Dmytry comments on von Neumann probes and Dyson spheres: what exploratory engineering can tell us about the Fermi paradox - Less Wrong

13 Post author: Stuart_Armstrong 01 February 2012 01:50PM

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Comment author: Dmytry 01 February 2012 08:14:19PM *  3 points [-]

I think mutation rate would be subject to evolution as well. We can evolve to do more, or less DNA repair (and checks; up to acute radiation poisoning, cell self destruct is good enough).

Also, the effects of radioactivity are presumed linear. Extrapolating from high doses, the doses of up to 10x our natural background must have extremely minor effect on the mutation rate, vast majority of mutations arising due to other causes.

(The radiation releases in nuclear accidents are only a big deal because very huge number of people is exposed, resulting in massive dis-utility even if cancer rate increase is very minor)