From: Eugene Leitl (eugene.leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
Date: Sun Jan 16 2000 - 20:58:20 MST
gary tripp writes:
> Is it possible that technologically advanced civilizations quickly develop
> the capability to work technology many orders of magnitude smaller & faster
> than nanotech and direct their attention inwardly?
This assumes that the transcension mechanism is extremely rigid (as a
sequence of spacetime events) across civilisation population, and/or
eradicates lower-tech traces creeping outwards (GRB would be a
candidate, but awfully hard on stellar neighbourhood).
Possible, but not likely.
> With such extraordinary technology they could convert their own planet
> into one immensely powerful computer and take up residence within it.
Why limiting itself to just one planet? One stellar system? What
happened to interstellar probes (or just von Neumann probes sent to
their Oort cloud) before? Or slow wetlife habitats travelling
outwards?
> They could bide their time playing with simulations of evolution that make
> the study of extra-terrestrial biological evolution seem painfully slow,
> stupid, inconsequential and ultimately superfluous.
This assumes they are sentient, _all_ of them. I'm arguing that's
impossible to assert on the long run.
> Notwithstanding the fact that WE have a burning desire to explore the
> universe, why would such a civilization venture outward?
Because it can, and because a sufficiently diverse population over
long enough time will sample behaviour space exhaustively. A lot of
behaviours/strategies are compatible with expansion, and that's why it
will happen.
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