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> So... a billion year old civ is going to have very fundamental abilities which are completely beyond our comprehension. Maybe not. There's no evidence that s

by bmitc 3y ago

> So... a billion year old civ is going to have very fundamental abilities which are completely beyond our comprehension. Maybe not. There's no evidence that species can continually adapt and evolve to higher levels of intelligence. Humans are already hitting limits for how much we can think, figure out, etc. But by that same token, maybe so. Humans aren't exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to higher critical thinking and emotional intelligence. Is there any biological research that takes a look at a single or sequence of species maintaining civilizations lasting x amount of years?

throwaway1D 3y ago
Natural evolution may have its limits, but we don't yet know how much we can improve by artificial means. We will have the technology to alter the DNA to increase our intelligence significantly. There are limits, but I don't think it is likely that human beings are at the peak of what is biological possible. - When we reach the biological limit, we may extend ourselves by merging with technology. Our brains might be connected to a computing device that amplifies our capabilities. It may be so seamless that when answering a question, you won't notice if the knowledge was stored in your physical brain or retrieved from a central archive.
- midoridensha 3y ago
  >- When we reach the biological limit, we may extend ourselves by merging with technology. In the near term, I just wish they'd figure out how to make better mechanical parts for humans. Our natural joints suck, particularly knees and ankles. It really shouldn't be that hard to make mechanical replacements for various parts of the human body.
Nevermark 3y ago
> Humans are already hitting limits for how much we can think, figure out, etc. There is zero evidence of this. What would that mean? Once our intelligence encompassed communication then it began growing culturally. I.e. we are able to treat math and engineering as no biggies, despite humans needing millennia to realize "nothing" could be a number called "zero". It's fair to say the 21st century shows no signs of intelligence slowing down. We keep finding ways to think more simply but more effectively.

by bmitc 3y ago

throwaway1D 3y ago

Natural evolution may have its limits, but we don't yet know how much we can improve by artificial means. We will have the technology to alter the DNA to increase our intelligence significantly. There are limits, but I don't think it is likely that human beings are at the peak of what is biological possible. - When we reach the biological limit, we may extend ourselves by merging with technology. Our brains might be connected to a computing device that amplifies our capabilities. It may be so seamless that when answering a question, you won't notice if the knowledge was stored in your physical brain or retrieved from a central archive.

midoridensha 3y ago
>- When we reach the biological limit, we may extend ourselves by merging with technology. In the near term, I just wish they'd figure out how to make better mechanical parts for humans. Our natural joints suck, particularly knees and ankles. It really shouldn't be that hard to make mechanical replacements for various parts of the human body.

Nevermark 3y ago

> Humans are already hitting limits for how much we can think, figure out, etc. There is zero evidence of this. What would that mean? Once our intelligence encompassed communication then it began growing culturally. I.e. we are able to treat math and engineering as no biggies, despite humans needing millennia to realize "nothing" could be a number called "zero". It's fair to say the 21st century shows no signs of intelligence slowing down. We keep finding ways to think more simply but more effectively.