This preprint presents the Time-Mass Hypothesis (revised Version 2), a heuristic corollary derived from the Hierarchically Nested Dimensions Theory (HNDT; Lu & Lu, 2026, Zenodo). Building on the exploratory framework of Version 1 (v1), this revised version retains the core proposition of the hypothesis while refining the articulation of key concepts and clarifying potential ambiguities in the original formulation. The Time-Mass Hypothesis posits that time mass possesses an ontological effective mass that accumulates over cosmological timescales, and that a civilization's long-term survival is contingent upon the rhythmic matching between its meaning-generation rate and this accumulated time-mass. Specifically, carbon-based civilizations—characterized by a "slow+many" mode of existence—are hypothesized to be capable of persisting for billions of years, as their meaning-generation rhythm aligns with the gradual accumulation of time-mass. In contrast, silicon-like civilizations—defined by a "fast+one" mode—would rapidly exhaust their meaning-generating capacity within extremely short cosmological windows (ranging from centuries to millennia), leading to their subsequent silence or self-termination. This revised hypothesis continues to offer a plausible resolution to the Fermi paradox, one that avoids invoking unobserved Great Filters or assumptions of deliberate interstellar concealment by advanced civilizations. As with the initial version, this work remains exploratory and self-critical, and does not claim definitive proof of the hypothesis. Instead, it seeks to refine the theoretical foundation to facilitate more rigorous academic scrutiny and empirical exploration. The authors maintain a humble and open stance: researchers are warmly invited to extend the hypothesis, refine its theoretical details, challenge its core propositions, develop formal mathematical models, and explore its empirical implications through observational or experimental means. This is Version 2 (v2) of the manuscript, revised based on preliminary reflections and potential avenues for improvement identified in Version 1. We anticipate further revisions as the hypothesis undergoes academic debate and scrutiny, and we actively encourage collaborative dialogue within the astrobiology, cosmology, and philosophy of civilization research communities to advance our understanding of the Fermi paradox.
Lu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.