Re: Fermi "Paradox"

From: Mark Walker (mark@permanentend.org)
Date: Sat Aug 02 2003 - 11:06:26 MDT

  • Next message: Anders Sandberg: "Re: Fermi "Paradox""

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Lee Corbin"

    > So the big mystery to me is, why do we always assume the
    > aliens to be such mean dudes?
    >
    > YES! For sure there would be WARNING SIGNS in huge capital
    > letters from the galactic club saying "STAY HOME". But all
    > we hear is total silence.
    >
    >

    Your right we don't have to assume they are mean, and some versions in the
    literature don't. I suggested a while back a possible mechanism for this
    under the subject heading "Invasion of the meme snatchers". The idea is that
    advanced aliens could have nanobots running around on earth whose sole
    mission is to destroy any evidence of the galactic civilization. For
    example, if SETI researchers were to pick up a signal from some distant
    planet it would be the mission of the meme snatching nanobots to destroy the
    information. They would wipe the computer memories and get inside of the
    researcher's heads and destroy the appropriate engrams. We can even imagine
    junkets of space travelers visiting earth all the time. Perhaps we have all
    met aliens at one time or another as they walk down our streets led by some
    alien tour guide, but then--of course--the nanobots keep wiping out our
    memories. Perhaps even some human scientists have discovered evidence of
    these nanobots at work but then--of course--have had their memories
    completely erased. Everything we know is consistent with this possibility,
    surely the nanobots assigned to this task would think they had a relatively
    cushy assignment. Possible? Yes. Probable? No. Or at least that is what the
    aliens would like you to believe. ; )

    Mark Walker, PhD
    Research Associate, Philosophy, Trinity College
    University of Toronto
    Room 214 Gerald Larkin Building
    15 Devonshire Place
    Toronto
    M5S 1H8
    www.permanentend.org



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Aug 02 2003 - 11:14:21 MDT