Re: Astrobiology

From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Tue Aug 26 2003 - 06:17:40 MDT

  • Next message: Spudboy100@aol.com: "Re: Energy shortage"

    On Mon, Aug 25, 2003 at 09:09:59PM -0400, Robin Hanson wrote:
    > On AM 8/22/2003 Anders wrote:
    > >Just found the site of the International Journal of Astrobiology.
    > >... Especially one paper caught my eye:
    > >
    > >http://journals.cambridge.org/bin/bladerunner?REQUNIQ=1061542659&REQSESS=8579264&118000REQEVENT=&REQINT1=163278&REQAUTH=0
    > >
    > >Cultural evolution, the postbiological universe and SETI
    >
    > I found this paper to be very disappointing - it quoted a bunch
    > of things and reviewed standard issues, and then just ended.
    > It didn't defend any interesting claims as far as I could tell.

    Unfortunately I have to agree now when I read more than the abstract
    (bad form of me to suggest papers before reading them in their
    entirety. Bayesian priors updated).

    I think it is an important paper anyway, since it acts to make the
    astrobiology community more awareness of the postbiological
    possibilities. As Robert has pointed out, that is a very hard sell
    right now.

    I guess the proper response to a disappointing paper is to write a
    better one.

    -- 
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Anders Sandberg                                      Towards Ascension!
    asa@nada.kth.se                            http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/
    GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
    


    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Tue Aug 26 2003 - 06:25:24 MDT