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Fermi paradox of human past, and corresponding x-risks

6 turchin 01 October 2016 05:01PM

Based on known archaeological data, we are the first technological and symbol-using civilisation on Earth (but not the first tool-using species). 
This leads to an analogy that fits Fermi’s paradox: Why are we the first civilisation on Earth? For example, flight was invented by evolution independently several times. 
We could imagine that on our planet, many civilisations appeared and also became extinct, and based on mediocre principles, we should be somewhere in the middle. For example, if 10 civilisations appeared, we have only a 10 per cent chance of being the first one.

The fact that we are the first such civilisation has strong predictive power about our expected future: it lowers the probability that there will be any other civilisations on Earth, including non-humans or even a restarting of human civilisation from scratch. It is because, if there will be many civiizations, we should not find ourselves to be the first one (It is some form of Doomsday argument, the same logic is used in Bostrom's article “Adam and Eve”).

If we are the only civilisation to exist in the history of the Earth, then we will probably become extinct not in mild way, but rather in a way which will prevent any other civilisation from appearing. There is higher probability of future (man-made) catastrophes which will not only end human civilisation, but also prevent any existence of any other civilisations on Earth.

Such catastrophes would kill most multicellular life. Nuclear war or pandemic is not that type of a catastrophe. The catastrophe must be really huge: such as irreversible global warming, grey goo or black hole in a collider.

Now, I will list possible explanations of the Fermi paradox of human past and corresponding x-risks implications:

 

1. We are the first civilisation on Earth, because we will prevent the existence of any future civilisations.

If our existence prevents other civilisations from appearing in the future, how could we do it? We will either become extinct in a very catastrophic way, killing all earthly life, or become a super-civilisation, which will prevent other species from becoming sapient. So, if we are really the first, then it means that "mild extinctions" are not typical for human style civilisations. Thus, pandemics, nuclear wars, devolutions and everything reversible are ruled out as main possible methods of human extinction.

If we become a super-civilisation, we will not be interested in preserving biosphera, as it will be able to create new sapient species. Or, it may be that we care about biosphere so strongly, that we will hide very well from new appearing sapient species. It will be like a cosmic zoo. It means that past civilisations on Earth may have existed, but decided to hide all traces of their existence from us, as it would help us to develop independently. So, the fact that we are the first raises the probability of a very large scale catastrophe in the future, like UFAI, or dangerous physical experiments, and reduces chances of mild x-risks such as pandemics or nuclear war. Another explanation is that any first civilisation exhausts all resources which are needed for a technological civilisation restart, such as oil, ores etc. But, in several million years most such resources will be filled again or replaced by new by tectonic movement.

 

2. We are not the first civilisation.

2.1. We didn't find any traces of a previous technological civilisation, yet based on what we know, there are very strong limitations for their existence. For example, every civilisation makes genetic marks, because it moves animals from one continent to another, just as humans brought dingos to Australia. It also must exhaust several important ores, create artefacts, and create new isotopes. We could be sure that we are the first tech civilisation on Earth in last 10 million years.

But, could we be sure for the past 100 million years? Maybe it was a very long time ago, like 60 million years ago (and killed dinosaurs). Carl Sagan argued that it could not have happened, because we should find traces mostly as exhausted oil reserves. The main counter argument here is that cephalisation, that is the evolutionary development of the brains, was not advanced enough 60 millions ago, to support general intelligence. Dinosaurian brains were very small. But, bird’s brains are more mass effective than mammalians. All these arguments in detail are presented in this excellent article by Brian Trent “Was there ever a dinosaurian civilisation”? 

The main x-risks here are that we will find dangerous artefacts from previous civilisation, such as weapons, nanobots, viruses, or AIs. And, if previous civilisations went extinct, it increases the chances that it is typical for civilisations to become extinct. It also means that there was some reason why an extinction occurred, and this killing force may be still active, and we could excavate it. If they existed recently, they were probably hominids, and if they were killed by a virus, it may also affect humans.

2.2. We killed them. Maya civilisation created writing independently, but Spaniards destroy their civilisation. The same is true for Neanderthals and Homo Florentines.

2.3. Myths about gods may be signs of such previous civilisation. Highly improbable.

2.4. They are still here, but they try not to intervene in human history. So, it is similar to Fermi’s Zoo solution.

2.5. They were a non-tech civilisation, and that is why we can’t find their remnants.

2.6 They may be still here, like dolphins and ants, but their intelligence is non-human and they don’t create tech.

2.7 Some groups of humans created advanced tech long before now, but prefer to hide it. Highly improbable as most tech requires large manufacturing and market.

2.8 Previous humanoid civilisation was killed by virus or prion, and our archaeological research could bring it back to life. One hypothesis of Neanderthal extinction is prionic infection because of cannibalism. The fact is - several hominid species went extinct in the last several million years.

 

3. Civilisations are rare

Millions of species existed on Earth, but only one was able to create technology. So, it is a rare event.Consequences: cyclic civilisations on earth are improbable. So the chances that we will be resurrected by another civilisation on Earth is small.

The chances that we will be able to reconstruct civilisation after a large scale catastrophe, are also small (as such catastrophes are atypical for civilisations and they quickly proceed to total annihilation or singularity).

It also means that technological intelligence is a difficult step in the evolutionary process, so it could be one of the solutions of the main Fermi paradox.

Safety of remains of previous civilisations (if any exist) depends on two things: the time distance from them and their level of intelligence. The greater the distance, the safer they are (as the biggest part of dangerous technology will be destructed by time or will not be dangerous to humans, like species specific viruses).

The risks also depend on the level of intelligence they reached: the higher intelligence the riskier. If anything like their remnants are ever found, strong caution is recommend.

For example, the most dangerous scenario for us will be one similar to the beginning of the book of V. Vinge “A Fire upon the deep.” We could find remnants of a very old, but very sophisticated civilisation, which will include unfriendly AI or its description, or hostile nanobots.

The most likely place for such artefacts to be preserved is on the Moon, in some cavities near the pole. It is the most stable and radiation shielded place near Earth.

I think that based on (no) evidence, estimation of the probability of past tech civilisation should be less than 1 per cent. While it is enough to think that they most likely don’t exist, it is not enough to completely ignore risk of their artefacts, which anyway is less than 0.1 per cent.

Meta: the main idea for this post came to me in a night dream, several years ago.

The map of double scenarios of a global catastrophe

5 turchin 05 December 2015 01:36PM

Double scenarios of a global catastrophe.
Download pdf here:
http://immortality-roadmap.com/doublecat.pdf

A map: Causal structure of a global catastrophe

4 turchin 21 November 2015 04:07PM

Simulations Map: what is the most probable type of the simulation in which we live?

5 turchin 11 October 2015 05:10AM

There is a chance that we may be living in a computer simulation created by an AI or a future super-civilization. The goal of the simulations map is to depict an overview of all possible simulations. It will help us to estimate the distribution of other multiple simulations inside it along with their measure and probability. This will help us to estimate the probability that we are in a simulation and – if we are – the kind of simulation it is and how it could end.

Simulation argument

The simulation map is based on Bostrom’s simulation argument. Bostrom showed that that “at least one of the following propositions is true:

(1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage;

(2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof);

(3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation”. http://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.html

The third proposition is the strongest one, because (1) requires that not only human civilization but almost all other technological civilizations should go extinct before they can begin simulations, because non-human civilizations could model human ones and vice versa. This makes (1) extremely strong universal conjecture and therefore very unlikely to be true. It requires that all possible civilizations will kill themselves before they create AI, but we can hardly even imagine such a universal course. If destruction is down to dangerous physical experiments, some civilizations may live in universes with different physics; if it is down to bioweapons, some civilizations would have enough control to prevent them.

In the same way, (2) requires that all super-civilizations with AI will refrain from creating simulations, which is unlikely.

Feasibly there could be some kind of universal physical law against the creation of simulations, but such a law is impossible, because some kinds of simulations already exist, for example human dreaming. During human dreaming very precise simulations of the real world are created (which can’t be distinguished from the real world from within – that is why lucid dreams are so rare). So, we could conclude that after small genetic manipulations it is possible to create a brain that will be 10 times more capable of creating dreams than an ordinary human brain. Such a brain could be used for the creation of simulations and strong AI surely will find more effective ways of doing it. So simulations are technically possible (and qualia is no problem for them as we have qualia in dreams).

Any future strong AI (regardless of whether it is FAI or UFAI) should run at least several million simulations in order to solve the Fermi paradox and to calculate the probability of the appearance of other AIs on other planets, and their possible and most typical goal systems. AI needs this in order to calculate the probability of meeting other AIs in the Universe and the possible consequences of such meetings.

As a result a priory estimation of me being in a simulation is very high, possibly 1000000 to 1. The best chance of lowering this estimation is to find some flaws in the argument, and possible flaws are discussed below.

Most abundant classes of simulations

If we live in a simulation, we are going to be interested in knowing the kind of simulation it is. Probably we belong to the most abundant class of simulations, and to find it we need a map of all possible simulations; an attempt to create one is presented here. 

There are two main reasons for simulation domination: goal and price. Some goals require the creation of very large number of simulations, so such simulations will dominate. Also cheaper and simpler simulations are more likely to be abundant.

Eitan_Zohar suggested http://lesswrong.com/r/discussion/lw/mh6/you_are_mostly_a_simulation/  that FAI will deliberately create an almost infinite number of simulations in order to dominate the total landscape and to ensure that most people will find themselves inside FAI controlled simulations, which will be better for them as in such simulations unbearable suffering can be excluded. (If in the infinite world an almost infinite number of FAIs exist, each of them could not change the landscape of simulation distribution, because its share in all simulations would be infinitely small. So we need a casual trade between an infinite number of FAIs to really change the proportion of simulations. I can't say that it is impossible, but it may be difficult.)

Another possible largest subset of simulations is the one created for leisure and for the education of some kind of high level beings.

The cheapest simulations are simple, low-resolution and me-simulations (one real actor, with the rest of the world around him like a backdrop), similar to human dreams. I assume here that simulations are distributed as the same power law as planets, cars and many other things: smaller and cheaper ones are more abundant.

Simulations could also be laid on one another in so-called Matryoshka simulations where one simulated civilization is simulating other civilizations. The lowest level of any Matryoshka system will be the most populated. If it is a Matryoshka simulation, which consists of historical simulations, the simulation levels in it will be in descending time order, for example the 24th century civilization models the 23rd century one, which in turn models the 22nd century one, which itself models the 21st century simulation. A simulation in a Matryoshka will end on the level where creation of the next level is impossible. The beginning of 21st century simulations will be the most abundant class in Matryoshka simulations (similar to our time period.)

Argument against simulation theory

There are several possible objections against the Simulation argument, but I find them not strong enough to do it. 

1.    Measure

The idea of measure was introduced to quantify the extent of the existence of something, mainly in quantum universe theories. While we don’t know how to actually measure “the measure”, the idea is based on intuition that different observers have different powers of existence, and as a result I could find myself to be one of them with a different probability. For example, if we have three functional copies of me, one of them is the real person, another is a hi-res simulation and the third one is low-res simulation, are my chances of being each of them equal (1/3)?

The «measure» concept is the most fragile element of all simulation arguments. It is based mostly on the idea that all copies have equal measure. But perhaps measure also depends on the energy of calculations. If we have a computer which is using 10 watts of energy to calculate an observer, it may be presented as two parallel computers which are using five watts each. These observers may be divided again until we reach the minimum amount of energy required for calculations, which could be called «Plank observer». In this case our initial 10 watt computer will be equal to – for example – one billion plank observers.

And here we see a great difference in the case of simulations, because simulation creators have to spend less energy on calculations (or it would be easier to make real world experiments). But in this case such simulations will have a lower measure. But if the total number of all simulations is large, then the total measure of all simulations will still be higher than the measure of real worlds. But if most real worlds end with global catastrophe, the result would be an even higher proportion of real worlds which could outweigh simulations after all.

2. Universal AI catastrophe

One possible universal global catastrophe could happen where a civilization develops an AI-overlord, but any AI will meet some kind of unresolvable math and philosophical problems which will terminate it at its early stages, before it can create many simulations. See an overview of this type of problem in my map “AI failures level”.

3. Universal ethics

Another idea is that all AIs converge to some kind of ethics and decision theory which prevent them from creating simulations, or they create p-zombie simulations only. I am skeptical about that.

4. Infinity problems

If everything possible exists or if the universe is infinite (which are equal statements) the proportion between two infinite sets is meaningless. We could overcome this conjecture using the idea of mathematical limit: if we take a bigger universe and longer periods of time, the simulations will be more and more abundant within them.

But in all cases, in the infinite universe any world exists an infinite number of times, and this means that my copies exist in real worlds an infinite number of times, regardless of whether I am in a simulation or not.

5. Non-uniform measure over Universe (actuality)

Contemporary physics is based on the idea that everything that exists, exists in equal sense, meaning that the Sun and very remote stars have the same measure of existence, even in casually separated regions of the universe. But if our region of space-time is somehow more real, it may change simulation distribution which will favor real worlds. 

6. Flux universe

The same copies of me exist in many different real and simulated worlds. In simple form it means that the notion that “I am in one specific world” is meaningless, but the distribution of different interpretations of the world is reflected in the probabilities of different events.

E.g. the higher the chances that I am in a simulation, the bigger the probability that I will experience some kind of miracles during my lifetime. (Many miracles almost prove that you are in simulation, like flying in dreams.) But here correlation is not causation.

The stronger version of the same principle implies that I am one in many different worlds, and I could manipulate the probability of finding myself in a set of possible worlds, basically by forgetting who I am and becoming equal to a larger set of observers. It may work without any new physics, it only requires changing the number of similar observers, and if such observers are Turing computer programs, they could manipulate their own numbers quite easily.

Higher levels of flux theory do require new physics or at least quantum mechanics in a many worlds interpretation. In it different interpretations of the world outside of the observer could interact with each other or experience some kind of interference.

See further discussion about a flux universe here: http://lesswrong.com/lw/mgd/the_consequences_of_dust_theory/

7. Bolzmann brains outweigh simulations

It may turn out that BBs outweigh both real worlds and simulations. This may not be a problem from a planning point of view because most BBs correspond to some real copies of me.

But if we take this approach to solve the BBs problem, we will have to use it in the simulation problem as well, meaning: "I am not in a simulation because for any simulation, there exists a real world with the same “me”. It is counterintuitive.

Simulation and global risks

Simulations may be switched off or may simulate worlds which are near global catastrophe. Such worlds may be of special interest for future AI because they help to model the Fermi paradox and they are good for use as games.

Miracles in simulations

The map also has blocks about types of simulation hosts, about many level simulations, plus ethics and miracles in simulations.

The main point about simulation is that it disturbs the random distribution of observers. In the real world I would find myself in mediocre situations, but simulations are more focused on special events and miracles (think about movies, dreams and novels). The more interesting my life is, the less chance that it is real.

If we are in simulation we should expect more global risks, strange events and miracles, so being in a simulation is changing our probability expectation of different occurrences.  

This map is parallel to the Doomsday argument map.

Estimations given in the map of the number of different types of simulation or required flops are more like place holders, and may be several orders of magnitude higher or lower.

I think that this map is rather preliminary and its main conclusions may be updated many times.

The pdf of the map is here, and jpg is below.

Previous posts with maps:

Digital Immortality Map

Doomsday Argument Map

AGI Safety Solutions Map

A map: AI failures modes and levels

A Roadmap: How to Survive the End of the Universe

A map: Typology of human extinction risks

Roadmap: Plan of Action to Prevent Human Extinction Risks

Immortality Roadmap



Roadmap: Plan of Action to Prevent Human Extinction Risks

13 turchin 01 June 2015 09:58AM

Let’s do an experiment in "reverse crowdfunding”. I will pay 50 USD to anyone who can suggest a new way of X-risk prevention that is not already mentioned in this roadmap. Post your ideas as a comment to this post.

Should more than one person have the same idea, the award will be made to the person who posted it first.

The idea must be endorsed by me and included in the roadmap in order to qualify, and it must be new, rational and consistent with modern scientific data.

I may include you as a co-author in the roadmap (if you agree).

The roadmap is distributed under an open license GNU.

Payment will be made by PayPal. The total amount of the prize fund is 500 USD (total 10 prizes).

The competition is open until the end of 2015.

The roadmap can be downloaded as a pdf from:

UPDATE: I uploaded new version of the map with changes marked in blue.

 http://immortality-roadmap.com/globriskeng.pdf

Email: alexei.turchin@gmail.com

 

Street action "Stop existential risks!", Union square, San Francisco, September 27, 2014 at 2:00 PM

-14 turchin 20 September 2014 02:08PM

Existential risks are the risks of human extinction. A global catastrophe will happen most likely because of the new technologies such as biotech, nanotech, and AI, along with several other risks: runaway global warming, and nuclear war. Sir Martin Rees estimates these risks to have a fifty percent probability in the 21st century.

We must raise the awareness of impending doom and make the first ever street action against the possibility of human extinction. Our efforts could help to prevent these global catastrophes from taking place. I suggest we meet in Union square, San Francisco, September 27, 2014 at 2:00 PM in order to make a short and intense photo session with the following slogans:

Stop Existential Risks!

No Human Extinction!

AI must be Friendly!

No Doomsday Weapons!

Ebola must die!

Prevent Global Catastrophe!

These slogans will be printed in advance, but more banners are welcome. I have previous experience with organizing actions for immortality and funding of life extension near Googleplex, the White house in DC, and Burning Man, and I know this street action, taking place on September 27th,  is both legal and a fun way to express our points of view.

Organized by Alexey Turchin and Longevity Party.

 

Update: Photos from the action.