Sebastian, rather than argue with that, I can point out that even if the variation can be stopped in principle, at least to such a degree that there will be no significant variation within the lifetime of the universe, there is no reason to think that the variation will actually be stopped, unless the human race goes extinct first. For the presently existing variation in the human race ensures the existence of deliberate efforts to produce more variation, and so the amount of variation can be expected to increase, not decrease or vanish.
LG, I am making no assumptions whatsoever about the manner of replication. Your account would make no difference.
I agree entirely that the space of possible intelligences is much wider than the intelligence that we are accustomed to. This simply allows for more variation, and so more likelihood for evolving to extinction, or again for evolving into conscious fitness maximizers.
Sebastian, rather than argue with that, I can point out that even if the variation can be stopped in principle, at least to such a degree that there will be no significant variation within the lifetime of the universe, there is no reason to think that the variation will actually be stopped, unless the human race goes extinct first. For the presently existing variation in the human race ensures the existence of deliberate efforts to produce more variation, and so the amount of variation can be expected to increase, not decrease or vanish.
LG, I am making no assumptions whatsoever about the manner of replication. Your account would make no difference.
I agree entirely that the space of possible intelligences is much wider than the intelligence that we are accustomed to. This simply allows for more variation, and so more likelihood for evolving to extinction, or again for evolving into conscious fitness maximizers.