[ExI] Apocalypse Soon: Has Civilization Passed the Environmental Point of No Return?

[Ben Zaiboc]

BillK <pharos at gmail.com> asked:

> Is it possible that all civs only have one chance at the singularity
> and it is so difficult that they all fail and go into barely surviving
> mode?


Of course it is. Eminently possible.

Which just makes me think:  "Hey, let's be the first ones to break the mould!"

There's a good, practical reason for refusing to be pessimistic.  If we assume the premise is true, we will expect to fail.  If we assume that it's not, at least if we do fail, it won't be because we've limited our beliefs about what's possible.  And who knows, maybe we /will/ be the first ones to manage it (wouldn't that be cool?!).  Or maybe there are loads of post-singularity civilisations, and we're just not bright enough yet to figure out the actual solution to the Fermi Paradox.

The best approach is the same as with life-extension:  Singularity or die trying!

Ben Zaiboc