[8][9] A similar hypothesis, under the name "deadly probes", was described by astronomer and author David Brin in his 1983 summary of the arguments for and against the Fermi paradox.
[12][13] According to the dark forest hypothesis, since the intentions of any newly contacted civilisation can never be known with certainty, then if one is encountered, it is best to shoot first and ask questions later, in order to avoid the potential extinction of one’s own species.
[2] The Berserker hypothesis, also known as the deadly probes scenario, proposes self-reproducing machines that would seek to destroy organic life.
The former can be viewed as a special case of the latter, if the deadly probes are (e.g. due to resource scarcity) only sent to star systems that show signs of intelligent life.
In 1987, science fiction author Greg Bear explored this concept that he called a "vicious jungle" in his novel The Forge of God.
[18][2] In Liu Cixin's novel, the dark forest hypothesis is introduced by the character Ye Wenjie, while visiting her daughter's grave.