I really like trying to contrast intelligence as an optimization process vs. evolution. If we come to an alien planet, and we find something that is using negentropy, how do we know it isn’t produced without intelligence as we understand it? I few ideas:
Is it itself alive (reproducing, etc.?)
Is it made of materials that require high energy well above the ambient temperatures/available energy? There’s no reason life can’t use metal, but it doesn’t really smelt it, or make thermite, etc.
I really like trying to contrast intelligence as an optimization process vs. evolution. If we come to an alien planet, and we find something that is using negentropy, how do we know it isn’t produced without intelligence as we understand it? I few ideas: Is it itself alive (reproducing, etc.?) Is it made of materials that require high energy well above the ambient temperatures/available energy? There’s no reason life can’t use metal, but it doesn’t really smelt it, or make thermite, etc.