Existential and cosmic iceberg

Existential and cosmic iceberg is an iceberg chart topic from r/IcebergCharts. The highest-scoring chart on it, "Fermi Paradox Solutions Iceberg", was posted by u/Asaltyhabsfan on 4 August 2023 and had about 1,851 upvotes when it was collected. The subreddit has 27 other charts on the same or closely related topics; see Other versions.

Seven tiers of proposed answers to the Fermi paradox, the question of why no alien civilisations have been detected. They range from simple explanations at the top to bleak ones at the bottom, beside the usual degrading Wojak faces. Entries reflect the chart author's choices and are not verified fact.

"Fermi Paradox Solutions Iceberg" by u/Asaltyhabsfan (4 August 2023)

Tiers

Tier 1

• We haven't been discovered yet
• Our radios aren't advanced enough
• Space is too big for communication

Tier 2

• The zoo hypothesis
• Aliens aren't interested in Earth
• We are the first civilization in the galaxy
• Government cover up
• We are the Sentinelese of the Milky Way

Tier 3

• We are living in a simulated universe
• Civilizations don't survive climate change
• Intelligent life is rare
• The rare Earth hypothesis
• Interstellar exploration is a uniquely human trait

Tier 4

• Civilizations don't survive the Atomic era
• Interstellar travel is scientifically impossible
• Life requires more than one habitable planet
• Math is a human exclusive discipline
• Aliens are everywhere but we can't see them

Tier 5

• Civilizations do not survive AI
• Aliens travel through the universe virtually
• We have yet to reach the Great Filter
• We are the last surviving civilization in the galaxy

Tier 6

• The laboratory hypothesis
• Civilizations reset after a certain stage
• We are the only intelligence in the universe

Tier 7

• Dark Forest theory
• We are alone because we miraculously passed the great filter

Other versions

Other charts from r/IcebergCharts grouped under this topic, ordered by score:

• 
  Existential Crisis Iceberg (Hypothesis/Religion/Science) by u/obscura_taberna, 31 March 2021 (1,460 upvotes)
• 
  Existential Crisis Iceberg (Infohazard Warning) by u/FundaysWithFox, 6 September 2021 (661 upvotes)
• 
  The Universe Iceberg by u/Alphium, 12 October 2020 (524 upvotes)
• 
  The Universe Iceberg Chart by u/WxT_, 24 April 2021 (366 upvotes)
• 
  The ACTUAL Existential Crisis Iceberg (Infohazard) by u/Fakr_, 20 November 2025 (355 upvotes)
• 
  Space Chart | by Me by u/signofstruggle, 18 July 2020 (287 upvotes)
• 
  Space Iceberg by u/ExplorerOfTheCosmos, 28 December 2022 (205 upvotes)
• 
  A space and universe iceberg by u/MellowAffinity, 1 May 2021 (201 upvotes)
• 
  The Universe Iceberg 2 by u/Alphium, 10 February 2021 (128 upvotes)
• 
  Fermi Paradox Solution Iceberg Chart by u/Mysterious-Air9658, 14 May 2025 (120 upvotes)
• 
  SPACE ICEBERG! by u/Redditmemes2111, 4 January 2023 (102 upvotes)
• 
  Space Launch Iceberg by u/AlphaCoronae, 23 March 2021 (74 upvotes)
• 
  The Iceberg Chart About The Universe Version 1.0 by u/ElEze2001, 3 November 2020 (64 upvotes)
• 
  Space Engineers Iceberg by u/xDeopionx, 21 July 2020 (52 upvotes)
• 
  Space Conspiracies' Rumors, speculations, theories, and myths by u/Open-Storage8938, 28 March 2026 (21 upvotes)
• 
  the official space station 13 iceberg by u/basketballdude200, 7 August 2022 (4 upvotes)
• 
  The Space Station 13 Iceberg by u/EsotericSpaceman, 17 June 2025 (1 upvote)
• 
  The definitive SPACEGHOSTPURRP iceberg V2 by u/disturbingsmegma, 1 May 2025 (1 upvote)
• Error creating thumbnail: File with dimensions greater than 12.5 MP
  space iceberg by u/Emotional-Comment648, 9 January 2025 (1 upvote)
• 
  The SpaceGhostPurrp Iceberg by u/WOWOW98123265, 4 July 2024 (1 upvote)
• 
  Space Mysteries Iceberg (Give me ideas for more entries) by u/Macaroni-Consumer, 27 March 2024 (1 upvote)
• 
  The Fermi Paradox Solution Iceberg by u/myme0131, 22 March 2024 (1 upvote)
• 
  Existential crisis iceberg by u/Cosvic, 7 September 2023 (1 upvote)

More versions:

• Universe/science phenomena and mysteries by u/anonmarac, 30 December 2022 (135 upvotes) (image no longer available)
• A space and universe iceberg (V2, updated/improved) by u/MellowAffinity, 3 November 2025 (6 upvotes) (image no longer available)
• Space Race Iceberg by u/Relative_Plantain_29, 13 April 2025 (1 upvote) (image no longer available)
• Spaceboy from TTV by u/userslashnull, 5 December 2023 (1 upvote) (image no longer available)

See also

• Iceberg chart
• R/IcebergCharts
• Unsolved mysteries iceberg
• Lucid Dreaming iceberg

Source

• Original post: u/Asaltyhabsfan. Fermi Paradox Solutions Iceberg. Reddit (r/IcebergCharts). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2026.