[ExI] taxonomy for fermi paradox fans:

Stathis Papaioannou stathisp at gmail.com
Tue Feb 3 01:20:14 UTC 2015


On Saturday, January 31, 2015, John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> On Fri, Jan 30, 2015 at 1:56 AM, Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','hkeithhenson at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>
>>
>> >>   Some catastrophe hits a civilization when it gets a little past
>>> our level; my best guess would be the electronic equivalent of drug abuse.
>>
>>
>> > Possible.  But it seems an unlikely filter to get all
>> possible variations on a nervous system if ET's with the capacity to affect
>> the visible state of the universe are common.  I suspect you need something
>> fundamental that keeps every single one of them from spreading out.
>>
>
> But that's exactly my fear, it may be fundamental. If they can change
> anything in the universe then they can change the very thing that makes the
> changes, themselves. There may be something about intelligence and positive
> feedback loops (like having full control of your emotional control panel)
> that always leads to stagnation. After all, regardless of how well our life
> is going who among us would for eternity opt out of becoming just a little
> bit happier if all it took was turning a knob? And after you turn it a
> little bit and see how much better you feel why not turn it again, perhaps
> a little more this time.
>
> The above may be pure nonsense, I sure hope so.
>

You could always turn the knob that makes you seek out hard work and good
deeds and makes you avoid the mindless happiness knob. Having said that,
however, I can think of worse things that eternal bliss.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou
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