From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Mon Feb 17 2003 - 21:13:28 MST
Dennis May replied (via Dan)
> <<Talk about "advanced ETI's" somehow remaining aloof
> from our planet is merely emotionally appealing SF.
> "There aren't any"; that's the answer to the Fermi
> question.>>
>
> Aloof has nothing to do with it. Sound military strategy is the key. I
> fully expect humans to engage in the same strategy some time after
> several independent groups have occupied space.
This ignores, of course, my points about Von Neumann probes and
nanotech *completely* taking over volumes of space. So specifically,
I would point out that no human group in history has ever chosen
"invisibility" when, say, the Romans showed up, or European
colonialists were in the area. And for the same reason.
At least tribes in the Philippines had a chance---for an eyeblink,
historically---of remaining hidden. That's because there was
nothing in the middle of the island the newcomers were interested
in. But with nanotech, any place that can provide energy or even
has energy is "interesting".
> If there are no intelligent aliens in our galaxy, or anywhere nearby we
> can detect, it does not change the strategy. In a short time the
> strategy will apply to human groups evading other human groups, the AI,
> or non-human descendants they have created.
I think that Mr. May is not conversant with the extropian
themes of nanotech and uploading, and is mentally confined
to the universe of space opera. (Um... Don't post this
last paragraph! ;-) )
Lee
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