exoplanet
Explanation
This comic presents a darkly humorous take on the Fermi Paradox — the question of why, given the vast size and age of the universe, we haven't detected signs of alien civilizations.
A scientist explains that we can build a hypertelescope using a huge array of spacecraft in formation, powerful enough to resolve surface features on exoplanets. Another character notes that we could do this today if we were willing to commit resources on the scale of a great pyramid-style project. They speculate that if an alien civilization exists with even modest technological advancement ahead of us, "they will one day see our civilization."
Then comes the punchline: if those aliens look at Earth, what will they see? "Earth has war, poverty, territorial disputes, sectarian violence, nuclear weapons, misinformation in every direction all the time." Someone adds that "poor countries aren't very nice to look at" either.
The implication is clear: maybe the answer to the Fermi Paradox is that alien civilizations have looked at us and decided not to make contact. The final panel, where a character says "What's your point?" in response to "Isn't this familiar to you?" suggests that the same reasoning applies to how we treat unpleasant neighbors — we simply avoid them. The comic turns the Fermi Paradox from a grand cosmic mystery into a mundane social analogy: aliens aren't visiting for the same reason you don't knock on the door of the house with the overgrown lawn and the shouting.