Self-Replicating Robots and Galactic Domination | Space Time | PBS Digital Studios
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To check out any of the lectures available from Great Courses Plus go to http://ow.ly/dweH302dILJ We’ll soon be capable of building self-replicating robots. This will not only change humanity’s future but reshape the galaxy as we know it. Get your own Space Time tshirt at http://bit.ly/1QlzoBi Tweet at us! @pbsspacetime Facebook: facebook.com/pbsspacetime Email us! pbsspacetime [at] gmail [dot] com Comment on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/pbsspacetime Support us on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime Help translate our videos! http://www.youtube.com/timedtext_cs_panel?tab=2&c=UC7_gcs09iThXybpVgjHZ_7g Previous Episode - Is there a 5th Fundamental Force https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuvwcsfXIIo Should we Build a Dyson Sphere? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW55cViXu6s Self-assembling robots are referred to as von Neumann machines after the man responsible for originally proposing them, John von Neumann. Since then, the potential of these machines and their ability to proliferate throughout known space has made galactic colonization seem not only possible but perhaps inevitable. Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com) References: von Neumann, John The Theory of Self-reproducing Automata, Urbana, IL: Univ. of Illinois Press. ed. A. Burks, 1966 Robert A. Freitas Jr., Ralph C. Merkle, Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX, 2004; http://www.MolecularAssembler.com/KSRM.htm Robo3D R1 printing an upgrade for itself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e_Bfo1fD3o
Comments
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I've always thought that perhaps the reason we see no alien life around here is because the universe is so vast that our solar system is like a single ant colony living on a remote island away from all civilisation. Perhaps there are locations in the universe where there are multiple alien life forms that have already established contact to each other but none come over to our remote, desolate boring part of the universe.
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great videos +sub
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Or option C, we are in a simulation that we are completely alone in. To possibly see what impact that would have or to see what our unencumbered expansion through the universe would be.
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but what if they mutate into aggressive space-aliens and come back to exterminate us?
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so.... effectively a mechanical VIRUS ??? - spreads and turns everything into (factories to make) more of itself... ? ... Sounds great XD
Wouldn't it be fun, if it terraformed all plants it touched? ... You know, maybe many with other life forms, without proper 'immune system' against this 'virus'? - I'm sure they would love it if they got turned into more of our machines. XD ... -
7:28 Tens of billions of plants with that particular condition? Man, I forget out big this shit is when I see too many pictures...
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What if WE are the most advanced civilization of our galaxy?
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is life as we know it a vn probe of sorts?
it is nano scaled to enable space travel across the depths of space.
hitching a ride on comets etc..
then finds a suitable resource (earth) to develop itself back up to a level where it can devise a way to send itself back out into the void and further explore.
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If these self replicating robots are designed, i think they will be used on mars and only planets that will benefit us.
Because sending them into space with no profit for us. Maybe people have build them but only in their livable area. -
well the universe is only 6000 years old so that's why we haven't seen any....hehe..just kidding. but seriously dinosaurs were on our planet for hundreds millions of years and maybe the "aliens" were here then and see that our planet is primitive and went on to more viable solar systems. who knows....love your show though...
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There is a scenario where this is NOT a good thing. See Stargate: Atlantis, the replicators.
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If we (and the universe we perceive) are indeed real and not a computer simulation itself, then there are two general hypothetical types of technological capable intelligent life forms that can evolve: benign and hostile. We haven't evolved yet to the point where it's clear which we are. The former will survive by it's nature more often than the latter, but the latter would be more successful once a singular conquering society was established. VNM probes would likely follow these two societal mindsets: The former VNM probes would be benign, possibly covert, and possibly protective of any worlds they visit that have some type of evolving life whereas the latter would seek to eliminate (or enslave) any evolving life forms to serve the society's conquest goal.Timing of the VNM probes, the evolution of technologically capable intelligent life are also fairly coincidental. There's only been technological intelligent life on this planet for a second, in geological time, the chances of having intelligent life coincidence with a VNM probe visit, very remoteThere could be a very low profile war in the galaxy that is purposefully "difficult to detect", and we've only been looking for the tiniest snapshot of time.All the reports of UFO's over the decades - could they all be crazy? Maybe some are VNM probes? Fermi's Paradox answers itself if we look at it long enough. There is no paradox, only our inability to accept the answer's that are presented to us.
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What are the probabilities of other planet having mammalian evolution superseded reptilian evolution ? On this planet reptiles never developed a cooperative society even thought they have been here longer than mammals . Could reptile/avian evolve into a technological society ? I assume than all other planets that evolved would have reptiles as the primary land species .
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Your universities do not offer courses on interstellar ethics or ideological intrinics. So hearing a person asking why their system isn't infested with drones is like getting a kick to the liver.
1). Your system has been fully charted millions and millions of times. Each space-faring society in your galaxy use stars like interstate signs. You are known.
2). There are cosmic drones in your house and in your blood. They are quantum scale.
You ask; but, why so neat and covert? Why such a contrived effort to keep space looking sanitized? You know nothing about the ethics or ideologies of galactic imperialists. I can't answer this type of question because my deductive reasoning probably wouldn't even be able to simplify it enough for you.
R278G -
Awesome video as always
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Hmm, first time I experience the 'auto-unsubb' done by Youtube. Odd given that I watch this channel whenever possible
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I say super ai has something to do with why we dont see vp's (von Neumann probes). If the timing of this sort of tech typically coincides with some form of engineered self-recursive superintelligence (ie, what we're close to doing) then things beyond our wildest immagination might be coming into play.
Perhaps when civs hit the point of the intilligence explosion, they typically dissapear from this universe into another universe or universes they've engineered and optimised for their own purposes. Perhaps our universe is dull (despite knowing its capable of producing intelligent life) compared to whats possible when you're really clever and can make and exist in your own universes (which are literally separate from ours). It makes sense to not find much evidence of intelligent life in this universe if its possible to create other more opimised universes and live in them outside ours. This doesnt competely solve the Fermi paradox because even if they leave, why not keep an eye on this universe and influence it if u want? I think vp's are probably right under our nose but we dont recognise them. Perhaps theyre sub-atomic? Perhaps they operate outside this universe (at least as we know it) untill they want to interact with things in this universe? Perhaps life on earth was seeded by vp's. Perhaps vp's or some form of outside intelligence is influencing us now? -
An extraterrestrial civilization could be both responsible
and logic enaph for not building this thinks
It could
also be a universal low against it
And all of
this probes could also be exterminated -
I just had a stoner thought: what if we are one of those species that decided interstellar travel was too hard and made a virtual reality for itself? We created a simulated galaxy in which we were the only inhabitants, set ourselves at stone-age technology levels, and are now enjoying working our way to colonizing a fantasy galaxy because we never could in real life. To make the simulation as real as possible, our memories of the real universe are blocked.
Seriously though, I suspect intelligent life is rare in the universe.
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