An Astrobiologist Asks a Sci-fi Novelist How to Survive the Anthropocene

Re:An Astrobiologist Asks a Sci-fi Novelist How to Survive t... by sampo on Saturday September 13, 2014 @11:13PM (#8314407)

> I'm very worried that there is a Great Filter[1], and that it is some sort of abuse/misuse/weaponization of biotech at, or just beyond, our current level of technology.

So you are very worried, that the Great Filter is in the somewhat near future of humankind.

But in the link you gave [1], the author personally thinks [2] that the Great Filter is probably in our past, in the evolution of higher life forms and intelligence.

[1] http://hanson.gmu.edu/greatfilter.html

[2] "I personally think that most of the Great Filter is most likely to be explained by the steps I think we understand the least about: the steps in the biological evolution of life and intelligence"

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Re:An Astrobiologist Asks a Sci-fi Novelist How to Survive t... by rbanffy on Sunday September 14, 2014 @08:57AM (#8315125)

Anthropocentric climate change can be our big filter. Don't underestimate it.

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Re:An Astrobiologist Asks a Sci-fi Novelist How to Survive t... by theworst on Sunday September 14, 2014 @12:51PM (#8315583)

While I agree with what you say, I think your tone is a bit hyperbolic. Your last sentence is Polonious-level "advice" that is as cliched as it is obvious. The real trick is to not over- or under-estimate AGW.

Bad things could happen if we over-estimate significant events, just as much as if we under-estimate.

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Re:An Astrobiologist Asks a Sci-fi Novelist How to Survive t... by sampo on Sunday September 14, 2014 @01:51PM (#8315757)

But the point of the article was, that there is some reasonable evidence that the Great Filter is in our past, so there is no particular need to postulate a necessity of more Filters into out future. Sure there can be more in the future, but they are not needed to explain the Fermi Paradox.

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