Why Not Expand? (was Fermi "Paradox")

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Sun Aug 03 2003 - 20:00:33 MDT

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    Jef writes

    > BillK wrote:
    > > I have generally tended to agree with Lee's previous statement that we
    > > are alone and there are no aliens out there waiting to pounce on us.
    > >
    > > But there is another alternative that I don't remember anyone
    > > mentioning. Look around you. Old folk with a good pension or a pile of
    > > assets don't do much. Sitting on your porch in a rocking chair seems
    > > like a good deal to them. It is the young who haven't made their pile
    > > who rush around 'doing' things.
    > >
    > I think it's most likely there are "old folk" out there who's activities are
    > inscrutable and invisible to us, but rather than existing sedately I expect
    > they're experiencing life at a level of complexity and meaning beyond our
    > current comprehension.

    And just why aren't they using the energy available in our solar system?

    > Similarly it amazes me when people talk about vastly extending their
    > capabilities and longevity but then imagine that they would then pursue
    > their current hedonistic goals (or maybe just one copy to this).

    All things can be concurrently achieved once you give up having to
    be in only one place at a time. (Yes, some of my current hedonistic
    activities I'd replace with more refined means of gratification.)

    > Even the idea of boundless physical expansion, while possessing
    > a certain mathematical symmetry, I think is based on our evolved
    > drive for procreation and won't match posthuman values.

    Yes, perhaps there is some sort of instinct to "breed abundantly
    in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth" that
    evolved. But why should that be inimical to our posthuman values?

    For one thing, is not appealing to bring life to the outer reaches
    of the universe? Why should matter not be rescued from its currently
    dead state almost everywhere?

    But an even stronger argument is this: it takes only *one* posthuman
    civilization---or perhaps only one sufficiently advanced posthuman---
    to colonize the rest of the universe. Why is it so alluring to so
    many people to imagine that somehow all posthuman value systems will
    universally turn up their noses at this? Especially when the ends
    are so noble?

    Lee

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