RE: Fermi "Paradox"

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Sat Aug 02 2003 - 22:29:22 MDT

  • Next message: ankara@baynet.net: "re: Being Extropic"

    Robert writes

    > > From: "Lee Corbin"
    > >
    > > > So the big mystery to me is, why do we always assume the
    > > > aliens to be such mean dudes?
    >
    > You don't have to assume they are "mean". You might just
    > assume convergent evolution -- "join the galactic club or else".

    No, the real reason that they are supposed to exterminate
    minor races first reaching towards the stars is because it
    would be consistent with the fairy tale that they're out there.

    > Why? Because anyone with a long term view (i.e. a species that
    > has trumped the galactic hazard function) is going to take the
    > viewpoint that "its either my hydrogen or its your hydrogen --
    > and I would prefer it be mine".

    Of course. That is exactly what you'd think from evolutionary
    considerations. The Europeans had the notion, not too surprisingly,
    that Africa and the Americas were theirs for the taking. Strange
    it would have been, indeed, if they'd just posted signs at Gibraltar
    saying "STAY OUT". Even totally unaccountably stranger still would
    be if they had just remained completely hidden, but should any
    canoe approach from the tropics, just silently and relentlessly
    commit a genocide against the adventurous tribe.

    Yet this is the fantasy that those who still hope for aliens
    expect us to believe.

    > > 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.
    >
    > Caca. The cost of eliminating a species that attempts to step
    > "over the line" is *zero*.

    Wrong. The cost in missed opportunities is enormous.
    They have to remain hogtied in everything they do for
    fear of making any noise, or letting any of their
    potential victims get any hint of their existence.
    Preposterous.

    Meanwhile, all that wonderful nanotech could be reforming
    planets, stars, and galaxies galore---but then they'd let
    us *know* that they were around, and oh my, we can't have
    that!

    > Re: "Invasion of the meme snatchers".
    >
    > Entirely possible. More work should be done on its possible
    > abilities and limits. And more thought should be given to how
    > we might detect this (e.g. you can fool some of the people some
    > of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.)

    No one has ever advanced even a slightly persuasive reason
    why it would be in their interest to remain mysterious and
    secretive. No, it's a story just to advance the fairy tale,
    so that people can continue to harbor their alluring and
    intriguing fantasies about "aliens".

    Lee



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Aug 02 2003 - 22:39:10 MDT