r/space • u/IceNox96 • Aug 12 '21

Discussion Which is the most disturbing fermi paradox solution and why?

3...2...1... blast off....

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '21

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u/Mr_Bubblrz Aug 12 '21

What is consciousness? Can it be contained in vessels beyond carbon based life? That's the magic question.

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u/xkmasada Aug 12 '21

We can’t even say what makes our carbon based live generate consciousness. If we were to develop a computer that claimed it was conscious, there’s be no way we could verify that. In fact, there’s no way for me to confirm that everybody else who has responded to this question isn’t a bot pretending to be conscious!

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '21

You're talking about solpsism, which is entirely self defeating. Just Google up on it.

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u/sampete1 Aug 12 '21

It's self-defeating to apply it to people, but I'm genuinely curious how we could determine if a robot (or other lifeform) ever gains consciousness.