[a_crc]

I completely agree that the great filter theory is a bit circular in its logic on that premise: Imagine the evidence the average HN reader would need to accept that an extraterrestrial civilization existed. Now contrast that with the portion of human history when we've had the ability to produce evidence like that. It seems a bit reckless to assume that ANY AND EVERY high-tech alien civilization would produce conclusive evidence on a scale such that any civilization like modern humanity around any given star would be able to detect it.

I also wanted to point out that life on Venus would not even necessarily move the great filter. It is possible, though not experimentally proven, that lifeforms could survive a cataclysmic ejection from one planet after an asteroid impact and float to another planet in the same system. In other words, the life on Venus may have come from Earth or vice-versa.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia#Lithopanspermia

[MiroF]

> It seems a bit reckless to assume that ANY AND EVERY high-tech alien civilization would produce conclusive evidence on a scale such that any civilization like modern humanity around any given star would be able to detect it.

"ANY AND EVERY" is not remotely a part of any plausible premise of either the Great Filter or the Fermi paradox. Please be charitable in stating assumptions of theories you disagree with.