Hawking warns Aliens will colonize earth

[Thorvir]

12 hours ago, Brok said:

Or you people could stop spamming these threads with failed attempts at comedy and snark and start actually discussing the subject, given that that's what these threads exist for. Or simply not post if you don't have anything worthy to contribute.

Failed attempts.  You just lack a sense of humor.  And you seem to miss the irony of this post I quoted...lemme help you:

Or simply not post if you don't have anything worthy to contribute.

....you mean like what you just posted?

Well done, I'm golf-clapping for you right now.

[Thorvir]

12 hours ago, Brok said:

It just gets boring reading these annoying attempts at smartassery all the time.

Ah, then, DON'T READ IT.

12 hours ago, Brok said:

At least make sure that your attempts at comedy are actually funny, otherwise they come off as pointless spam.

This is a thread about Hawking's thoughts on the possible consequences of contacting aliens. Of course it is about speculation. If you don't feel like speculating or sharing your thoughts on Hawking's opinion, then why are you here?

There, some more comedy.

[highdesert50]

We have, for decades, announced our presence through our radio and television propagation. It's already done. What an alien intelligence would no doubt determine is that we are an extremely violent civilization marked by tragic wars based on fear, aberrant egos and imaginary boundaries in the soil. Further they would determine we actually celebrate violence based on our television programming of crime drama and the like. At best, we are to be avoided. At worst, aliens can wait a bit longer to claim the planet. They have likely extrapolated a probable timeline. We will immolate ourselves through overpopulation and gross insensitivity to the environment in a cosmic fraction of a moment.

[Habitat]

1 minute ago, highdesert50 said:

We have, for decades, announced our presence through our radio and television propagation. It's already done. What an alien intelligence would no doubt determine is that we are an extremely violent civilization marked by tragic wars based on fear, aberrant egos and imaginary boundaries in the soil. Further they would determine we actually celebrate violence based on our television programming of crime drama and the like. At best, we are to be avoided. At worst, aliens can wait a bit longer to claim the planet. They have likely extrapolated a probable timeline. We will immolate ourselves through overpopulation and gross insensitivity to the environment in a cosmic fraction of a moment.

That radio noise has not travelled far in galactic terms, only a tiny percentage of the Milky Way.

[unconventional]

10 hours ago, Frank Merton said:

That is much as I see things, although I tend to suspect that if they are out there they have better things to do than travel across the vast emptinesses of space (inner travel or virtual lives or something).  I figure probably they aren't even out there, at least within a distance that makes it reasonable to think we would ever encounter them.

That an intelligent, surviving, species would travel all the way to us just to destroy us seems ridiculous, although I suppose we must keep an open mind when it comes to possible alien mentalities.

The reason it is generally assumed that any culture we encounter will be more advanced than us is that it is they who are coming here; it will be quite awhile before we are to the level where we might go there.

Exactly! I'll keep an open mind but I'm not expecting any invasions anytime soon.

[StarMountainKid]

Or, a highly evolved intellectual species may have become artificial or synthetic intelligence's, and may not be in the least interested in mere biological scum like us. What would motivate them? They may have a complete understanding of the mechanics of the universe, including themselves. What do you do when you have gained all knowledge?

An interesting question to consider.

 

 

[Black Monk]

Quote

I have trouble understanding how a species that can voyage from one point in space to another, as if it's a weekend trip. Would need anything from us. Let alone bother to invade.

I bet the primitive savages around the world once said a similar thing about highly advanced peoples from elsewhere - and then the British turned up.

Edited September 25, 2016 by Black Monk

[psyche101]

On 9/25/2016 at 1:53 AM, Brok said:

This thread is a prime example of why about 95% of threads in these forums are garbage. Nearly everyone here thinks they're an oh so hilarious comedian

With all due respect, have a look at post #13 - this is old news. Been doing the round for at least 6 years, and all because of a few zealous journalists who find misinterpreting his line every six months or so sells  a few more papers, every one seems to want to hear news about doom and gloom.

It never was a story, it is an old line that has been presented badly in order to sell papers. As I said, Journalists are stupid, and they can rehash the same crap over and gain and sell it. Perhaps the problem is that people keep buying the same tripe. 

Stephen Hawking mentioned that he pressed F5 on his keyboard the other day, he said he felt "refreshed". 

Edited September 25, 2016 by psyche101

[+Nuclear Wessel]

31 minutes ago, psyche101 said:

Stephen Hawking mentioned that he pressed F5 on his keyboard the other day, he said he felt "refreshed". 

LOL!

[Frank Merton]

8 hours ago, StarMountainKid said:

Or, a highly evolved intellectual species may have become artificial or synthetic intelligence's, and may not be in the least interested in mere biological scum like us. What would motivate them? They may have a complete understanding of the mechanics of the universe, including themselves. What do you do when you have gained all knowledge?

An interesting question to consider.

 

 

This assumes the neurological problem of what sentience might be is solved, and then what intelligence might be.  I think we can duplicate many of the aspects of intelligence in machines, but have no clue how to reproduce sentience.

I tend to assume sentience will never be duplicated in machines but of course it is possible in the sense that anything is possible, but since we have no notion even now of how to do it, it seems unlikely.  If that is so then our advancing machines will be more of a union than a replacement (we will use machines more and more to supplement and enhance our own minds).

[Frank Merton]

6 hours ago, Black Monk said:

I bet the primitive savages around the world once said a similar thing about highly advanced peoples from elsewhere - and then the British turned up.

I find your analogy unconvincing.  There are too many differences.

[Frank Merton]

11 hours ago, highdesert50 said:

We have, for decades, announced our presence through our radio and television propagation. It's already done. What an alien intelligence would no doubt determine is that we are an extremely violent civilization marked by tragic wars based on fear, aberrant egos and imaginary boundaries in the soil. Further they would determine we actually celebrate violence based on our television programming of crime drama and the like. At best, we are to be avoided. At worst, aliens can wait a bit longer to claim the planet. They have likely extrapolated a probable timeline. We will immolate ourselves through overpopulation and gross insensitivity to the environment in a cosmic fraction of a moment.

As Habitat said, the radio noise is crawling out there at light speed and will take millions of years to get anywhere.  Besides, even now it is so attenuated (reverse square law) that it would take dedicated equipment aimed specially at us to detect it.

I don't see a bleak future for mankind.  Overpopulation is correcting itself (birth rates are dropping) and the danger of pollution is also diminishing.  We might conceivably set off a runaway greenhouse effect and thereby immolate ourselves, but this too seems unlikely in the extreme.  (Not that global warming doesn't need aggressive attention).

[StarMountainKid]

36 minutes ago, Frank Merton said:

This assumes the neurological problem of what sentience might be is solved, and then what intelligence might be.  I think we can duplicate many of the aspects of intelligence in machines, but have no clue how to reproduce sentience.

I tend to assume sentience will never be duplicated in machines but of course it is possible in the sense that anything is possible, but since we have no notion even now of how to do it, it seems unlikely.  If that is so then our advancing machines will be more of a union than a replacement (we will use machines more and more to supplement and enhance our own minds).

I'm wondering how sentience evolved to the degree it now occupies in the human mind. Perhaps it could evolve in a similar way in synthetic minds. An intelligent, conscious self-aware artificial mind may may be sentient by this definition. On the other hand, it may just be a mechanical mind without being sentient. But I think self-awareness may lead this kind of mind to experience subjective consciousness.

Of course, consciousness itself is wrapped up in all of this. Is intelligent self-awareness consciousness? I'd be more afraid of mindless machines coming to Earth than sentient synthetic minds.  

[XenoFish]

Perhaps alien life of an advanced level would be a hybrid, organic machines. A living, conscious being with a mechanical body. One that perhaps through some advanced science was grown for them. Maybe they've cloned themselves along with genetic engineering to create a form that is capable of handling deep space travel. Perhaps any 'alien' visitors might be a version of humanity from the future. One that's 10% more evolved than ourselves.

[Habitat]

17 minutes ago, StarMountainKid said:

I'm wondering how sentience evolved to the degree it now occupies in the human mind. Perhaps it could evolve in a similar way in synthetic minds. An intelligent, conscious self-aware artificial mind may may be sentient by this definition. On the other hand, it may just be a mechanical mind without being sentient. But I think self-awareness may lead this kind of mind to experience subjective consciousness.

Of course, consciousness itself is wrapped up in all of this. Is intelligent self-awareness consciousness? I'd be more afraid of mindless machines coming to Earth than sentient synthetic minds.  

Interesting thoughts. Maybe it would be necessary to program irrationality into these artificial intelligences, like a heightened sense of self-importance, just like we have ! Otherwise they might lose interest in galactic colonization projects. There has to be motive. I thought it interesting that science popularizer Brian Cox thought the seeming absence of Von Neumann machines "worrisome", and might be a clue that either "civilizations" advancing in that direction never make it that far, or we are the only one in the galaxy so far.

[jmccr8]

On 9/22/2016 at 8:36 PM, StarMountainKid said:

Some argue that an advanced civilization could only survive long-term by becoming a peaceful species. Sharks have survived for millions of years by being ruthless predators. I wonder which scenario leads to longevity of an intelligent race of Aliens.

Does a shark know that it is a predator? 

jmccr8

[Frank Merton]

1 hour ago, StarMountainKid said:

I'm wondering how sentience evolved to the degree it now occupies in the human mind. Perhaps it could evolve in a similar way in synthetic minds. An intelligent, conscious self-aware artificial mind may may be sentient by this definition. On the other hand, it may just be a mechanical mind without being sentient. But I think self-awareness may lead this kind of mind to experience subjective consciousness.

Of course, consciousness itself is wrapped up in all of this. Is intelligent self-awareness consciousness? I'd be more afraid of mindless machines coming to Earth than sentient synthetic minds.  

Sentience has been around since the dinosaurs, if not before, probably pretty much in fhe form we experience it.  Maybe it is something that just happens, but no computer has yet shown any sign of it.

Consciousness is of course more problematic, and does seem to be associated with intelligence (at least the intelligence to correctly interpret one's mirror image).  I find it ironic that although no computer shows signs of self-awareness either, we are able to duplicate many of the things we associate with intelligence (induction, deduction) with computers.

I don't know why there would be a difference between machines (not mindless in the scenario I see) and organisms (with minds).  By mindless I take it you mean following hard-wired programming, and I doubt such machines would be very effective when seriously removed from their programmers.

[StarMountainKid]

 

 

 

 

22 minutes ago, Frank Merton said:

Sentience has been around since the dinosaurs, if not before, probably pretty much in fhe form we experience it.  Maybe it is something that just happens, but no computer has yet shown any sign of it.

Consciousness is of course more problematic, and does seem to be associated with intelligence (at least the intelligence to correctly interpret one's mirror image).  I find it ironic that although no computer shows signs of self-awareness either, we are able to duplicate many of the things we associate with intelligence (induction, deduction) with computers.

I don't know why there would be a difference between machines (not mindless in the scenario I see) and organisms (with minds).  By mindless I take it you mean following hard-wired programming, and I doubt such machines would be very effective when seriously removed from their programmers.

A

philosophical zombie or p-zombie in the philosophy of mind and perception is a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from a normal human being except in that it lacks conscious experience, qualia, or sentience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie

If consciousness and sentience is impossible in a synthetic or AI mind, I suppose this would be the result. A mind programmed to some task, no matter how complex that task may be, given sufficient intelligence. These kinds of creatures could be constructed to be sent to Earth to ready it for the arrival of the actual sentient species.

 

 

[Drfeelgood11]

LMAO at post #66 Frank Merton...you speak of sentience??? You actually think and/or believe dinosaur's think subjectively? You must me mistaken. There is no rebuttal that would justify your last post

[Drfeelgood11]

LMAO at post #66 Frank Merton...you speak of sentience??? You actually think and/or believe dinosaur's think subjectively? You must me mistaken. There is no rebuttal that would justify your last post

[Habitat]

11 minutes ago, Drfeelgood11 said:

LMAO at post #66 Frank Merton...you speak of sentience??? You actually think and/or believe dinosaur's think subjectively? You must me mistaken. There is no rebuttal that would justify your last post

Not having been in the headspace of a dino, it is a little hard to say.

[Drfeelgood11]

Lol my exact point...I dont believe them to think either way.. dinosaur's just existed. I would bet that they didn't THINK AT ALL!

[+Hammerclaw]

Sentience:

1.the state or quality of being sentient.

2.sense perception not involving intelligence or mental perception; feeling.

You should nail down your definitions before disputing Frank Merton--he's a Harvard man.

[psyche101]

25 minutes ago, Drfeelgood11 said:

Lol my exact point...I dont believe them to think either way.. dinosaur's just existed. I would bet that they didn't THINK AT ALL!

Studies indicate they were good parents, and worked in groups, which would indicate just that.

LINK - After 2,500 Studies, It's Time to Declare Animal Sentience Proven (Op-Ed)

[Habitat]

1 minute ago, Hammerclaw said:

Sentience:

1.the state or quality of being sentient.

2.sense perception not involving intelligence or mental perception; feeling.

You should nail down your definitions before disputing Frank Merton--he's a Harvard man.

By those definitions dinosaurs would seem to qualify OK.