[acegopher]

I wonder if the "generational problem" is a potential reason for the Fermi Paradox. If it is extremely difficult for a species to expend resources on multi-generational projects, then the species horizon is only that which can be spanned in some fraction of a lifetime of that species.

[andrewflnr]

Self-replicating robots are enough to substantiate (motivate? create?) the Fermi paradox, and those can probably be achieved in a reasonable fraction of a reasonable species' lifetime, from foundations that can all be motivated by short term concerns. Humans will be there in a couple centuries, if we don't destroy civilization on the way (but that's the boring resolution to the FP).

[acegopher]

I've read the Bobiverse series too :-). Maybe the question then is, do intelligent species have the will to invest the capital and labor required when there is no payoff in those decision-makers lifetimes? I think there are individuals who do, but I think it's an open question if societies can.

[plqz]

That's called the percolation hypothesis: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/beyond-fermis-paradox...

[GCUMstlyHarmls]

I think this is a particularly human-centric perspective on the idea. Do you think ants have the same issue now?

[oneseven]

Or, concretely, migrating hoverflies. Interestingly they don't appear to be colonial.

[quietbritishjim]

Not really human-centric, but intelligent life-centric. Given that the discussion (by this point) was about intelligent life communicating across the universe, ants aren't very relevant, unless you think they're about to start building spaceships.