[ExI] Virtual Reality is where the aliens are

[Henry Rivera]

I think it's a Prime Directive-type thing. Non-interference and stealth until a certain level of development is attained. 

Or there is some transcendence from this dimension/universe/reality to another at a certain level of evolution, which is the true "expansion" of advanced intelligence. I don't mean VR.

-Henry

> On Aug 28, 2015, at 5:10 PM, BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> On 28 August 2015 at 21:24, spike  wrote:
>> There has been a lot of recent talk about how neurosis and creativity are
>> linked.  I offered a similar idea to that being promoted today, but called
>> it the featherbed model: comfortable people don't create much, uncomfortable
>> ones do.  Neurosis is uncomfortable, so neurotics create.  They are always
>> thinking, wondering what to do to get more comfortable, like the homeless
>> person sleeping on the park bench is uncomfortable; she squirms a lot.
>> 
>> The silence of the cosmos is making me damn uncomfortable, and I am thinking
>> a lot on how to solve this psychological park bench I am on.  I know that my
>> current understanding of the universe doesn't explain it; I know that even
>> singularity theory doesn't explain it (it helps (but post-singularity
>> societies should want to expand (and I see no evidence they have (ja?))))  I
>> am using some of my most creating thinking these days to try to resolve
>> this, but I am no closer to getting comfortable than the homeless person on
>> that hard old park bench.
>> 
>> It could be something simple, such as advanced societies consistently fail
>> to make the transition to renewable energy, so they all end up fighting over
>> dwindling concentrated energy sources.  Or the really smart minority
>> persistently get out-bred, so the population's collective intelligence and
>> drive gradually dissipates like a mist in the cloudless spring dawn.
>> 
>> I don't know Keith.  I worry.
> 
> 
> It is worth worrying about species collapsing before reaching the singularity.
> I suspect that many planets don't have enough resources, or the
> resources are misused or wasted. Indeed, we may well be one of those.
> 
> The good news is that I don't think that post-singularity species
> expand and spam the galaxy with their progeny. (Otherwise they would
> be here already). Once nanotech and virtual worlds become available,
> then life becomes too 'comfortable', as you say.
> Uploaded eternal life, with benefits. What's not to like?  :)
> 
> So concentrate your worry on getting us through the singularity!
> 
> BillK
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