For centuries, humanity has looked to the stars and wondered, if intelligent life exists elsewhere, why haven’t they reached out? Now, a NASA astrophysicist believes the answer might be far simpler and stranger than anyone imagined: aliens might have just gotten bored. Dr Robin Corbet, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, has proposed the theory of “radical mundanity,” suggesting that extraterrestrial civilizations are not vastly superior. beings but technologically ordinary—just a little ahead of us. After exploring their galactic neighborhood and finding nothing too interesting, they may have lost interest in making contact with planets like Earth.
NASA scientist explains the theory behind no contact of the aliens
Dr Corbet’s theory challenges the popular belief that alien civilizations possess godlike technology capable of faster-than-light travel or manipulating black holes. Instead, his “radical mundanity” hypothesis suggests that aliens may be more like us—advanced, but not exceptionally so. According to Corbet, these civilizations could be stuck on a technological plateau, with tools and machines only slightly beyond human capability. “It’s like having an iPhone 42 instead of an iPhone 17,” he explained, emphasizing that the difference might not be as dramatic as science fiction imagines.
Why aliens may have stopped trying to contact Earth
If Corbet’s idea is correct, it could explain why aliens have gone silent. Sending powerful interstellar beacons or probes demands immense energy and time, possibly millions of years for a single response. After realizing how impractical such efforts are, extraterrestrial civilizations may have decided it was not worth the trouble. Corbet also suggests that Earth may simply not be that interesting to them; to other intelligent beings, our planet could appear unremarkable compared with countless others across the galaxy.
A quiet galaxy: A new take on the fermi paradox
The Fermi paradox asks why we have not found evidence of alien life despite the high probability of its existence. Corbet’s theory offers a grounded explanation: perhaps there are no vast empires or interstellar conquerors, just modest civilizations scattered through the Milky Way, limited by physics and their own motivation. Without faster-than-light travel or massive cosmic projects, contact between worlds could be rare, brief, or easily missed by our instruments.
Scientists divided on the “bored alien” hypothesis
While Corbet’s theory has sparked fascination, not everyone agrees. Professor Michael Garrett from the Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophysics called it a “fresh perspective” but said it “projects a very human-like apathy onto the cosmos.” Others, like Professor Michael Bohlander of Durham University, argue that evidence may already exist in the form of unexplained aerial phenomena (UAPs) that show capabilities far beyond known human. technology. These disagreements reveal just how complex and personal the search for extraterrestrial life has become.Though the idea of “bored aliens” may sound anticlimactic, Corbet’s theory paints a more comforting picture of the universe. Instead of terrifying or omnipotent beings, other civilizations might be just as limited, curious, and imperfect as we are. As Corbet writes, even if we do make contact one day, “it could leave us somewhat disappointed.” Perhaps the universe is not silent after all—it is simply ordinary, and that is what makes it so extraordinary.
