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

[Jason Resch]

On Wed, Jul 19, 2023 at 7:07 AM efc--- via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> I think this raises interesting questions of ethics and the "purpose" of
> mankind.
>
> If we agree that happiness is the the ultimate goal, and not the survival
> of the species, then why not stop having children if we can get along fine
> with robots and AI:s?
>
> Perhaps, assuming life extension or "immortality", there will be a final
> generation?
>

Good questions. I think there are at least three values: quantity, quality,
and diversity of conscious experiences.
https://alwaysasking.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-life/#Knowing_the_Meaning_of_Life

When it comes to maximizing total experience, it is a function of: Total
Experience = Population×Time. A civilization with 10 billion that lasts 1
century, generates as much experience as a population of 1 Billion would in
1 millennium. Creating unique types of beings also contributes to exploring
a greater range of possible experiences, which I think is a value with its
own unique utility.

This video gives a good perspective of what might be possible in the
future, so civilization surviving the immediate future is also immensely
important: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEENEFaVUzU

Jason



>
> Best regards,
> Daniel
>
>
> On Tue, 18 Jul 2023, spike jones via extropy-chat wrote:
>
> >
> > I posted this right before the ExI list barfed.  Posting again.
> >
> > spike
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: spike at rainier66.com <spike at rainier66.com>
> > Sent: Saturday, 15 July, 2023 4:14 PM
> > To: 'ExI chat list' <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
> > Cc: 'BillK' <pharos at gmail.com>; spike at rainier66.com
> > Subject: RE: [ExI] How fun could doom intelligent life to a blissful
> extinction
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf
> Of BillK via extropy-chat
> >
> >
> >> ...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/
> >
> > -------------------
> > ...
> >
> > BillK
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > BillK, this is really as plausible an explanation for the Fermi Paradox
> as any I have heard, and perhaps the most pleasant one.  Having children is
> a way to experience happiness, but it is a risky bet indeed.  If we find
> sufficient alternative routes to happiness, the notion of having children
> becomes ever less compelling.  If we find alternative routes to the
> pleasures of copulation and all those cool endorphins we get from love,
> that whole risky activity isn't worth the effort either.  Result: not
> enough young people to run the world we already built for them.
> >
> > But of course nuclear war could wipe out most of what we have done,
> creating the need for rebuilders and family people, so we might save our
> species in that horrifying way: radiation therapy.  Or the singularity
> could kill us, but I don't think it would kill people who have never seen a
> computer.  They might survive to build it all back.
> >
> > spike
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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