There are no Space Federations, Galactic Republics, nor Rebel Alliances. These ideas are not only fictions - they fail to accurately describe the true
nature of intelligence in our universe. As a result, I hate to say it, but Dr. Michio Kaku’s theory on Civilization Types 1-3 is fundamentally
wrong. Likewise SETI will fail to find highly advanced civilizations thriving anywhere in this universe.
Dr. Michio Kaku: 3 types of Extraterrestrial Civilizations
Before you judge my conclusion as heresy, please hear me out. There are indeed countless highly advanced communities existing ‘out there,’ however
the nature of their existence is far different than we assume.
The transition from a Type-Zero civilization to a Type-1 civilization will be the result of the inevitable culmination of infinite technological
progress referred to as a '
Singularity.’ Once the Singularity happens, infinite
growth is reached. Within a very short amount of time (as a result of this exponential growth), the entire physical universe will be saturated with
this new super-intelligence.
Intelligence will be more powerful than these impersonal forces (physics and cosmology). Once a planet yields a technology creating species
and that species creates computation (as has happened here on Earth), it is only a matter of a few centuries before its intelligence saturates the
matter and energy in its vicinity, and it begins to expand outward at the speed of light or greater. It will then overcome gravity (through exquisite
and vast technology) and other cosmological forces (or, to be fully accurate, will maneuver and control these forces) and create the Universe it
wants. This is the goal of the Singularity. –Ray Kurzweil
The Singularity scenario is so utterly explosive and powerful that the expansion of the growing intelligence will not only reach the speed of light,
but will overstep this boundary by inducing quantum mechanics and relying on entanglement to almost instantaneously convert all ‘dead’ matter to
conscious material.
Given the above scenario, one of two things await all successful species that reach this threshold of advancement.
The first is that this has already happened and the universe was long ago saturated with a previous post-singularity consciousness, and once we
reach a certain level of advancement we will be absorbed (or will force our way) into the collective universal mind. This would explain the connection
we feel with the universe – it is conscious, and it eagerly awaits our merger with it.
The second possibility is that all societies reaching Singularity gain the ability to actually
leave the 3-Dimensional universe. This
would explain why the visible universe is not already teeming with life. They've gone to higher (or simply
other) states of being.
Assuming we can actually guess what a super-intelligent race would do, it's likely post-singularity societies opt to leave this 'intelligence
breeding ground' (called the Cosmos) rather than taking on the mammoth task of colonizing it. It's possibly much simpler (and would require less
energy) to slide into a parallel reality.
It's my opinion that life's purpose is to evolve towards (or revert) to a god-like state, not to stagnate in a cooling cosmos where entropy reigns
supreme. Intelligence fights entropy by building upon itself and creating new states of connectedness, which is actually opposite to what the rest of
the physical universe has been doing for billions of years (expanding, cooling…dissolving).
Perhaps this is why we're all stuck here wondering where everybody is - they're all far, far away (or possibly only inches away - in another
reality), but they're there.
We're actually in a cosmic womb right now, waiting to be born. This perspective inevitably leads one to believe
that there is
no intergalactic community, only scattered eggs of intelligence hatching throughout the universe, awaiting transcendence towards
new states of being.
M-Theory allows many levels of existence. Quantum Theory allows many possible realities/timelines to coexist. Imagine if there was indeed any level of
truth in either theory - then imagine merely choosing to remain within one's dimension of origin. Our assumption that all advanced intelligences
choose to reside in (or cannot escape from) 3-dimensional space is flawed. A truly intelligent race would move on, as we will also more than likely do
sometime this century.
So I say, forget about Type-2 and Type-3 Civilizations. The jump from Type-Zero to Type-1 will supersede all subsequent transition phases leading to
the exploration (and possible creation) of countless other realms. I agree, it’s quite entertaining to think that a Star Trek future is really where
we’re all headed, but wouldn’t you agree that this hypothesis is no less magnificent?
[edit on 26/5/09 by Evasius]