From: avatar (avatar@renegadeclothing.com.au)
Date: Sat Jan 25 2003 - 19:56:51 MST
Robert Bradbury wrote on nanoprobe contact between advanced or post-Singularity conscious life and us:
"The whole premise of "contact" is that there would be some motivation for doing so. I (and any "sane" humans) don't want to 'contact' trilobites.
Any fossil formation from that era is filled with zillions of them. Study them -- perhaps -- though one may rapidly reach the saturation point on the
trilobite knowledge database -- contact (so as to 'interact' with them) -- no."
Human beings collectively are over 10% of the way up the Spike or Singularity or Escalation. Human imagination already contains "broad brush" superintelligence, envisaging universe design etc.. It does not contain "detailed" superintelligence because our neurological and physical systems (e.g. sensory input, communications) are currently limited (less so day by day for some areas like libraries, information selection committees and information transmittion).
Robert also wrote:
"The concepts of endless reproduction and 'contacting' what would be considered extraordinarily primitive life forms are fundamentally flawed (IMO) for an advanced species/civilization."
I can't agree. Any minimal "cut off" point for self-aware consciousness would have to be the equivalent of a 2-3 year old human and include hominids capable of 200 word languages. It is true I cannot "contact" a trilobite since it has no self-aware conscious neurological system. I can only boost its architecture by using it as a base to strap on a self-aware architecture and give birth to a new being with some trilobite physicality as input. Whether this is necessary or positive is a matter for debate. Humans however are definitely beings both sentient and with intrinsic worth. An advanced conscious is likely to have more connective insights, more empathetic ability (more detailed visualization) and less snobbery. In addition to this, any human being contains the potential for self-modification into a "Power".
Reproduction can be other than traditional, for example including splittings and mergings and reformation in part or whole. One thinks of the tv character Dr Who's periodic "rebirthing" of form and personality around a shifting kernel.
Also, in regard to Tipler and Malthus, food and energy are limits to be sure, but perhaps finite spacetime or space or particle finity is more the problem, which is why any type or portion of spacetime that is infinite potential bypasses this problem. Only two days ago I watched a tv programme on Archimedes that mentioned that our very contemplation of infinity indicates it has somehow been created or is existant, a notion that while not entirely logical has seemed to have an aura of truth for many commentators.
Towards Ascension
Avatar Polymorph
34 After Armstrong
In Celebration of the Techno-Rapture
www.paradigm4.com.au/way
Maximum choice and minimum non-consensual force
Avatar Polymorph
Star A Star
Alpha Null
Radiant Era
Neon Orthogenesis
Axiom Flux
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