The Great Filter theory tries to explain why there is no evidence of extraterrestrials. Advanced civilizations reach a point where wiping themselves out is unavoidable.
“Perhaps the most likely type of existential risks that could constitute a
Great Filter are those that arise from technological discovery. It is not farfetched to
suppose that there might be some possible technology which is such that (a) virtually all
sufficiently advanced civilizations eventually discover it and (b) its discovery leads
almost universally to existential disaster”
http://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf
[ The Great Filter theory tries to explain why there is no evidence of extraterrestrials. Advanced civilizations reach a point where wiping themselves out is unavoidable.
“Perhaps the most likely type of existential risks that could constitute a
Great Filter are those that arise from technological discovery. It is not farfetched to
suppose that there might be some possible technology which is such that (a) virtually all
sufficiently advanced civilizations eventually discover it and (b) its discovery leads
almost universally to existential disaster”
http://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf ]
Agreed, especially in cases where the ETs create one world governments and their rule is complete. Compartmentalising the species is actually a good idea, it creates a scenario where if one country goes all looney tunes the others have a good chance of surviving it.
This is one of my fundemental arguments against Globalisation. If you have one large planetary state you end up with pandemics running wild, where if you have seprate countries they can effectively quarantinme themselves if they are already somewhat isolated.
Also different countries will have different survival strategies for surviving SHTF events, and a diversity of survival plans is a good thing.
The people who want Global governence are those who don’t care about the eventual survival of the species.
Many here on FreeRepublic lampoon or outright ridicule Stephen Hawking’s demand we get off this rock, but he is absolutely 100% correct.
If we don’t, some idiot will end it all on the rock, and there will be none or too small a population of us out in space to continue the race.
I can’t wait until we have long range space travel capability. I will be one of the first coach class ticket purchasers.
It’s just getting too weird around here, in terms of the level of technology vs. the mindset of those controlling it.
Interestingly, I am OK with nuclear weapons, but that’s because they still have limited effects, and the pollution can be worked around. Not so with a virus. You can only hope and pray either that you have natural immunity, and you’re not the only one with that genetic code around, or that we master genetic manipulation quickly under the gun of mass extinction and learn how to add resistance to our own DNA.
Personally speaking, dying of flu cannot be fun. It is already deadly enough as is, with the only reason we don’t die from it now is that we have a decent healthcare system in place if we can’t turn it around on OTC meds. Wait until the hospitals are clogged, die-off will dramatically increase.