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On the Plausibility of Intelligent Life on Other Worlds : A Cognitive-Semiotic Assessment of fi · fc · L

Dunér, David LU orcid (2017) In Environmental Humanities 9(2). p.433-453
Abstract
The apprehension of the last three factors of the Drake equation, fi · fc · L, is misguided or at least not very well examined. This article scrutinizes the underlying suppositions involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) research. What is meant by “intelligence,” “technology,” and “civilization”? What makes them possible, and how do they evolve? The present examination aims to arrive at a more well-founded search for extraterrestrial intelligence that takes into account current research within cognitive science, the history of technology, and the history of socialization. What we need is a cognitive-semiotic approach to the extent, distribution, and evolution of extraterrestrial... (More)
The apprehension of the last three factors of the Drake equation, fi · fc · L, is misguided or at least not very well examined. This article scrutinizes the underlying suppositions involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) research. What is meant by “intelligence,” “technology,” and “civilization”? What makes them possible, and how do they evolve? The present examination aims to arrive at a more well-founded search for extraterrestrial intelligence that takes into account current research within cognitive science, the history of technology, and the history of socialization. What we need is a cognitive-semiotic approach to the extent, distribution, and evolution of extraterrestrial intelligence. The three variables fi · fc · L concern how an extraterrestrial biosphere evolves cognitively flexible organisms that, through a biocultural coevolution, acquire an increasing capability to manipulate the surrounding environment for the purpose of transferring shared mental states. In addition, this has to last for a period of time long enough to coincide with the relatively brief existence of Homo sapiens sapiens. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environmental Humanities
volume
9
issue
2
pages
433 - 453
publisher
Duke University Press
ISSN
2201-1919
DOI
10.1215/22011919-4215379
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
30b435e1-ba04-4b7f-97e7-6e1a46961b01
date added to LUP
2018-04-24 21:48:26
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:39:31
@article{30b435e1-ba04-4b7f-97e7-6e1a46961b01,
  abstract     = {{The apprehension of the last three factors of the Drake equation, <i>f<sub>i</sub> · f<sub>c</sub> · L</i>, is misguided or at least not very well examined. This article scrutinizes the underlying suppositions involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) research. What is meant by “intelligence,” “technology,” and “civilization”? What makes them possible, and how do they evolve? The present examination aims to arrive at a more well-founded search for extraterrestrial intelligence that takes into account current research within cognitive science, the history of technology, and the history of socialization. What we need is a cognitive-semiotic approach to the extent, distribution, and evolution of extraterrestrial intelligence. The three variables <i>f<sub>i</sub> · f<sub>c</sub> · L</i> concern how an extraterrestrial biosphere evolves cognitively flexible organisms that, through a biocultural coevolution, acquire an increasing capability to manipulate the surrounding environment for the purpose of transferring shared mental states. In addition, this has to last for a period of time long enough to coincide with the relatively brief existence of <i>Homo sapiens sapiens</i>.}},
  author       = {{Dunér, David}},
  issn         = {{2201-1919}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{433--453}},
  publisher    = {{Duke University Press}},
  series       = {{Environmental Humanities}},
  title        = {{On the Plausibility of Intelligent Life on Other Worlds : A Cognitive-Semiotic Assessment of <i>f<sub>i</sub> · f<sub>c</sub> · L</i>}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1215/22011919-4215379}},
  doi          = {{10.1215/22011919-4215379}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}