User blog comment:Ygrain/How the ending might make sense/@comment-5503561-20120614141925/@comment-1388547-20120614231543

I thought I recalled that Ilos was cut off from the rest of the galaxy at the beginning of the Reaper invasion -- perhaps they deliberately severed all contact with the rest of their civilization to avoid being noticed? That would explain why they knew nothing of the Crucible. Also, I thought the Conduit was a research project the Protheans were working on before the invasion, and that they lucked into being able to use as a back door later?

As far as Javik remembering the Prothean meddling in asari development, I don't recall whether he ever speaks of being around at the time. Maybe this is something he's remembering from History of the Glorious Prothean Empire 101?