4 ms·
One of the (to me) most mind-bending arguments about the absence of alien civilizations is the apparent absence of self-replicating interstellar probes. It wou
by pklausler 10y ago
One of the (to me) most mind-bending arguments about the absence of alien civilizations is the apparent absence of self-replicating interstellar probes. It wouldn't take much more of a tech civilization than we have to launch such a thing, and it would take only one launch event in all of galactic history to quickly and permanently permeate the galaxy with them. So where are they?
- neaden 10y agoYeah, Bracewell/Von Neuman probes[0]. You create an AI in a probe that can communicate in a variety of ways and replicate itself and send it off into space. IIRC it would conservatively take about a million years for a civilization to blanket the galaxy in them. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracewell_probe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracewell_probe
- pklausler 10y agoCommunication seems to be optional.
- jessaustin 10y agoIt isn't obvious that communication by such "probes" would take place on a medium that we can currently sense. Which may be what you meant?
- zingermc 10y agoSounds like a good way to turn the galaxy into grey goo.
- jmcmichael 10y ago> self-replicating interstellar probes DNA
- woofyman 10y agoMaybe there's a highly advanced predictor species that destroys other civilization before they reach that stage.
- trhway 10y agomay be [hopefully] civilizations reach mental maturity preventing such pollution of their galactic neighborhood with self-replicating trash before being able to perform such pollution. "Morris worm" at galactic scale :) With regards to aliens - i see the Bible as exactly historical document of such an unplanned/unauthorized contact by an alien observer gone rogue. Contains all elements, like medical nanobots, [food]replication, specific lessons that violence is the main obstacle of civilization development, blue light sterilizing the cave with decontamination workers in white overalls and some devices on their backs (angels :), etc... Hunt for the lost sample of the alien's DNA - Holy Grail- which also contains those nanobots.
- logfromblammo 10y agoWhat percentage of launch-capable civilizations have their own cautionary fable equivalent to the Slylandro civilization in Star Control 2, or the grey goo of Engines of Creation? The probes reached their replication limit, then went into hibernation when they phoned home, and subsequently failed to receive a reset signal. Or perhaps they simply propagate too slowly. Imagine if the Morris worm spread only half as fast as the growth of the Internet itself.