X-Message-Number: 20214
From: "mike99" <>
Subject: Re: Various thoughts on Immortality
Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 19:59:46 -0600

>> Thus it is not clear that the underlying resurrected
>> life is 'eternal.' There are several options: the Omega Point
>  [EDITOR'S NOTE: Omega Point is the end-time super-AI that
>> resurrects us all.--
>>
>> Michael LaTorra

steve b wrote:
>Ah yes but the Omega point is one of the more unlikely cosmological
>outcomes of our universe is it not (can't remember what the Linde
>scenario is for the minute)
>unless some mad bunch of entities decide to engineer a collapse by
>shifting radical amounts of mass around in space time that is...

MIKE:
Tipler's Omega Point theory is scientific because makes several testable
claims. But it has fallen into disfavor even among those of us who used to
consider it very plausible because one of its major claims (and essential
features) is that the universe must end in a Big Crunch (collapse). The best
recent measurements of cosmic expansion based on examination of light from
novae in distant galaxies and on the total estimated mass of the universe
both seem to show that the universe will expand forever. No collapse.
However, Linde and his colleagues have a new paper making the claim that not
only will the universe collapse, but it will do so fairly soon. Tipler
expected a Big Crunch in some trillion years. If Linde is correct, the
collapse lies only 10-20 billion years in the future, which would mean that
we are living at the approximate midpoint of the lifetime of our universe!
(see Linde's talk notes "Supergravity, Dark Energy and the Fate of the
Universe" online in PDF format at
http://online.itp.ucsb.edu/online/cmb_c02/linde/pdf/Linde.pdf).

STEVE:
>one religion I have imagined is Technomnimegism, a forced collapse of
>the universe in order to liberate the total amount of energy
>available in that universe and allow entry to one or more otherwise
>inaccessible universes. (which may or may not be more desirable.)
> But that is me, I like to find the absurd in any theory.

MIKE:
I had a similar idea. In my version, a Prophet arises with the Omegist
religion and reforms it so that it actively works to produce this collapse.
I told Alan long ago that I would write this up, but I've yet to do so
(sorry Alan!).

Michael LaTorra




Member:
Extropy Institute: www.extropy.org
World Transhumanist Association: www.transhumanism.org
Alcor Life Extension Foundation: www.alcor.org
Society for Technical Communication: www.stc.org

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