4 ms·
Even on that scale, major roads and agricultural grids are clearly visible. The mark of abstract intelligence is unmistakeable.
by dTal 3mo ago
Even on that scale, major roads and agricultural grids are clearly visible. The mark of abstract intelligence is unmistakeable.
- somenameforme 3mo agoThis reminds of me canali : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_canals#Interpretation_as_engineering_works https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_canals#Interpretation_...
- rurban 3mo agoWell, they would see the I-35 out of Houston, but that would show them no sign of intelligence. Just signs of corruption
- dTal 3mo agoHeh, your flip remark leads to an interesting observation: I think the most obvious signature of "abstract intelligence" is suboptimality. An alien would look at an agricultural grid and wonder, what possible natural process would divide something into squares rather than hexagons? Even without knowing what they are or how they form, it's hard to imagine anything that would prefer such a high energy configuration. Such stupidity implies a system oddly bounded in its ability to optimize, which implies a feeble biological brain trying to do something "on purpose" rather than a natural process.
- rurban 3mo agoEvery civil engineer would find non-square grids stupid and expensive. Biology and maths may find hexagons better, but everyone else not.
- stephenhuey 3mo agoThe most powerful observational tool in the universe would not show 35 anywhere near Houston.
- rurban 3mo agoYup, mixed it up with the I-10. That's the widest road/band on earth. Much easier to see than the Chinese wall. https://supercarblondie.com/widest-highway-in-the-world-houston-texas-26-lanes-katy-freeway/ https://supercarblondie.com/widest-highway-in-the-world-hous...
- embedding-shape 3mo agoI wonder if there are conscious ants and similar small infrastructure-builders running around on the ground with the exact same ideas. "Of course the big-beings-in-the-sky recognize our tracks here are major roads and agricultural areas, they must understand we're intelligent"
- dudinax 3mo agoMaybe we do