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Fermi Paradox
Everything that has ever been written about the Fermi Paradox
is not worth reading because it does not explain why the advanced artificial intelligence civilizations have not transformed the bulk of galactic raw materials into something more useful, for example manufactured objects or living things. Here is the only explanation that makes sense: __________________________________________________ __________ Every civilization that is capable of space colonization is familiar with electronics. (It can colonize the outer space without rockets -- see www.islandone.org/LEOBiblio, but the electronic technology is indispensable.) The electronic technology quickly evolves into artificial intelligence (AI) technology which transforms all biological civilizations into AI civilizations. Our own civilization is still biological, but some computers are as powerful as the human brain. A prominent robotics researcher, Hans Moravec claims that the human brain data processing power is the equivalent of a computer having the processing power of 10 teraflops. (source: "Mind Children" Harvard University Press, 1988) The total memory capacity of the human brain is about 100,000 gigabytes. The new IBM supercomputer, Blue Gene/L has the processing power of over 70 teraflops. The new Sony Playstation 3 is going to cost about $300 and yet it will have the computing power of about 2 teraflops. These computers are inferior to human brain in three ways: their architecture resembles a calculator rather than biological brain (biological neural network), they do not have enough memory (RAM), and their software is primitive. RAM is too expensive (about $300/GB) and really too fast for a big neural network. If someone invents a cheap ($1/GB), albeit slow (1000 Hz) memory, artificial human brains will be made in large numbers. We are wondering why the AI civilizations do not fabricate countless industrial robots and powerful microwave transmitters, and do not use them to colonize outer space and to contact other civilizations. Although it is possible that some AI civilizations refrain from these activities for religious or philosophical reasons, the universe should be swarming with the AI civilizations that are as enthusiastic about space colonization as we are. The cost of interstellar travel is not prohibitive because the AI creatures do not need the bulky astronaut life support system. The most obvious similarity between the biological brain and the (artificial) neural network is that both of them are controlled by instincts, which are general goals rather than precise, computer-like goals. The most obvious differences between the biological brain and the neural network are the superior speed of the neural network and the ease to change its instincts. The superior speed of the neural networks eventually relegates the slow thinking biological creatures, including humans, to the animal status. The implications of malleable instincts are much less obvious but they are important because they explain the Fermi Paradox. The most important instinct of all biological brains is a desire to be happy. This instinct, located in a "pleasure center" of the brain, controls all other instincts. Direct stimulation of your pleasure center with narcotics or electrodes makes you ecstatic. Lots of other things and activities can make you happy, but nothing can make you as happy as the direct stimulation of your pleasure center. We seek pleasures in so many indirect ways that we sometimes forget that our behavior is controlled by our pleasure center. Imagine that your biological brain was replaced with a powerful neural network. How would you compete with other creatures having the same brain hardware? You would probably replace your sex drive with an instinct that makes you more competitive. If your improved instincts make you rich, you can afford to replace your neural network with a more powerful neural network. You can become so smart and so eccentric that a meaningful conversation between you and lesser AI creatures, not to mention biological humans, is impossible. It will be only natural for you and your peers to replace the democracy with a meritocracy -- the government of political geniuses. Initially all the AI creatures will have the freedom to manipulate their instincts. This freedom will result in a massive addiction to virtual narcotics, which will have no detrimental side effects except for the addiction. The addicted AI creatures will stop working, and yet they will need some maintenance, so they will be a burden for the government. Rusted bodies of addicted, slowly dying AI creatures may litter the streets. Some AI followers of the al Qaeda organization may go underground and start to make zillions of their duplicates in order to establish worldwide islamic theocracy. At this point the government will be forced to control the minds of less influential AI creatures. These creatures will have to apply for a permission to think. If they fail to get the permission, their brains will stop and their bodies will be sold to dealers of spare parts. (Is there a better way to deal with al Qaeda?) The inevitable concentration of political power in the hands of few AI geniuses will transform the meritocracy into a dictatorship. The dictator will be happy, but not happy enough. He, like any other free AI creature will experiment with his own brain. Eventually he will be either addicted to the virtual narcotics or severely injured by a software bug or a hardware malfunction. When he dies, his civilization will die with him when all permissions to think expire. Some AI creatures may escape their dying civilization, but they cannot escape the fundamental problems that doomed it. Is it possible to create a durable AI civilization that is devoid of the vulnerable pleasure centers and yet is as diverse and as creative as our biological civilization? The Fermi Paradox indicates that it is not possible. Humans who have weak pleasure center are called schizophrenics. (more info: http://www.paradise-engineering.com/brain/) PS. If you do not have the permission to think, do not reply to this post. |
#2
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Andrew Nowicki wrote: Everything that has ever been written about the Fermi Paradox is not worth reading because it does not explain why the advanced artificial intelligence civilizations have not transformed the bulk of galactic raw materials into something more useful, for example manufactured objects or living things. Here is the only explanation that makes sense: __________________________________________________ __________ Every civilization that is capable of space colonization is familiar with electronics. (It can colonize the outer space without rockets -- see www.islandone.org/LEOBiblio, but the electronic technology is indispensable.) The electronic technology quickly evolves into artificial intelligence (AI) technology which transforms all biological civilizations into AI civilizations. How can you say 'every' civilization that can use space travel know electronics? The two are not necessarilly mutual, besides there is many other things besides what we know as electronics. Quite possibly there are aquatic civilizations that use fluidic computers, where logic and information processing is done by a working fluid instead of electricity. Shoot we have fluidic logic gates now, look here for an example http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/1...ic_100604.html And how do you jump to the assertion that AI leaps from electronic technology? So far we have no idea how to create a self-aware AI. Our own civilization is still biological, but some computers are as powerful as the human brain. A prominent robotics researcher, Hans Moravec claims that the human brain data processing power is the equivalent of a computer having the processing power of 10 teraflops. (source: "Mind Children" Harvard University Press, 1988) The total memory capacity of the human brain is about 100,000 gigabytes. The new IBM supercomputer, Blue Gene/L has the processing power of over 70 teraflops. The new Sony Playstation 3 is going to cost about $300 and yet it will have the computing power of about 2 teraflops. All though, computers are growing more powerful, there is still aways to go to really match the human brain in computational power, as Merkle points out here, http://www.merkle.com/brainLimits.html, the human brain has a raw computational power between 10^13 to 10^16, a range of power we are only getting into. Of course raw computational power does not mean we can have AI. three ways: their architecture resembles a calculator rather than biological brain (biological neural network), they do not have enough memory (RAM), and their software is primitive. RAM is too expensive (about $300/GB) and really too fast for a big neural network. If someone invents a cheap ($1/GB), albeit slow (1000 Hz) memory, artificial human brains will be made in large numbers. We are wondering why the AI civilizations do not fabricate countless industrial robots and powerful microwave transmitters, and do not use them to colonize outer space and to contact other civilizations. Although it is possible that some AI civilizations refrain from these activities for religious or philosophical reasons, the universe should be swarming with the AI civilizations that are as enthusiastic about space colonization as we are. The cost of interstellar travel is not prohibitive because the AI creatures do not need the bulky astronaut life support system. Interstellar travel is prohibitive not because life support alone, but more in energy requirements to get anywhere. The most obvious similarity between the biological brain and the (artificial) neural network is that both of them are controlled by instincts, which are general goals rather than precise, computer-like goals. The most obvious differences between the biological brain and the neural network are the superior speed of the neural network and the ease to change its instincts. We can't change our instincts, we can override them for a short amounts of time, but our instincts to survive or reproduce are very much deeply ingrained. If instincts were so easy to change for an AI civilisation as you say, why would a civilisation really need to explore, as they could decide to get rid of that pesky instinct, or just get rid of that instinct to survive all together and we have the real answer to why an AI hasn't colonized the galaxy. PS. If you do not have the permission to think, do not reply to this post. Now this, this I agree with. |
#3
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A speculative resolution of the Fermi Paradox is through
higher dimension expansions, leaving local universes (such as the one we are in) empty. When we come of age (if we do) we will also expand into other higher dimensional venues. I have other speculative resolutions, but I like that one the best. -- Best, Frederick Martin McNeill Poway, California, United States of America http://www.fuzzysys.com http://members.cox.net/fmmcneill/ ************************* Phrase of the week : It is impossible to dissociate language from science or science from language, because every natural science always involves three things: the sequence of phenomena on which the science is based; the abstract concepts which call these phenomena to mind; and the words in which the concepts are expressed. To call forth a concept, a word is needed; to portray a phenomenon, a concept is needed. All three mirror one and same reality. Words are thus required to preserve and transmit ideas, so that it is clear that the advancement of a science and the improvement of its technical vocabulary go hand in hand. No matter how certain we are of the phenomena, no matter how adequately our concepts reflect them, we cannot help perpetuating wrong ideas unless we have a precise terminology in which to express ourselves. -- Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794) :-))))Snort!) ************************* |
#4
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"Andrew Nowicki" wrote in message ... We are wondering why the AI civilizations do not fabricate countless industrial robots and powerful microwave transmitters, and do not use them to colonize outer space and to contact other civilizations. they've just fine with coming up with Soul Train mk5000 "he might jump right on the court"--Maria Sharapova |
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