  A new solution of Fermi's paradox sketched by SF writer Karl Schroeder in his
2002. novel "Permanence" is critically investigated. It is argued that this
solution is tightly connected with adaptationism - a widely discussed working
hypothesis in evolutionary biology. Schroeder's hypothesis has important
ramifications for astrobiology, SETI projects, and future studies. Its
weaknesses should be explored without succumbing to the emotional reactions
often accompanying adaptationist explanations.
