The Pyratt: Episode 8 "Elon Musk & The Pyratt Save Planet Earth"

In this episode, the Pyratt teams up with Elon Musk to save the light of consciousness from going out in the universe.

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Beavers and Entropy: The Problem of Dams

Can humans measurably alter the physical characteristics and/or behavior of stars?*

If we cannot, we we will be doomed to becoming galactically nomadic for the rest of all time, moving from planet to planet, solar system, to solar system, with the attendant costs and dangers of forced migration—which, throughout history, has killed huge populations which were not moving through the dangerous vacuum of space, as stars inevitably die.

I would call for a new movement—not just to terraform the earth—but to terraform the stars.**

But first, we must ask, “What is the great sweep of civilization?” It is man’s control over his environment. The environment is changed—including the genetic makeup of animals and crops—to yield a more harmonious environment of greater utility to humanity.

Therefore, the ultimate technological achievement, in that view, is not spacefaring and/or colonization of the stars as an end unto itself, but instead, as a means to alter the chemistry and the physical characteristics of stars—just as we did with plants and with animals—to make them more amenable to the needs of humanity. The scale is different. The goal is the same.

If we agree that seemingly insurmountable problems yield to reason, then we must agree that all problems scale down to solvable sizes, with the increasing application of intelligence. In other words, as intelligence exponentially increases, the difficulty of problems tends to decrease to full solvability.

If I was forced to engage in intellectual conjecture, I would posit that the achievement of fusion, while spectacular in its scope and impact, will pale in comparison to its impact upon our ability to alter the physical characteristics of stars.

Here’s why:

As we know, the central problem of fusion is the control (through lasers, magnets, and/or heretofore unknown means) of plasma which is hotter than the sun.

Although it is exponentially more difficult to control the plasma of a star in the vacuum of space, rather than in an earthbound fusion reactor core, certain characteristics, such as heat, are actually far higher in a fusion plasma reaction, than on the surface of the sun.

Therefore, the problem of controlling plasma on the sun is one of scale—not one of technical possibility.

In addition, if we agree that it is silly to lose the collective investment of time, energy, capital, and countless human lives that the creation of civilization on earth has entailed, by having it destroyed as the sun becomes a red giant, we have no choice but to make the control of a star’s plasma in the vacuum of space our main civilizational priority—especially as billions of years pass***

Luckily, given estimates that the sun will become a red giant in billions of years, we have plenty of time to achieve mastery over the physical characteristics of stars.

Indeed, it is likely that power generated from fusion itself (or a further advance which proceeds from it) would power the magnetic, laser, and/or other heretofore unknown method which is used to contain, modify, and alter the physical characteristics of the sun and/or other stars.

Moreover, once we have the power to change the physical characteristics of the sun, then clearly technology ,would be sufficiently advanced to alter the orbit of the earth itself, leading to other intriguing possibilities.

The entire sweep of this discussion has greater implications than seemingly fanciful—yet completely inevitable—advances which will allow us to control the plasma in fusion reactions, and therefore, the plasma and the physical behavior of stars.

Currently, discussions of the inevitable entropy and cooling (or heat death) of the universe take a curious tone. Because of the almost infinite vastness of the universe in relation to the population of humans—and indeed—our almost infinitesimally small ability (at the present) to influence, the physical characteristics of the universe, discussions about the inevitable entropy and heat death of the universe have a curious quality of observation that defies the scientific method—and even self awareness of our own existence.

It would be as if a zoologist were studying rivers and streams, and observing dams, without accounting for the presence of beavers. If we agree that beavers, as the local intelligence in an ecosystem, are a force that counters entropy—creating order from disorder—then we must certainly agree that the application of human and/or self-replicating artificial/robotic intelligence will counter the force of entropy in the wider universe.****

It is also essential that we not make the elementary mistake of assuming that the relationship between current variables will remain constant. I use the term human in the most generous sense. As our technological abilities increase, the intelligence, lifespan, diligence, and creativity of humans will explode with the inevitable explosion of knowledge of effective genetic engineering.

Future humans will possess backwards compatibility to comprehend how ancient humans thought. However, they might find certain of our current thinking to be as painful to countenance as we might view that of sharks or jellyfish—which are somewhat wanton in their killing and injuries inflicted upon others.

Let us be clear: we must imagine that the least intelligent human born in 300 years (if not much sooner) will be many times more intelligent than the most intelligent human who has ever lived until now.

Combined with the intelligence of AI and the physical reach of robotics, it is clear that some, if not total control of the physical characteristics and/or behavior of stars will be inevitable in billions of years.

At this point in our discussion, it would be fashionable to engage in high-minded bromides and hand-wringing about the current state of affairs on the planet. Certainly, we can condemn border spats, tribalism of all stripes, negative-sum interactions of all kinds, and violence.

However, in seriousness (and in jest), we might adopt the unofficial motto of many military academies. At West Point, the official motto is “Duty, Honor, Country.” The unofficial motto is, “collaborate to graduate.”

Absent human intervention, that of the Almighty, and/or a heretofore unknown alien species saving us with the gift of a new technology, it is inevitable that the sun will turn into a red giant, consuming the planet in billions of years.

Necessity is a strict task master. I would suggest that “collaborate to graduate” will become a global ethos which will become more urgent with the passage of time.

Even the coordination required for the interception, destruction, or redirection of a dangerous asteroid will make global coordination among all nations an increasing priority.

Culturally, along with the increase in intelligence, this will create societal status and prestige rewards for individuals, groups, and even nations, which contribute the most to technology which increases planetary survival.

Elon Musk is right. We must protect the light of consciousness from going out in the universe. The method to achieving that end may be in using advances in technology and space travel to modify the physical characteristics of stars, rather than as an end unto itself.

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*Note: An alternative solution may be to use technology to create a shield around the earth using magnetic, laser, and/or other means to protect life on the planet. However, direct control of the behavior of physical characteristics of stars may be necessary.

**Freeman Dyson first posited the creation of Dyson spheres, or Dyson swarms, which advanced civilizations could use to collect energy from stars. However, energy collection is much easier than the direct control of the plasma and the physical behavior of stars which would prevent a star from becoming a red giant. Once control of plasma on the surface of a star is achieved, it might be possible to, if necessary, inject hydrogen and/or other elements into the star to influence its chemistry and behavior.

***The plasma of a red giant pushes outwards due to a combination of factors. As a star evolves into a red giant, the core contracts, and the outer layers expand significantly. This expansion is driven by increased pressure from hydrogen fusion in a shell surrounding the core and from the star's overall luminosity. Eventually, the outer layers are ejected, forming a planetary nebula.

****According to Wikipedia: “Negentropy is reverse entropy. It means things becoming more in order. Here 'order' means organization, structure, and function, the opposite of randomness or chaos.” Could the widespread conversion of matter to energy through fusion, and/or its successor technologies, lead to widespread negentropy throughout the universe, when accomplished through self replicating AI/robots which use it to sustain their power sources?