[ExI] How fun could doom intelligent life to a blissful extinction

[BillK]

Big Think – July 14, 2023

How the pursuit of pleasure could doom all intelligent life to a
blissful extinction
The separation of pleasure from procreation may occur throughout the
cosmos, providing an explanation for the Fermi Paradox.

The global population is set to peak in 40 years, then decline.
>From sex toys to TikTok, humanity’s separation of emotional rewards
from procreation can be seen in the rise of "emode" technology.
If the pursuit of happiness is the primary explanation for our
decreasing fertility rate, this tendency might be true not just for
humans but for all intelligent life — providing a possible explanation
for the Fermi Paradox.

<https://bigthink.com/the-future/pursuit-happiness-doom-intelligent-life-blissful-extinction/>
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This is a modern follow-up to the famous book 'Amusing Ourselves to
Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business' (1985) by
educator Neil Postman.
Which itself was a follow-up to Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' (1932).

BillK