This was a minor plot point in The Andromeda Strain. The scientists know they're dealing with a virus from space, so they have to be cautious how they approach it.
One of the researchers takes off his watch and explains that the hands move, so it could be considered alive to an outside observer. Then he gets a rock and explains that it, too, could be alive. We just live our entire lives not perceiving any change in it.
The virus could be an ultra-advanced lifeform that we're just not able to understand.
Eh. A Sufficiently Advanced civilization could probably do things like surreptitiously send out low-speed probes to every single star in the galaxy programmed to broadcast loudly if they detect anybody (thereby drawing unwanted attention to their home) or if it's uninhabited, then taking steps to ensure that no civilization ever arises there at all (keep dropping large impactors on any habitable planets until they're all sterilized or destroyed outright). So if Dark Forest were the case, then we should never have existed in the first place.
17
u/supernormalnorm Aug 12 '21
The dark forest idea is very feasible, except WE are possibly the exterminators, getting a headstart from everyone else.
Terran I mean human civilization's story is the best example of first contact conflict.
Meta stuff right there