Summary

In “The Great Silence,” the local parrots wonder why humans built Arecibo to search for extraterrestrials when they could simply talk to the parrots. The parrot explains the Fermi Paradox, also known as the Great Silence, and attests that hiding from humans is a good idea; the parrots’ numbers are dwindling.

What more connection could humans want than Alex the African Grey Parrot, whose trainer Irene Pepperberg demonstrated that Alex could not only say words but understand them. Alex’s last words were “You be good. I love you.”

Parrots have “contact calls,” which other parrots imitate to call them. Arecibo produces humanity’s contact call. Humans and parrots are both vocal learners, capable of hearing and speaking. “Aspiration” means both hope and breathing, which only vocal learners understand. They make meaning, both mundane and mystical, through speech. The parrots wonder why humans...