Previously, we talked about a Mature Type 3 civilization under the Civilizational Range
Model. If you haven’t seen the previous videos on this topic, do check them out, the
link is in the description below. Today, we will be exploring Zubrin’s version of a
possible Type 4 civilization. So, let’s dive right in, and look at some of its defining
characteristics!
For Zubrin, “In the history of the universe to date, all of its creations-hydrogen gas,
galaxies, first-generation stars, heavy elements, planets, and life-have each played a role
in determining and enabling the subsequent phase of development.” For example, gas
created galaxies, galaxies created first-generation stars, those stars then created the heavy
elements which led to the creation of planets. These planets then gave rise to life, and
life, ever advancing, created the mind. But the mind has yet to play its hand according
to Zubrin. The fact that Mind has not yet, at least in any large or apparent way, created
something else fundamentally new in the universe, or substantially affected its development,
suggests that it is still immature. So, although our own galaxy is filled with intelligence,
we all have yet to come together, connect, and organize our galactic club. Not only a
Galactic club, but an Intergalactic club needs to form between countless intelligent species
for something, perhaps extraordinary, to emerge. A Type 1 civilization has control over the
resources of its planet, Type 2 of its stellar system, and Type 3 of its galaxy. So, can
there be something greater, perhaps a Type 4 civilization that has mastery over the development
of its universe?
Well, if a Type 4 civilization is to have any hope of existing, the Minds of multiple
Type 3 civilizations must become connected on a galactic and intergalactic basis. Now,
there are some limits to how effectively this can be done as imposed by the current known
laws of physics. For instance, although light is extremely fast, it does have a finite limit.
Due to this, communication from the center to the edge of the Milky Way galaxy will take
at least 50, 000 years. This may sound like a lot of time, but in terms of the cosmic
time scale, it is just a blink of an eye. However, communication with our nearest galactic
neighbor, Andromeda, will take a million years, and with our furthest galactic neighbors,
over 10 billion years!
“But perhaps, if the knowledge and insights of millions of Type 3 civilizations within
our galaxy can be put together, something new will emerge. Perhaps, if so many pieces
of the puzzle can be joined, a deeper understanding of nature and its laws can be achieved, and
new powers over nature thereby attained.” So, what can a unified mind, or a Type 4 civilization
even accomplish?
Currently, we do not know much about physics. Our lack of knowledge or ignorance ranges
from the various properties of visible matter to the fundamental constants that govern the
magnitude of forces in our universe. The amount we have yet to learn is immense, and we could
use all the help we can get. For example, if we could find, or learn how to make negative
matter, which is different from antimatter, we could use it to negate the inertia of ordinary
matter and achieve Starflight at the speed of light. Not just this, a connected mind
of a Type 4 civilization can go way beyond according to Zubrin. He believes that with
the accumulated knowledge of the galaxy, a Type 4 civilization could not only bend or
change the laws of physics, but it can also design new universes with better laws according
to its needs!
In his book, The Life of The Cosmos, Penn State University physicist Lee Smolin speculates
on why the laws of the universe appear to be so finely tuned to favor the existence
of life. Based on these finely tuned physical constants of the universe, Smolin suggests
that universes are born within black holes, which are formed from stars, and that the
universes born within black holes have laws that are similar, but not identical, to those
of their parent stars. So, if the daughter universes have better laws for producing stars
and thus black holes, they will multiply faster than those that produce few or no stars. Therefore,
by a kind of natural selection, universes favoring stars, and thus life, would come
to predominate, and our own life-friendly universe, far from being an unlikely anomaly,
would be the odds-on-favorite.
Now, Smolin's theory can be regarded as very speculative, on any number of grounds. But
Zubrin speculates further since, for him, the true ultimate potential of a fully interlinked
Type 3 galactic civilization is unknowable at this time. So, it may be the case that
compared to any one of its component members, the whole is something entirely new. Similar
to how the body of an intelligent organism is not just an assembly of cells, but a phenomenon
of a higher order altogether. The mind may be immanent in the cell, but it is certainly
not predictable. So, if intelligence has evolved within a given universe, and it has linked
itself together and grown in potency and knowledge to the point where it understands the laws
of creation and is capable of using them, it may very well then seek to create new universes,
even more, favorable for the development of life and mind. Maybe our universe is one of
those, and we are all participants in bringing this process forward another step. Perhaps
it is not stars, but intelligence, that is responsible for the propagation and self-perfection
of universes.
Ideas like unified intelligence may sound scary as they may suggest some kind of loss
of individuality. But this is far from the truth according to Zubrin. For him, the establishment
of communication within a society is what empowers individuals; only through communication
can a single mind effect society at large. A mind whose thoughts are unheard or unread
is doomed to oblivion. Similarly, if humanity, in its finite span, is to make a contribution
that goes beyond itself, it must link up in communication with others. Once we do that,
then the thoughts of a single individual may one day be able to reach an entire galaxy!
So, if intelligence is going to have a role in cosmic evolution, Zubrin thinks that humanity
should be a part of it. But to do so, we will have to learn a lot more, and not just about
physics, but about purpose. So, the only way for humanity is to go forth, and find out!
And that brings us to the end of this video and the end of the Civilizational Range Series!
If you enjoyed it, do leave a like, share with everyone you know, and subscribe to our
channel if you haven’t already! Will humanity ever be part of a connected Type 4 Galactic
Mind? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below! Until then, we’ll see you in
the next one!