[extropy-chat] The Drake Equation and Spatial Proximity.

[John K Clark]

Robert Bradbury Wrote:

> until all of the dark matter and/or dark energy is explained I question
> the assertion "we don't see a hint of it".

We've known about dark matter and energy for only a few years but before
that I don't recall ET advocates predicting it, and even today nobody can
explain how dark matter can process information better than regular matter
when it interacts so weakly with itself.

On the one had you have a theory (there are no ET's) that explains every
observation and needs no new physics, on the other hand you have a theory
(there are ET's) that explains no observations and needs some sort of vague
undefined new physics to work. If you use Occam's razor the choice is easy.

> The thing which *always* gets left out of the colonization perspective is
> the lack of bandwidth and communications between the stars.

The Arecibo radio telescope could communicate with its twin at least 10,000
and possibly as far as 100,000 light years away, I would imagine ET could do
a bit better. And you're acting like it would take some huge commitment on
the part of ET, but sending one slow moving Von Neumann probe to one other
star would only cost pocket change. That's all you'd need and  the dead
matter in the Galaxy would start to think about things. This does not
conform with observations, I have a very simple explanation as to why, you
need to engage in mental back flips.

> If you colonize you can only take a very, very, very small fraction of
> your knowledge with you.

So the reason the Galaxy has not been engineered is because digital storage
is so incredibly bulky. Hmm.

"And now," the commentator said in a low hushed voice, "The next member of
the ET's exist team will attempt a Mental Reverse Flying Triple Back
Somersault with a degree of difficulty of 4.3, .. and so.. ah too bad, that
must have hurt."

  John K Clark