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Yeah but we're not really talking about bronze ages or if a species can achieve comparable technology, but whether we can correctly detect intelligence, or even

by ivoras 5y ago

Yeah but we're not really talking about bronze ages or if a species can achieve comparable technology, but whether we can correctly detect intelligence, or even life, around us. I don't think we should label dolphins as un-intelligent just because their physical environment doesn't allow them to smelt metal. My point is - I'd like to avoid judging something as (not) alive or intelligent just because it is (or isn't) similar to our daily life.

godelski 5y ago
> My point is - I'd like to avoid judging something as (not) alive or intelligent just because it is (or isn't) similar to our daily life. I think this is fair, but I also think when people say "detect intelligent alien life" it is shorthand for "intelligent and technologically capable life that would also be able to develop things like radio and interstellar travel." The latter is pretty cumbersome. I don't think dolphins are unintelligent, I don't think an ant is either. But in this context that's not what we're talking about. Language has limits and we use shortcuts like this all the time. Let's just be clear what page we're on and let's try not to inject another page just because the same word is used to mean multiple things.