[ExI] fermi paradox

[Kevin Freels]

> I have to mostly go along with John's choices.
>
> 1) We are either the first, *or space-faring minds are incredibly rare.*
>   
My point exactly. But the only two choices given were that we are the 
first, or everyone was snuffed out.
> Given the huge size and age of the visible universe, there could be
> other minds that we can't see, during the tiny time we have been
> looking around. 
My point exactly. Thanks.
> There has been plenty of time for many civs to have
> come and gone in past aeons, but they have left no evidence of their
> presence.
>   
Or we haven't come across it yet.
> 2) There could be many reasons for minds not going into space and
> reshaping the visible universe. Obviously, they haven't in past
> millennia. Nothing we see seems unnatural. John's suggestion of
> 'Second Life' (but much, much more) addiction is reasonable. Maybe
> minds do destroy themselves when they get too clever for their own
> good. (We seem to be on track to put more and more power in the hands
> of those who want to cause destruction).
> But there is no need for just one reason. There are probably many
> reasons which combine together to make minds stop short of rebuilding
> the universe.  Maybe they don't have any need to do that. Maybe they
> think it is a silly idea. Maybe it is too difficult and not worth the
> effort. Maybe they destroy themselves in the attempt. Whatever.....
> No space-faring civs is the picture we see at present, anyway.
>
> 3) There is a third alternative, that minds keep growing and transcend
> to somewhere else, leaving our universe unchanged. We can always hope.
>   
But that's not a reasonable hypothesis according to some since it can't 
be proven - as if the Drake equations are any better.
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