[ExI] Eternity in six hours: intergalactic spreading of intelligent life and sharpening the Fermi paradox

[Eugen Leitl]

On Wed, Sep 11, 2013 at 09:38:08PM +1200, Andrew Mckee wrote:

> I'm sure you're right, so far as we know.

It's not just a good idea, it's the law. In fact,
thermodynamics is based on information, and all the deep 
theories are trending to information-based descriptions
of reality. 

> I just wonder if some really advanced civilizations might discover a
> wrinkle or two that enables them to  develop technologies that to
> us, seem to violate our known scientific laws.

Cultures are diverse, and spatially spread. Out of a large
population a traceless transition with perfect recall of
expanding species has a probability indistinguishable
from zero. 
 
> Not to gleefully jump from the frying pan into the fire...
> 
> But I'd reply that some would say Dark Matter and Dark Energy are
> really hard to detect because they are just huge fictional fudge
> factors added to prop up a seriously broken gravitational universe
> model that bore absolutely no resemblance to what the observable
> universe is actually doing.

This is the opposite of falsifyability. The machine elves
from hyperspace want to have a stern word with you.
 
> Well, others may say that, I on the other hand, couldn't possibly
> comment. :-)

You know what, go a top physics guy, and try that trick.
If he's polite, he'll show you the door.