[ExI] Why Alien Life Would be our Doom - The Great Filter

[Tara Maya]

An analogy from history could be the interesting fact that human civilizations around the globe discovered agriculture near-simulteneously (especially in relation to the age of the species over-all) and so expanded out from several points at once. Although this still resulted in some civilizations that were more advanced more quickly (mostly those that collided with each first, and so were able to start stacking innovations faster), the difference was not that huge.

There could be several other life civilizations all arising to the space faring level about the same time. The question is which will collide fastest and gain the early adopter advantage? Another reason that we should seek out collision with aliens, even if it is difficult, to start trading technology and learning as fast as we can.

Tara


> On Feb 4, 2018, at 8:09 PM, Adrian Tymes <atymes at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Except there's another couple interpretations:
> 
> * We are indeed the first, however mathematically likely if you make
> certain assumptions that are not necessarily warranted.  (They kind of
> alluded to this in the "filter is behind us" bit, but this is not
> quite that scenario.)