Re: Fermi Paradox in the news

From: Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Tue Oct 24 2000 - 20:18:44 MDT


Er, Jason - I think you're just not getting it. Slow down for a moment.

Gene is construing the AP as an epistemological screening filter. We see
what we see because we are here, not vice versa.

At 03:19 PM 24/10/00 -0700, you wrote:

>If dolphins were intelligent, would this be a two blip, or a one blip? Why?

That *could* be a good question, but I doubt it - it's still local-bound
conditions. If smart archaeo-gloop near a volcanic vent aced the IQ scores,
maybe.

>Do you believe that the anthropic principle is a "good enough" answer as to
>the origin of existence?

See, you've got it turned around. It just says that we see what we see
because we evolved to fit what's there.

>Do you believe that real world science should treat the (strong) anthropic
>principle as a fundamental truth?

He's not talking about the strong AP.

>In what way do you feel that the anthropic principle biases our universe to
>the emergence of only *one* intelligence?

Obviously he doesn't think that. Even Tipler in a theological raputure
doesn't think that; Tipler only thinks it biases the *very long term
persistence of* just one regnant intelligence.

Damien Broderick



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