4 ms·

It is entirely possible that there are tons of intelligent alien planets for whom the predominant way of life is the way of the Amish. They simply choose not to

It is entirely possible that there are tons of intelligent alien planets for whom the predominant way of life is the way of the Amish. They simply choose not to use radio-telescopes just like the Amish choose not to use mechanical milking machines. The link has an interesting list of barred technologies. Do the meek inherit Vulcan? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subgroups_of_Amish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subgroups_of_Amish

pixl97 7y ago
Still not a good answer for the fermi paradox, it only takes one to light up a galaxy.
- powerbroker 7y ago
  Yes, but imagine you are a civilization, that is smart enough to develop the idea of a Fermi paradox. If you are the first such civilization, you believe yourself to be one among thousands in your galaxy -- but yet, you get no radio signatures (or other signatures) of intelligent life. You might conclude, that the very act of obtaining technology predisposes your civilization (and the others who disappeared before you) to a shortened lifespan. Accordingly, you assume (wrongly) that to transmit or seek out radio signals, is going to 'f' you up down the road. You, and the 2d civilization after you, and the third, etc., internally agree to go the Amish way... and you have an infinite loop that repeats.
  - ramblerman 7y ago
    Think what you are suggesting. In all the possibilities where life grows it evolves exactly in one sociological way as you suggested. Yet the one sample we have, us, doesn't fit the pattern
    - powerbroker 7y ago
      We don't have a pattern, until we drive our population down to 1 million, or we find evidence of an existing or extinguished alien civilization. At the rate we are going, none of these three are going to happen in our lifetime. If only the Vulcan Amish could turn on a radio station... just once every 100 years, in celebration of their Vulcan Amishness... Maybe a pirate Vulcan Amish radio station. You can only hope.

pixl97 7y ago

Still not a good answer for the fermi paradox, it only takes one to light up a galaxy.

powerbroker 7y ago
Yes, but imagine you are a civilization, that is smart enough to develop the idea of a Fermi paradox. If you are the first such civilization, you believe yourself to be one among thousands in your galaxy -- but yet, you get no radio signatures (or other signatures) of intelligent life. You might conclude, that the very act of obtaining technology predisposes your civilization (and the others who disappeared before you) to a shortened lifespan. Accordingly, you assume (wrongly) that to transmit or seek out radio signals, is going to 'f' you up down the road. You, and the 2d civilization after you, and the third, etc., internally agree to go the Amish way... and you have an infinite loop that repeats.
- ramblerman 7y ago
  Think what you are suggesting. In all the possibilities where life grows it evolves exactly in one sociological way as you suggested. Yet the one sample we have, us, doesn't fit the pattern
  - powerbroker 7y ago
    We don't have a pattern, until we drive our population down to 1 million, or we find evidence of an existing or extinguished alien civilization. At the rate we are going, none of these three are going to happen in our lifetime. If only the Vulcan Amish could turn on a radio station... just once every 100 years, in celebration of their Vulcan Amishness... Maybe a pirate Vulcan Amish radio station. You can only hope.