What if the solution to the Fermi paradox is that S-risks cause all sufficiently advanced civilizations to destroy themselves and leave no trace that could be used to resurrect and then torture them?
I finally read your article about Fermi paradox and would like to say that I mostly agree with you and have been thinking in the same directions.
A couple of comments:
To escape wrong ways to prevent x-risks by other civilizations, we could try random strategy. We’ll throw a dice and choose some strange path. In that case, we will have chances NOT to repeat others strategies, which failed in other civilizations, even if they did the same—throw a dice.
The idea of the natural selection of the universes, that is the fecund universes in black holes by Lee Smolin, “nicely” combines with idea that most civilisation goes extinct as a result of the physical experiment. We create a special black hole on LHC, that create many universes, like our own. In other words, our universe is fine-tuned in the way that civilisations self-destroy by creating many new universes. No matter how improbable such construction, it will dominate because of its ability to replicate.
It is important to send signals to other civilisations, especially if we know how we are going to fail, to tell them that some dangerous paths should be escaped. However, we could attach to this message our DNA and some cultural information—and the request to resurrect us. Also, we should do it not in the form of the radiosignals, but as a data hoard on Moon, as most probably the next civilization will appear again on Earth. If aliens arrive in the Solar system they also will be able to find
the message. I wrote an article about it recently, which still a draft.
but as a data hoard on Moon, as most probably the next civilization will appear again on Earth.
Excellent point.
We create a special black hole on LHC, that create many universes, like our own. In other words, our universe is fine-tuned in the way that civilisations self-destroy by creating many new universes
I’m not sure. Wouldn’t new universes be mostly created by advanced civilizations trying to create new universes? I think your idea works only if creating a new universe requires destroying an old one.
However, it still not explains the non-existence of other civilisations, IMHO. Maybe the ultimate computer is not a black hole, but a wave of the false vacuum decay, similar to the intelligence explosion wave, but real on the physical level?
Because the idea simultaneously explains Fermi paradox: every civilisation destroys the whole visible universe, by creating a new universe, so we are the fist and last one.
It explains Fermi paradox, as well as fine-tuning of our universe for the black -holes AND for the civilization appearing.
However, there are still many holes in the idea, as some civilisations may not build LHC, and also fecund theory suggests that many new universes appear from the first one, but in the case of false vacuum decay caused by LHC it is the only one new universe and with different properties. And if there are many blackholes from LHC, they will not destroy the universe and even Earth.
Maybe micro black holes may do its bad job slowly, like for 40 years it will sit in the center of earth slowly growing, up until some threshold then it starts to grow quickly. In that case many such blackholes appear before the catastrophe, but, it still not universal solution, as some civilization may not build colliders.
I also don’t understand that universe replication scenario. Maybe if there were a type of black hole -like object that both created many universes and destroyed all stars in their vicinity (generally destroying their creators).
What if the solution to the Fermi paradox is that S-risks cause all sufficiently advanced civilizations to destroy themselves and leave no trace that could be used to resurrect and then torture them?
Surely it can’t be the total solution of the FP, as it doesn’t explain coordination problem, but the thought is terrifying.
I finally read your article about Fermi paradox and would like to say that I mostly agree with you and have been thinking in the same directions.
A couple of comments:
To escape wrong ways to prevent x-risks by other civilizations, we could try random strategy. We’ll throw a dice and choose some strange path. In that case, we will have chances NOT to repeat others strategies, which failed in other civilizations, even if they did the same—throw a dice.
The idea of the natural selection of the universes, that is the fecund universes in black holes by Lee Smolin, “nicely” combines with idea that most civilisation goes extinct as a result of the physical experiment. We create a special black hole on LHC, that create many universes, like our own. In other words, our universe is fine-tuned in the way that civilisations self-destroy by creating many new universes. No matter how improbable such construction, it will dominate because of its ability to replicate.
It is important to send signals to other civilisations, especially if we know how we are going to fail, to tell them that some dangerous paths should be escaped. However, we could attach to this message our DNA and some cultural information—and the request to resurrect us. Also, we should do it not in the form of the radiosignals, but as a data hoard on Moon, as most probably the next civilization will appear again on Earth. If aliens arrive in the Solar system they also will be able to find the message. I wrote an article about it recently, which still a draft.
Excellent point.
I’m not sure. Wouldn’t new universes be mostly created by advanced civilizations trying to create new universes? I think your idea works only if creating a new universe requires destroying an old one.
John Smart looked in the similar directions:
“To recap, Smolin’s CNS hypothesis proposes that our universe’s developmental constants are fine tuned for the fecund replication of complex universes via black holes. The developmental singularity hypothesis (to come), proposes that our universe’s developmental constants are fine tuned for the replication of universes like ours via intelligent black holes, an even more specific and falsifiable claim.” http://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/1141345/1b58jhif9cm1ho8.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1499728293&Signature=j43UmsNh64pY4u748k4Fyb%2FmLjM%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DEvo_Devo_Universe_A_Framework_for_Specul.pdf
However, it still not explains the non-existence of other civilisations, IMHO. Maybe the ultimate computer is not a black hole, but a wave of the false vacuum decay, similar to the intelligence explosion wave, but real on the physical level?
New study on the topic http://www.businessinsider.com/why-universe-exists-alien-life-adaptation-idea-2017-7
I found the same article on an ad-blocker-friendly website. And here’s a direct link to the academic article in Complexity.
Because the idea simultaneously explains Fermi paradox: every civilisation destroys the whole visible universe, by creating a new universe, so we are the fist and last one.
It explains Fermi paradox, as well as fine-tuning of our universe for the black -holes AND for the civilization appearing.
However, there are still many holes in the idea, as some civilisations may not build LHC, and also fecund theory suggests that many new universes appear from the first one, but in the case of false vacuum decay caused by LHC it is the only one new universe and with different properties. And if there are many blackholes from LHC, they will not destroy the universe and even Earth.
Maybe micro black holes may do its bad job slowly, like for 40 years it will sit in the center of earth slowly growing, up until some threshold then it starts to grow quickly. In that case many such blackholes appear before the catastrophe, but, it still not universal solution, as some civilization may not build colliders.
I also don’t understand that universe replication scenario. Maybe if there were a type of black hole -like object that both created many universes and destroyed all stars in their vicinity (generally destroying their creators).
It called false vacuum decay, but see my comment above.