[extropy-chat] Re: Fermi Paradox and Simulation Argument

[Robert J. Bradbury]

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004, John K Clark wrote:

> You don't bring the fuel to you, rather you go to the fuel. And I'm
> surprised to hear you talk about wasting resources with all those huge stars
> in our present non engineered universe radiating vast amounts of delicious
> juicy energy to empty space for no purpose.

Well if they weren't out there we would certainly have a lot
less to inspire us... :-;

Re: the thought suspension option
> That's equivalent to saying some super brains will decide to become more
> stupid; well some may, but ever single one of them?

I'm not so sure -- do you want to waste energy and mass accelerating
up to some speed to get to a new fuel source faster or do you want
to simply use your fuel sources on a budgeted basis and allow new
resources to come to you due to natural processes (galactic collisions,
supernova explosions, etc.)?

> Maybe, and maybe when even super brains can't find a objective logical
> reason why life is better than death they decide to kill themselves. Maybe,
> but I doubt it.

I'm relatively concerned about MBrains and advanced civilizations hitting
the wall -- they understand all known science and determine some things
(tunneling into new universes, stopping the decay of protons, actually
testing string theory, etc.) may simply be impossible.

> I once heard a detractor of string theory say it was philosophy not science
> because to prove or disprove it you'd need a particle accelerator the size
> of the galaxy. Well OK, let's build it.

The NOVA special on string theory and branes suggested that it couldn't
be proven period.  (Now how self-limiting they were being I'm not sure.)

> I can't imagine a worse place to build super brains than intergalactic
> space, there is about one hydrogen atom per cubic yard and energy
> is equally dilute.

You don't build them there -- you migrate them there.  You probably
put them on long comet-like orbits where you spend much of your time
in intergalactic space away from galactic hazards and then come back
from time to time to refuel the hydrogen tanks and grab any useful
matter you require.  Actually since they are gaining matter instead
of losing it you might want to call it an anti-comet orbit.

Robert