To show that we're bad-ass

IMO they already know. That's why they're waiting for us to evolve one more thousand years before contacting us.

Wouldnt 'they' have evolved 1000 yrs as well? By that time their own current state of evolution would look even less developed given the exponentiality of evolution.

Perhaps we just need to stop being dangerous to other species and ourselves. Embracing the pursuit of collective goals would be a huge advance in our civilization level. Beyond that point athough less developed we could be accepted for not being harmful anymore.

no.. you're assuming that other species develop technology at a similar rate, and that our current progress will continue at the same rate. Both are things we don't know.

There may be hard limits that stop development of technology past a certain point. Like Moore's law coming to an end, but one day we may not have any viable alternatives.

…not if they're moving faster.

Or waiting for us to evolve enough to provide good sport.

Nah, they're fattening us up to be the intergalactic version of Wagyu.

Or waiting for us to compute 42

I said it would be interesting, not that it would be wise. :-)

Curiosity killed cat.