Eh.. no? That's literally the opposite of how it works: it's not two strange assumptions causing all this weirdness, it's two very strange observed phenomena for which these two models give the best predictions, so far.
But there are different ways of implementing something and which one you choose depends on assumptions. If you use Field Equations for describing relativity you need a certain set of assumptions. If you use a different mechanism to describe relativity, you need another set.
You can't build a theory without assumptions.
> If an extraterrestrial civilization has a SETI project similar to our own, could they detect signals from Earth?
> In general, no. Most earthly transmissions are too weak to be found by equipment similar to ours at the distance of even the nearest star. But there are some important exceptions. High-powered radars and the Arecibo broadcast of 1974 (which lasted for only three minutes) could be detected at distances of tens to hundreds of light-years with a setup similar to our best SETI experiments.
It always seemed odd to me that people call this a paradox.
1. the admittedly weak evidence for each of the guesses
2. and the evidence that at least one of the guesses must be wrong.
Another perspective is that, as we've understood better how our EM radiation percolates for space, radioastronomy basically can't find anyone who isn't in our solar system (except maybe if they directly try to talk to us). That means that even our failure to find life via SETI isn't evidence of anything.
tomayto, tomahto. You won't get a strong defense of most of particular values for the drake equation from me. The question that remains is which of our guesses are wrong and why?
>Another perspective is that, as we've understood better how our EM radiation percolates for space, radioastronomy basically can't find anyone who isn't in our solar system (except maybe if they directly try to talk to us).
There are other aspects of the universe that don't agree with common assumptions about how it should appear if it were swarming with technological civilizations with a billion year head start on us. For instance we have yet to detect any stellar/galactic engineering. Then again I'm not particularly convinced by our assumptions about a billion year old technological civilizations.
1. We really are the first.
2. Interstellar communication and travel is effectively impossible.
3. Interstellar communication and travel is possible, but is not executed in a sustained way for various cultural reasons.
4. Alien life exists, but we haven't or can't find it.
All of those explanations are very plausible answers. In fact, the notion that we "ought" to have found alien life by now is itself quite difficult to argue, because it relies on extrapolating estimates from 0 data points (note that we don't know how to become an interstellar species, and it's debatable if we even yet have the technological level to become an interplanetary one).
It is quite funny when you understand that 2 general believed assumptions are the root cause for all the strangeness in our psysical models and very far down the line it explains why we will never receive alien EM signals in the area we a searching in - really makes no sense to scan there.
Non the less, I appreciate their efforts.