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Skybird · 08-27-16, 05:57 AM

Would an ant recognize our intelligence? Would it even recognize our existence?

Over the years, I found myself falling more and more in line with those scientific circles arguing that organic, biological carriers of life and awareness are far too fragile and short-lasting for the brutal hostility of space towards everything alive. Such scientists argue further that life therefore either does not develope beyond a certain, primitive threshhold - or finds ways to transform its mind/awareness/intelligence so that it can be carried by technological carriers. To put it simple: robots. The majority of civilizations superior to ours - if there are any, mind you - maybe even all, could be machine civilizations. Whatever "machine" means. And that could be tehcnology that we are unable to recognise as such. As Arthur C. Clarke, I think, once said: beyond a certain level that an alien technology is more advanced than ours, it must appear to us as pure magic.

Also, the alien is this: alien. We cannot assess it by any standards we know. Human ideas about ethics and morals, reason and modesty, are neither universal and general, nor are they a natural law. Our relgions are our imaginations, beyond Earth, nobody and noone ever has heard of them, most likely. We should be saving ourselves from assuming that the alien civilization we find, automatically must be neutral or friendly to us. I am not deliberately hostile to flies when I bash one with the newspaper. I just do it. I don't care. Maybe we are well-advised to not shout out loud into cosmos and telling everyone out there of our existence, but to stay hidden. On planet Earth at least, this has proven to be a successful survival strategy for very many species that else would have gone extinct. If there is somebody who can reach us while we cannot reach him, this means he is hopelessly superior to us.

And we are at his mercy. Its bad advise to form plans on the assumption that the other necessarily must mean it well with us.

I used to think that probability is in favour of more life being out there, and intelligence. But these days, I am not so sure of that anymore. I do not take it as granted anymore that we are not alone. One could see that as a horrible possibility. Or one that secures our survival, at least for as long as we last by our own, on this planet. Maybe depends on how many drinks you already have had.

08-27-16, 05:57 AM	#10
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,776 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Would an ant recognize our intelligence? Would it even recognize our existence? Over the years, I found myself falling more and more in line with those scientific circles arguing that organic, biological carriers of life and awareness are far too fragile and short-lasting for the brutal hostility of space towards everything alive. Such scientists argue further that life therefore either does not develope beyond a certain, primitive threshhold - or finds ways to transform its mind/awareness/intelligence so that it can be carried by technological carriers. To put it simple: robots. The majority of civilizations superior to ours - if there are any, mind you - maybe even all, could be machine civilizations. Whatever "machine" means. And that could be tehcnology that we are unable to recognise as such. As Arthur C. Clarke, I think, once said: beyond a certain level that an alien technology is more advanced than ours, it must appear to us as pure magic. Also, the alien is this: alien. We cannot assess it by any standards we know. Human ideas about ethics and morals, reason and modesty, are neither universal and general, nor are they a natural law. Our relgions are our imaginations, beyond Earth, nobody and noone ever has heard of them, most likely. We should be saving ourselves from assuming that the alien civilization we find, automatically must be neutral or friendly to us. I am not deliberately hostile to flies when I bash one with the newspaper. I just do it. I don't care. Maybe we are well-advised to not shout out loud into cosmos and telling everyone out there of our existence, but to stay hidden. On planet Earth at least, this has proven to be a successful survival strategy for very many species that else would have gone extinct. If there is somebody who can reach us while we cannot reach him, this means he is hopelessly superior to us. And we are at his mercy. Its bad advise to form plans on the assumption that the other necessarily must mean it well with us. I used to think that probability is in favour of more life being out there, and intelligence. But these days, I am not so sure of that anymore. I do not take it as granted anymore that we are not alone. One could see that as a horrible possibility. Or one that secures our survival, at least for as long as we last by our own, on this planet. Maybe depends on how many drinks you already have had. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert. Last edited by Skybird; 08-27-16 at 06:16 AM.