@HappyTrails - you ever heard of a concept called The Great Filter? It's a relative of the Fermi Paradox, and it's the theory that every civilisation advanced enough to be thinking of galactic colonisation must first pass The Great Filter test.

It could take any form, depending on the species in question and how they developed, right down to the most basic shit like 'did this world have liquid water for life to even exist?', but in our case... I'd say we're sitting the test right now, and failing miserably.

Further reading, if interested:

https://astronomy.com/news/2020/11/the-g....

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So long, and thanks for all the fish.