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Someone (Rafal or Stathis, I don't remember which) wrote:<br>
<br>
"It would be a problem if uploads could just maximise positive
reinforcement without going to any effort. It has even been
postulated that this is an explanation of the Fermi paradox: once
civilisations become advanced enough, they transfer their minds to a
virtual Heaven, and stop being interested in exploring the universe"<br>
<br>
<br>
That's an idea that crops up quite a bit, but to be honest, I don't
fully buy it. Why would anyone with any sense at all deliberately
put themselves in such a state, knowing that it could well doom them
to extinction? Especially when it would be so easy to avoid. Being
in a virtual paradise would not per se doom anyone to extinction,
but losing interest in the wider universe easily could.<br>
<br>
As I posted before, things like nearby supernovae are existential
threats to biological beings, but they would be very dangerous to <i>any</i>
computing substrate. If I'd uploaded myself into some paradise, I'd
be very wary of simply losing interest in the enormous and hostile
outside world. That sounds like a recipe for suicide, to me.<br>
<br>
At the very least, I'd want some automated systems capable of
recognising and initiating a response to any threats like that.
Maybe we shouldn't be looking for direct evidence of alien
civilisations, but for their defence mechanisms. Even better than
just defence mechanisms would be to create a nice safe, quiet
neighbourhood in the first place. With added defences on top.<br>
<br>
Maybe the hallmarks of advanced civilisations aren't Dyson Swarms
and other mega-engineering projects, but failed supernovae, and
nearby super-stable stars that would provide a steady supply of
energy for very long periods of time, systems with little or no
rubble in ever-changing orbits, that kind of thing. Maybe we should
be looking for 'Volvo' star systems: Suspiciously quiet, safe and
long-lived.<br>
<br>
Aren't something like 60% of the stars in our galaxy nice, quiet,
stable, long-lived red dwarfs? Maybe our alien neighbours have been
in plain sight all along.<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Ben Zaiboc</pre>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Ben Zaiboc</pre>
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