Re: poly: polymath digest for 18 Jan 98

d.brin writes:
> Might there be lots of life worlds out there, but with flippered/tentacled
> philosophers who can't build radio telescopes, let alone starships?

I don't think we really have a means of knowing at the moment.

It is even difficult at the moment to know if dolphins have anything
like what we think of as sapience, let alone philosophy. Knowing what
non-technological life scattered throughout the universe might be like
is *really* difficult.

We do know this: life on earth managed to achieve very high levels of
sophistication and organization for aeons *without* developing
intelligences and physical appendages capable of technology. For all
we know, life elsewhere is prevalent but doesn't possess technological
civilization. That would be odd, but not entirely beyond our ability
to imagine.

Perry
Received on Mon Jan 19 19:14:35 1998