An Aquatic Ape I think the strongest 'circumstantial evidence' supporting a partial form of the (controversial) aquatic ape hypothesis * is something I don't think I've seen mentioned before: The simple fact that we find wet Homo sapiens sexually attractive. If you think about it, doesn't it seem a bit arbitrary? E.g. would gorillas find other wet gorillas sexy, or would rats find other wet rats sexy? How universal is this? If we consider the concept of sexual choice ** in evolution, then if our ancestors were once partially evolving "in that direction", then we might expect that they may have felt a mate choice preference for the entailed characteristics of a hypothetical "aquatic ape" (such as the 'wet look', as well as finding smooth, hairless skin comparatively more attractive, as we do). To consider this argument, look at a picture like the one above (or this , this , this , this , or this ) ... then (for...
Some thoughts on aging. Aging seems to me 'unnecessary'. Imagine all the benefits if we could cure aging, and have lifespans of over 1000 years. If we had 1000-year+ lifespans, journeys to other stars that may take e.g. 'hundreds' of years would suddenly seem reachable 'within a human lifespan'. I see curing aging as ultimately "just" a (big, complex) technological problem to solve. A big complex puzzle with lots of pieces, but a solvable puzzle. A very big, complex and difficult problem to solve (to be sure) - but I feel it must be solvable. Our bodies are ultimately just machines. Really complex machines. And solvable possibly potentially within most of our lifespans, if we try. Attitudes like "Oh, we are just meant to age" seem like confounders to progress toward solving these problems - we could solve it faster if more people dedicated attention to it instead of simply assuming it's unsolvable, or adopting irrational quasi-religious v...
I firmly believe in working towards a true Star Trek-like ‘post-scarcity utopia’—a society where food and housing production are maximally automated and distributed. Such advancements could potentially enable high levels of wealth and leisure for everyone. Imagine a world where scarcity is a concept of the past, and every individual has access to the resources they need to thrive. However, achieving such a utopia is no small feat. The system required to maintain this level of automation and abundance would be enormously complex, technologically speaking. It would depend heavily on a network of technologies (some complex and themselves dependent on complex networks, like semiconductor manufacturing), as well as on stable economic and political frameworks, all of which must function seamlessly together. The more intricate the system, the more potential points of failure it has, making it vulnerable to disruptions. Now, let's ponder some catastrophic scenarios. Imagine the Yellowston...
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