[The Cajun]

There's a case that can be made for the need to monitor savage civilizations who've developed the means of space flight, and have harnessed the atom.
Call it a containment mission.

Have thought about that, seems if they were thousands or millions of years ahead of us, they would have no worry about us.
Then I thought, what if we are (due to computers and other high tech) on the verge of significant breakthroughs, we might be becoming a problem faster than we think.

[Windflier]

...what if we are (due to computers and other high tech) on the verge of significant breakthroughs, we might be becoming a problem faster than we think.

That is definitely a possibility. Or - our technology may already be more advanced than the general public is aware of.

We know for a fact that our military-industrial complex is at least ten years ahead in development of technological systems than they admit. That's just on the standard military hardware front. What about deeper projects that even the boys at the Skunk Works aren't aware of?

I've read about such deep projects, though I don't know for a fact that they exist. If I did, I'm certain that I'd be six feet under for "knowing too much."