X-Message-Number: 21645 Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 00:35:02 -0700 From: Mike Perry <> Subject: More on Galactic Civilizations This is a reply to Thomas Donaldson, #21631. >Though it is very popular in science fiction, the notion that the >Galaxy has many civilizations falls upon one simple fact: even now, >with all the (increasing) restrictions of planets habitable by >and suitable for the evolution of technophilic (intelligent) life >there is a range of millions of years between the birth of each >such planet and others. This essentially means that the very first >expansive civilization (notice I did not say replication) would >take over the Galaxy relatively quickly, before we or any other >had even the time to become human beings rather than apes. We >would never even have come into existence. > >And why should expansion occur? Because the more of the universe >you control, the better you can control your own fate, whether >or not you wish to replicate yourself. I've said before that I doubt that advanced civilizations are common, though for other reasons than the argument above. One weakness I see in it is that there could be a big tradeoff between how fast a civilization could expand versus how much "control" it could really exert at distances of thousands of light years. It wouldn't do for a far-flung civilization to break up into many warring factions, for instance. With slower growth might well come greater wisdom and greater security for the individuals. Also I think that the galaxy, even in relatively small volumes of space, would in many cases furnish ample resources to support a civilization for a very long time, which would lessen the urgency of expansion, possibly to a near-vanishing point. Mike Perry Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21645