Matt Walsh

It's a mystery.

I mean, the only way we could explain this is if there are actually no whales.

No, the reason you didn't see one is that the ocean is big.

That is the reason.

The ocean is really big and there are comparatively few blue whales, but they are there.

It's just that your likelihood of seeing one when you inspect like half an acre of vast ocean is extremely small.

And this analogy doesn't even capture it because, of course, the universe is a zillion times bigger than the ocean.

But you get my point.

Like if you went to the ocean for 30 minutes and actually saw a blue whale, that would be infinitely more shocking than not seeing one.

It'd be so shocking that I wouldn't believe you unless you got a picture of it.

You know?

even though I know the whales are out there.

But the size of the ocean combined with the small amount of time you spent looking and the tiny space you searched makes actually seeing a whale really implausible.

Now, if you spent a decade searching over the entire ocean and you came back and said, I finally saw a blue whale, then I believe you.

Or if there was a blue whale in a tank at SeaWorld, you'd need a pretty big tank, and you told me you searched that tank for 10 minutes and saw one, I believe you.

But a short time and a huge space,

Those factors together make seeing one really unlikely or hearing one or getting any glimpse of one at all.

And for us, the amount of time we spent looking for alien life or potentially able to receive communication is basically 30 minutes.

I mean, more like 30 seconds in the proportion to the age and size of the universe.

I mean, that's the other thing too.