ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Silurian hypothesis

The Silurian hypothesis is a scientific theory that suggests that there may have been advanced civilizations on Earth millions of years ago, but they could have existed during a time period long before humans.

Imagine a long time ago, before you or your grandparents were even born. This was a time when different creatures roamed the earth, called dinosaurs. But even before that, there was a period called the Silurian, when life first began in the oceans millions of years ago.

Now, imagine that during that time, there could have been other forms of life that developed intelligence and technology, just like humans have today. However, these civilizations could have existed so long ago that there is no physical evidence to prove they were here.

Scientists have proposed this theory, but they cannot prove it yet. They are trying to use science to find clues and evidence that could support this hypothesis, but it's still a mystery. Some people believe that this theory could help us understand more about the universe and our place in it.