From: TC (tc@mindloss.com)
Date: Sat Feb 21 2004 - 14:58:05 MST
Hopefully I'm not rehashing old discussion here, but I don't remember
reading anything about this on any of the SIngularity-related pages I looked
through. It seems to me that there would be a reasonable chance of the
Singularity ultimately resulting in... nothing. Rather than there
necessarily being an explosion of technology sweeping over the face of the
planet, there seems a distinct possibility of an implosion; either through
the transhuman intelligence self-terminating (for whatever reason we can't
foresee now), or through it transcending into a place or state undetectable
by us, and choosing not to bring us along. I guess I don't see any
particular reason why a transhuman intelligence would choose to do that, but
then again, I can see no reason why it wouldn't, either. It's unknowable,
but still a legitimate possibility that should be acknowleged.
One argument supporting this, although weak and enormously speculative -
more just food for thought, I guess, is that it addresses the problem of
lack of detection of extraterrestrial life. It always seemed intuitively
likely to me that there's probably intelligent life scattered all over the
universe, so one would think we'd have heard from somebody by now. If a
transhuman intelligence did decide to bring us all along with it when it
crossed over to the other side, there will most likely be some compelling
fundmental logical or ethical reasons why it would choose to do so. And if
it brings us along, why wouldn't it also bring along any other straggling
life on other planets? Is there some sort of rule that a transhuman
omniscient intelligence can only bring along the inhabitants that created
it? Possible, I guess, but it doesn't make that much intuitive sense.
So, given that we haven't been "transitioned" by an extra-solar
superintelligence already, that we still have pain and hunger and war here,
it would stand to reason that:
a) there haven't been any intelligent races to attain a Singularity yet
anywhere in the universe
b) there have been, and for whatever reason, they didn't see fit to
altruistically ease our suffering over here on Earth
c) Singularities don't typically bring their creator species with them.
Again, hope this topic hasn't already been beaten to death or anything.
Trevor
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