The Star Trek Hypothesis Part 2
A while ago I posted this:
"It is interesting that on Star Trek, most every race encountered seems to be bipedal, human shaped, and generally very similar in both ability and intelligence.
My idea is that it is possible the level of intelligence does not vary greatly between advanced beings, though size and shape will vary widely. Then again...
Following the model of evolution on earth, we know a few things to be true. The first is that intelligence only comes about when there is an evolutionary benefit: increasing survival and the size of the next generation.
The second, and vital question, is at what point does evolution stop? And I believe that to be directly tied to the notion of a self-aware individual, no longer following instincts. It is of course more complex than that, level of support for all individuals must be relatively similar regardless of intelligence etc, but this is something which came about hundreds if not thousands of years ago for humans. At that point, there is no greater likelihood that any given species will increase or decrease in intelligence, and thus it is possible that by reaching this threshold point, all intelligent and self-aware beings are roughly equivalent in their understanding.
But my second thought is this: while the species overall has stagnated its need to evolve higher intelligence, higher intelligence will continue to develop. This is because intelligent individuals are drawn to other intelligent individuals, on average. And dont get all up in arms about this, because its exactly why we are not still monkeys or mice for that matter. In 1, 10, or even 100 generations of course this will not matter much. But over the long term, there will be a spreading of the human race, basically the band from highest to lowest expanding by the highest expanding upwards."
But I believe that I was right only in so far as the species stagnates at the point where intelligence is no longer a determinant in the number of children you can have: the success of the entire species means that each individual is protected under an umbrella of sorts.
What I ignored is the artificial progression of intelligence. In the near future, we will be able to enhance brain function through chemical means -- new drugs are coming to market which are designed to improve brain function. Their targets are technically those who are disabled through impaired brain function, but they work by improving the brain, not repairing it. The time it will take for a black market for these drugs to develop will be measured in months, not years. Beyond that, technology will eventually allow enhanced mental functioning - beginning with life recorder/recall systems giving artificial perfect memory, and reality enhancement giving you "mouse over" information for anything and everything you look at or hear.
Thus, any other race we come across would have likely stopped evolving at a similar time to when we did, but then would continue to to evolve through artificial means.
The period of time between these two events I would guess to always be the most dangerous for a race, as technology especially for destruction develops.
"It is interesting that on Star Trek, most every race encountered seems to be bipedal, human shaped, and generally very similar in both ability and intelligence.
My idea is that it is possible the level of intelligence does not vary greatly between advanced beings, though size and shape will vary widely. Then again...
Following the model of evolution on earth, we know a few things to be true. The first is that intelligence only comes about when there is an evolutionary benefit: increasing survival and the size of the next generation.
The second, and vital question, is at what point does evolution stop? And I believe that to be directly tied to the notion of a self-aware individual, no longer following instincts. It is of course more complex than that, level of support for all individuals must be relatively similar regardless of intelligence etc, but this is something which came about hundreds if not thousands of years ago for humans. At that point, there is no greater likelihood that any given species will increase or decrease in intelligence, and thus it is possible that by reaching this threshold point, all intelligent and self-aware beings are roughly equivalent in their understanding.
But my second thought is this: while the species overall has stagnated its need to evolve higher intelligence, higher intelligence will continue to develop. This is because intelligent individuals are drawn to other intelligent individuals, on average. And dont get all up in arms about this, because its exactly why we are not still monkeys or mice for that matter. In 1, 10, or even 100 generations of course this will not matter much. But over the long term, there will be a spreading of the human race, basically the band from highest to lowest expanding by the highest expanding upwards."
But I believe that I was right only in so far as the species stagnates at the point where intelligence is no longer a determinant in the number of children you can have: the success of the entire species means that each individual is protected under an umbrella of sorts.
What I ignored is the artificial progression of intelligence. In the near future, we will be able to enhance brain function through chemical means -- new drugs are coming to market which are designed to improve brain function. Their targets are technically those who are disabled through impaired brain function, but they work by improving the brain, not repairing it. The time it will take for a black market for these drugs to develop will be measured in months, not years. Beyond that, technology will eventually allow enhanced mental functioning - beginning with life recorder/recall systems giving artificial perfect memory, and reality enhancement giving you "mouse over" information for anything and everything you look at or hear.
Thus, any other race we come across would have likely stopped evolving at a similar time to when we did, but then would continue to to evolve through artificial means.
The period of time between these two events I would guess to always be the most dangerous for a race, as technology especially for destruction develops.
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