[Physicist]

The only logical way to reconcile Sagan's math with Fermi's observation is the Mead principle (also found in the Federation's constitution), the principle of "non-interference." The conclusion that higher civilizations have already found us, concluded that we are a Type 0 civilization, and have chosen to leave us alone until the millenia have passed and we have become a glatactically-civilized civilization. That makes sense to me.

Well, it's not the only way to reconcile it. Perhaps the distance between civilizations is large compared to their speed of propagation. Or perhaps--and I think this is the correct answer--civilizations just don't last very long.

[MHGinTN]

"Then we will wonder, as Sagan did, what a civilization a millions years ahead of ours will look like..."

I'm a fan of Michio Kaku, thus I'm hesitant to offer the following in so great a company as have assembled to comment here:
it is our primitive understanding of 'time' that limits our imgination of the possibilities. The universe is first considered spatially vast, then the light comes on and one realizes that it is not the spatial separation but the temporal limits of our current technological abilities that hold sway. Perhaps, in the not so distant future, we will come to have a better conceptualization of time and how it is integrated with spatial variables. Since we sense nothing in the present of the phenomena we measure, and have no inkling of how to measure that which is coming to us from the future, we're stuck with a penumbra of present cobbled together through our measurements of past events.

[helper]

I think you are on to something about not lasting long. In fact I think we are almost to that point. Did you notice how badly people were affected by Isabell & The northeast blackout. I wonder what percentage would be able to survive if the power never came back on, and no one cleaned up the mess.

[Arioch7]

Agreed. If the Universe is ininite, I think that perhaps we could be the only ones out in this point of the neighborhood.

Also, just because a life form is a million years old does not mean it is superior. You can have bacteria that is a million years old but it is still bacteria.

I just want us to get out there!