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

[Keith Henson]

On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 5:00 AM,  Stefano Vaj <stefano.vaj at gmail.com> wrote:

snip

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

snip

> 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?

Yes.  No doubt about it.

> 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

Drexler, when he first understood the power of nanotechnology, went
looking for expanding spots where the stars were being dimmed behind
an expanding wave front of technical capable civilization.  He found
none.

Even days I think we are the first, odd days I think technically
capable civilizations commonly arise but something removes the lot of
them from becoming apparent.  There really isn't any way to resolve
the issue except to live through us dimming the galaxy.

Keith