels strange that we have not yet detected any form of intelligent life outside of our own.

This is a mystery called the “Fermi Paradox”, which simply asks “where is everybody?”. A respected scientist named Alexander Berezin claims he has one of the best theories to explain this phenomenon. His idea is both fascinating and terrifying, called the “First In, Last Out” theory.

Who Is Alexander Berezin?

First, who is Alexander Berezin, and why should we listen to his theory? Alexander Berezin is a theoretical physicist at the National Research University of Electronic Technology in Russia. He claims that he has a solution to the Fermi Paradox.

According to his paper, Berezin was not saying that aliens do not exist or could not exist. Actually, he proposed that there are many other planets just like Earth, where life could start. However, the problem lies not in the beginning but with their progression.

He states that the very first intelligent life capable of exploring and expanding into space might also be the very last one. This is his theory, named “First In, Last Out”, which aims to answer the Fermi paradox.

Read more: Science Alert | ArXiv

What Does “First In, Last Out” Mean?

Humans are the First Aliens. Here's Why.

The idea is simple but very bold. Because, according to him, the first civilization who are capable of dominating the galaxies could very well end up the last one to ever do so, because they will most likely remove or block the rest of the competition. It might not be because they hate the others, but simply as a side-effect of their goals.

Think of it this way, when we human beings are making our cities as the most dominant species on the planet, we usually end up destroying other forms of life like trees, ants or bugs, and countless microbiomes. Do we hate them, or do we simply just do it accidentally to do what must be done?

This is what the First In, Last Out theory means. That us humans, the fact that we have not detected the aliens could indicate we are the “first in”. He states that just like how we wipe out animal habitats here on Earth, we might do the same to other planets should we be the first to reach a level of civilization capable of expanding into space.

Why Is It So Terrifying?

What is very terrifying about this idea is what if we are not the “First In”? Then it means other alien civilizations could already be out there expanding and exploring the universe faster and wider than we are capable of right now.

Just like how we do not overthink when we accidentally wipe out an ant colony while building our structures, these alien civilizations might also wipe us out without even thinking about it.

If there is already someone else who became the “First In”, the possible reason we have not met them yet is that they have already eliminated anyone close enough to challenge them, and we are not one of those yet.

Read more: IFLScience

What Does This Mean for Humanity?

Why haven’t we found aliens? A physicist shares the most popular theories. | Brian Cox

If Berezin is right, then we really are in a race for our survival where the winner takes it all and eliminates all the others. To win, we have to expand to space and develop our technological civilization as quickly as we can.

If we don’t, we are risking being left behind, whose fate will be totally dependent on an alien race that is probably not as compassionate as us. I mean, we humans are not compassionate to ants or any bugs we eliminate, right? So, why would they?

So, in other words, this theory could mean that we have not met any aliens yet, not because they do not exist, but it’s because they never had a chance to evolve into an intelligent civilization that is detectable.

Author's Final Thoughts

If human civilization is really the “First In”, then it is a lot better than being the second or the last. Because physicist Alexander Berezin’s “First In, Last Out” theory suggests that the first intelligent life to spread across space could accidentally wipe out everyone else.

Whether his idea is true or completely false, it still reminds us just how fragile life can be. It gives us one of the most chilling answers to the Fermi Paradox, and that meeting aliens could be far more terrifying than exciting.

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