[ExI] Fermi question, was is a FTL drive a dream . . .

[Stefano Vaj]

On 20 December 2011 01:22, Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com> wrote:

> Perhaps.  But radio technology is not the only indicator of
> intelligent processes.
>

Yes, even though Wolfram's argument can be extended to any kind of
signalling.


> 1)  We are the first in our light cone.  This seems really unlikely
> given the number of stars and probable planets, but someone has to be
> first, it could be us.  The obvious way to get from star to star is to
> use light sails and TW lasers.  Such a transport mechanism would be
> seen as obviously artificial far across the universe.  We don't see
> it.
>
> 2)  Something removes intelligences from large scale interaction with
> the universe.  I have theorized this might be the attractiveness of
> virtual worlds or perhaps the speed of information propagation.  A
> million to one speed up would limit interactive communication to a
> distance much smaller than the earth.
>
> 3)  Perhaps the most bizarre reason for the Fermi problem is the world
> as we know it being a simulation.  There are probably ways to test for
> being in a simulation, but testing ends the simulation (and the
> universe as we know it) so it might not be something you want to try.
>
> If you have other ideas, that are not minor variations on these,
> please mention them.
>

I do not really know how to resolve Fermi's paradox.

The idea that we are the only, or the first, of something disturbs me
aesthetically, as the all-too-easy recourse to the anthropic principle in
cosmology and physics.

What I tentatively find more persuasive is the idea that we might be too
parochial in our view of extraterrestrial "life" or "intelligence". That
is, we would recognise it only inasmuch as it is a slightly alterated
version of ourselves; same as the AGIs being defined as a Turing-passing
emulation. Now, if the space of all possible computations and/or darwinian
processes is vast enough, we would be the "only ones" simply in the sense
that it would be unlikely that two instantiations bump against each other
that be similar enough for our purpose, unless they are deliberately
programmed to this effect.

Moreover, I am not sure of how visible even civilisations and species
pretty identical to ours could or would be making themselves on a cosmic
scale. Let us say, eg, that somebody is making use of light sails and TW
lasers the other side of Andromeda. Would it be an obvious, in-your-face,
red drape for contemporary terrestrial astronomers?

As to more massive footprints, I am a member of the Order of Cosmic
Engineers, and I like Kardashev's speculations about Type III civilisations
like the next guy, but the truth is that even a ton of mass is, well,
heavy, and I would not take for granted that most clades quickly end up
sculpting for fun the shape of neighbouring galaxies in the shape of their
females... :-)

-- 
Stefano Vaj
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