Re: seeking article

From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Thu Sep 11 2003 - 08:06:55 MDT

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    On Thu, 11 Sep 2003, Michael Wiik wrote:

    > Sometime in the past two weeks, I briefly saw a posting on (maybe)
    > slashdot, re some article discussing mankind deliberately devolving into
    > a nonsentient species as an end result of adapting to the environment
    > (this considered being cheaper than the reverse).

    I'm skeptical. Humanity has too much potential to modify the
    environment given its current biotechnological or future
    nanotechnological skills. Evolving to a phase state where
    there are fewer humans? Perhaps. Evolving to a phase state
    where most humans are uploaded? Sure. Devolving rather than
    manipulating the environment? I don't think so. The survival
    instinct is too strong.

    Does raise an interesting perspective with regard to the Fermi
    Paradox though. If you *know*, and I mean *really* know, that the
    universe is doomed to collapse or expand/decay into nothingness --
    does that eventually (on relatively short time scales relative
    to the age of the universe) sap the will of a species to survive?

    I've argued in the past that there is no interstellar "colonization"
    drive because it is pointless. It can be pointless because there is
    no benefit to oneself (and in fact involves a significant sacrifice --
    leaving behind the knowledge/culture of an advanced civilization).
    It can be pointless because one potentially creates future competitors
    for what remains of the resources in the universe. Or finally it
    can be pointless because one concludes there really is no way out.

    On the anniversary of 911, I watched a program on the PBS program
    "American Experience", which contained a minute or two of video
    footage of people hurling themselves out of the burning towers
    because there was no other "way out". How would a species react
    if it ultimately concluded there was no "way out"?

    Robert



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