I guess there’s a good chance intelligent life lives other places in the universe, but they cant get here anymore than we could go there.
Certainly with any type of technology we are so far unaware of. One theory that would preclude aliens having to fly vast distances is the idea of “portals” where a craft could simply pass from one area of the galaxy to another far away. In the accounts of the infamous Skinwalker Ranch, the UFO’s were reported to disappear into openings in the night skies through which blue daytime skies were visible.
Maybe, but perhaps since we don’t know everything, that the stuff we “know” may not be actually something we know, perhaps we can find a way to travel faster than light.
Hundred years ago it was postulated man could not exceed roughly 30 mph, then it was increased (air pressure will kill you), and then we were assured by early scientists in aviation that we could never travel faster than the speed of sound.
Therefore, I’m keeping an open mind of on exceeding the speed of light limitation.
Not saying it is possible and not saying it is impossible.
Limitation now is based on the science that says the faster you travel this increases your mass, and at the speed of light you have an infinite mass and you can’t accelerate an infinite mass.
However, if you can be isolated from gravity then your mass doesn’t become infinite and you can exceed the speed of light.
Is this a Hawkins thought experiment, perhaps, but who knows. . .
Or could this be Isaac Azimov’s hyper-speed universe, an alternate dimension where you can’t travel slower than the speed of light.
Bottom line, maybe you are correct, based on what we perceive to know, but maybe not.
Only God knows for sure. . .