Part 3 of the Physics of Society

Recently I’ve been fascinated by the idea of a ‘society particle’ so I’ll be writing about it from various dimensions. Today, we combine the wavelength observation experiment and how it applies to civilization as we observe it. This is a larger scale take and I’ll double back on somethings that I condensed in later postings.

There are four logical outcomes for a society particle given the patterns we’ve previously observed and can extrapolate into the future given the technological capabilities of intelligent life.

1) Traditional Outcome — Extinction (common)

This is the most likely outcome for society. Given the current divided state of the planet combined with the unequal allocation and control of resources by independent actors of society. This is a pattern we are currently confronted with and it can lead to the factors that will ultimately end us: resource exhaustion, mutual destruction through nuclear war, Infrastructure/ resource network collapse from strain and/or environmental degradation. It should be noted that technology can prolong the longevity of society with the same kind of ideological configuration as we currently have, but not much longer and not to level comparative before the “apex” (the development point before the things that I have outlined cause decline and degradation). Several of these factors are integrated together, the problem of interconnection is a constant that increases the likelihood of this wavelength outcome. The vaguest factor I made was “infrastructure/ resource network collapse” this the traditional over expansion of a nation, almost reminiscent of the roman empire and the impending fate of the United States as their post as global leader. The taxing network of military presence in territory away from the central country comes with an exponential cost of upkeep, the weaker dollar that the Trump administration wants to have is the first indicator of the burden about to become unmanageable on the already strained domestic coffers. Besides defence, this issue is prevalent in any resource that has a fixed cost and increasing cost of acquisition, controlled and operated in a diverse market place — it becomes a luxury and then a rarity, then unavailable. This is different from pure resource depletion as that tends to occur in either over extracted resources or vital ones that are not properly regulated and is therefore controlled by a few social actors.

Regardless of the cause, as long as these issues is a private vs public interest matter in a capitalist society, the race to the bottom of the petro barrel and the expected effects foreshadows the outcome: nuclear war and environmental degradation to the siren call of the almighty capitalist dollar deity.

(I don’t mention asteroids or gamma ray bursts because they are unlikely and a developed global society could muster a preparation and deterrent system)

2) Rare Outcome — Fractionalized Growth (sub-optimal)

This outcome sees that we’ve avoided the issues discussed above by colonizing another planet (or the moon) or we’ve had one of the factors cause a mass population decline and the survivors are putting together the pieces. Regardless of a new planet or an earth ecosystem collapse, the new factors will pressure evolution through increased mortality rates, favourable survival traits and post birth ecological adaptations. If the society is recovering from a collapse, then the understanding will be ingrained that capitalism isn’t the way to live and they can either salvage previous knowledge in a collaboratively managed society or are set back and will have to progress to the same level of collective knowledge held before the decline. We survive to possibly get to the next outcome but millions if not billions of lives have been wasted by the ignorance, greed and short sighted few of society.

3) Super Rare Outcome — Cohesive Growth (Optimal)

Humanity undergoes a composite level of social understanding and unity. A real global social evolution occurs which develops through the social stratification of the past without forcing people to forget and forgive past transgressions on their social groups. This requires onus, open dialogue and reparations,(only because its been done piecemeal and that memory along with the systemic stimga abd disadvantages associated with past institutional discrimination can fuel the basis for detracting or rebelling to social unity later on) while embracing social equity and economic democratization at an unparalleled rate. Basically, an exponential growth of social empowerment. Collectively casting off the oppressive measures that restrict, polarize and classify human life is essential to this path. This society colonizes outside the planet, not to ease the burden of the planet or escape, but to develop and adapt life. Technology increases at an unencumbered pace by ideological and economic barriers. This society is measured only by the Kardashev scale and will potentially reach the “data limit” of creating nuance and progress. It’s important to note what more progressed societies expend their increasing volume of energy on: artificial intelligence. Much like the power demand of our brain, true artificial intelligence would require an exponentially increasing amount of energy to operate on the scale needed to permeate all of the society, be it the personal use of each social member or the automation of manufacturing chains. It is this increase in power and artificial intelligence that makes the kardashev scale a real indication of the development of a society, as intelligent life is essentially remaking their mind in practicality to interact with and that requires a lot of energy. It is also important to note that both due to of the impeding development of true AI and the demands of energy. Each factor pose an existential threat, but the latter is pressing to current context of survival and the former, is next factor of developmental threat (given a linear progression of technological development is not stymied by our quest for energy and the destruction of our environment for it). See my article on “why you want AI to be Communist” for a further look at the threat of AI and society. This note aside after this step they then proceed to the next possibility of the society particle.

4) Especially Rare (so rare, I call it base reality) — Matrix control and cyber-humanism

This civilization has climbed the Kardashev scale and has no need to create anything new, because in their progress they created everything imaginable or can if wanted. They can either seed the universe (if they didn’t already in their previous stages) or they become silent and induce an eternal sleep, in which their minds go through game scenarios to return the same state of civilization. This induced sleep is the universe and the multiplex. Played over and over and through and through until they wake up. Even this has issue: their physical bodies could either be vulnerable to other life that exists in their origin universe or the inside the dream they are unable to recreate their society and wake up again. (Or develop themselves through experience variation and a separation of identity through a metaphysical reincarnation cycle/ simulation restart loop for a perfect/improved ‘run at it’). The major vulnerability issue could occur because of thermodynamic balance. This “matrix sleep” is kinda like the alien mind idea that Elon Musk has proposed, but to be perfect it must have equilibrium: good and bad. A perfect dream wouldn’t be worth having, if you’ve already created the universe and every idea in it what’s the point? so it would have to be a challenge, yet it inherently would have safe guards, like it would be seeded with data caps to eliminate threats to the system and antivirus to reintegrate balance in the system. In addition, In a perfect system there wouldn’t be ‘wasted code’, so it would be recycled in some way to condition it to a perfect configuration.(simulation loops or reincarnations) It is the same issue with bodies and balance that this scenario isn’t recommended, (sorry Elon) if we were to create a ‘matrix sleep’ to escape the matrix we live in, we couldn’t eliminate bad without having a unrealistic system or unbalanced one. A perfect system diminishes the reality of others in it, are you surrounded by single drive focused robots? (Aka The philosophical “zombie hunch”) Are they as complex and understanding as you? Do they feel, do they hope, do they dream? Without this diversity, life becomes fake and undesirable to even simulate.

So it is more important to come together and advance, rather than waste innocent lives in our indifference and resistance to change, progress and social reconstruction.

*note on part 4* one might ask, why can’t a civilization enter a dream matrix earlier? Things like inequality and ownership would make this a frightening prospect for any civilization that hasn’t moved past race, religion, money and nation to become a cohesive planetary people. It’s essentially the same moral argument made about virtual reality and the vulnerability of the user, just made more critical due to life support aspect and user experience of a matrix platform.*

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