Grabby Alien Theory

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Everybody Wang Chung
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Grabby Alien Theory

Post by Everybody Wang Chung »

Lex Fridman has an interesting podcast with George Mason Professor Robin Hanson. Professor Hanson has an interesting theory called "Grabby Aliens" about where and when we will find alien civilizations. It's worth a listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBZP4rLk6bk

1:52 - Grabby aliens
39:36 - War and competition
45:10 - Global government
58:01 - Humanity's future
1:08:02 - Hello aliens
1:35:06 - UFO sightings
1:59:43 - Conspiracy theories
2:08:01 - Elephant in the brain
2:21:32 - Medicine
2:34:01 - Institutions
3:00:54 - Physics
3:05:46 - Artificial intelligence
3:23:35 - Economics
3:26:56 - Political science
3:32:45 - Advice for young people
3:41:36 - Darkest moments
3:44:37 - Love and loss
3:53:59 - Immortality
3:57:56 - Simulation hypothesis
4:08:13 - Meaning of life
"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."

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Gadianton
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Re: Grabby Alien Theory

Post by Gadianton »

I saw this guy on Koncrete (?) podcast a few months ago.

As far as speculative futurism and all that goes, despite the whole George Mason thing and his somewhat obnoxious childish over-optimism, he's about the only one doing the rounds that I agree with on just about everything and most of those doing the rounds I don't agree with on anything.

Not sure about the Grabby stuff, but most everything else.

His points about technological rot are really important. I can't remember what he calls it, but one of his main ideas is very close to what I think about in terms of parallel processing, and the high cost of centralized government. Having a secular world-order is good but probably won't work long term. He makes the point on Koncrete that you almost need backwards, repressed, and ignorant tribes like Mormons, and he specifically references Mormonism, to believe a load of nonsense and act irrationally to keep humans continuing. Unfortunately, I agree with him and on many points; he mirrors points I've considered independently. I should probably buy his book.

Interesting tidbit: his futurist email list is where apparently Nick Bostrom came up with his simulation hypothesis.
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