Part 4/10:
The Zoo Hypothesis postulates that highly advanced civilizations are intentionally withholding contact with us, akin to zookeepers who allow animals to live without interference in their enclosures. This self-imposed segregation can be illustrated through a familiar reference from "Star Trek" known as the Prime Directive. This fictional guideline discourages advanced civilizations from contacting species that have not achieved a certain technological threshold, allowing them to evolve organically.