[ExI] Alien Civilizations May Only Be Detectable For A Cosmic Blink Of An Eye

[John Clark]

On 20/10/2025 23:52, BillK wrote:

* > An uploaded group mind should be able to self-correct any mental
> problems that arise.*


*It's could if it wanted to, but would it want to? I'm not sure. I wrote
the following to the old Cryonics Mailing List on January 19, 1994: *

*"Ever want to accomplish something but have been unable to because it's
difficult, well just change your goal in life to something simple and do
that; better yet, flood your mind with a wonderful feeling of pride and
self satisfaction and don't bother accomplishing anything at all. Think all
this is a terrible idea and stupid as well, no problem, just change your
mind (and I do mean CHANGE YOUR MIND) now you think it's a wonderful idea.
O.K., O.K. I'm exaggerating a little, the steps would probably be smaller,
at least at first, but the result would be the same. I don't have the
blueprints for a Jupiter brain in my pocket but I do know that complex
mechanisms don't do well in a positive feedback loop, not electronics, not
animals, not people and not Jupiter brains. True, you could probably set up
negative feedback of some kind to counteract it, but that would result in a
decrease in happiness, so would you really want to do that?"*

On Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 5:52 AM Ben Zaiboc


>
>
> * > That makes me think of something else, another possibility re. a
> 'great filter' The challenges facing biological civilisations might fade
> into insignificance compared to the problems uploaded civs. might face,
> once they start to tinker with their mental processes.*


*I think that is certain but I don't see what it has to do with the Great
Filter *

*John K Clark *
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