The Singularity Trap

by Dennis E. Taylor

“Some people,” Will replied, “when given a choice of caution or impetuousness, will always go for the latter. Some people will always try to show their bravery by juggling the dangerous vial in the air. Some people will always poke the unknown thingy with a finger. They’re not unlucky. They make decisions that are more likely to be dangerous.”

I’m suggesting that how the news breaks will affect how it’s received, and how the public reacts.”

The public in general is demanding that the government Do Something Right Now.

“So there actually is a Great Filter?” “Several, actually, doc. The first is environmental destruction. Regardless of the details, increasing industrialization always has negative effects on the environment. Species that fail to deal with it always poison or heat-death themselves into extinction. The second is nuclear war. Lots of species go down that way. The Uploads have found a ton of planets that are radioactive wastelands. Generally, they’re not usable for a long time, not even by the Uploads. The third is the Singularity, where the species builds an artificial intelligence that ends up supplanting them. Arts.”