The Recursive Panopticon Hypothesis

Xiaoyu Yan

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arXiv · 2509.02625

The Recursive Panopticon Hypothesis

Xiaoyu Yan

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Abstract

The cosmic "Great Silence" revealed by the Fermi paradox remains a central puzzle in contemporary science. Existing explanations such as the "Big Filter," "Zoo Hypothesis," and "Dark Forest" theory are trapped in isolated frameworks of "hypothesis list paradigm" that resist falsification. This paper proposes the "Recursive Panopticon Hypothesis" arguing that under the uncertainty of recursive higher-order deterrence, cosmic civilizations will universally adopt "silence" as their optimal survival strategy through rational risk avoidance. To test this hypothesis, we innovatively introduce the interdisciplinary research paradigm of "Computational Cosmic Sociology." By constructing a highly parameterized Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) simulation, we abstract civilizations as rational agents with risk perception, strategy learning, and interactive memory evolving within a simulated cosmic grid. The model's core lies in a utility function based on recursive deterrence theory and a network co-evolution mechanism connecting micro-decisions with macro-social structures. Research findings indicate: "Silence" is an evolutionarily stable strategy; the "Dark Forest" state is merely a special case of system instability under extreme resource scarcity and high-density civilizations; civilizational interactions spontaneously form structured social networks with small-world properties; and a hypothetical "Ultimate Civilization" can effectively maintain order. This study aims to drive paradigm shifts, from listing mutually exclusive hypotheses to a unified, computable theoretical framework, thereby establishing an empirical foundation for cosmological sociology and providing profound insights for SETI strategies.

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Xiaoyu Yan. 2025-09-06. The Recursive Panopticon Hypothesis. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02625

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