The planetarium hypothesis, conceived in 2001 by Stephen Baxter, attempts to provide a solution to the Fermi paradox by holding that our astronomical observations represent an illusion, created by a Type III civilization capable of manipulating matter and energy on galactic scales.
[2][3] No transmissions or evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life have been detected or observed anywhere other than Earth in the Universe.
This runs counter to the knowledge that the Universe is filled with a very large number of planets, some of which likely hold the conditions hospitable for life.
Life on Earth has shown the tendency to typically expand until it fills all available niches.
[4] These contradictory facts form the basis for the Fermi paradox, of which the planetarium hypothesis is one proposed solution.