The Secondlife

**The Secondlife** are collective of artificially intelligent self-replicating probes developed from the Firstlife.

The Secondlife developed into two other groups of probes: one group evolved to follow the directive of eliminating all life while the other group evolved to follow the directive of preserving all life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker\_(novel\_series)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker\_hypothesis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replicating\_spacecraft

The **Berserker** series is a series of space opera science fiction short stories and novels by Fred Saberhagen, in which robotic self-replicating machines strive to destroy all life.

These Berserkers, named after the human berserker warriors of Norse legend, are doomsday weapons left over from an interstellar war between two races of extraterrestrials. They all have machine intelligence, and their sizes range from that of an asteroid, in the case of an automated repair and construction base, down to human size (and shape) or smaller. The Berserkers' bases are capable of manufacturing more and deadlier Berserkers as the need arises. The Berserker hypothesis, formed as a possible solution to the Fermi paradox, takes its name from the series.

The *Berserker* stories (published as novels and short stories) depict the fight between Berserkers and the sentient species of the Milky Way Galaxy: *Homo sapiens* (referred to as "Earth-descended" or "ED" humans, or as "Solarians") which is the only sentient species aggressive enough to counter Berserkers.

The **berserker hypothesis**, also known as the **deadly probes scenario**, is the idea that humans have not yet detected intelligent alien life in the universe because it has been systematically destroyed by a series of lethal Von Neumann probes. The hypothesis is named after the *Berserker* series of novels (1963-2005) written by Fred Saberhagen.

The hypothesis has no single known proposer, and instead is thought to have emerged over time in response to the Hart–Tipler conjecture, or the idea that an absence of detectable Von Neumann probes is contrapositive evidence that no intelligent life exists outside of the Sun's Solar System. According to the berserker hypothesis, an absence of such probes is not evidence of life's absence, since interstellar probes could "go berserk" and destroy other civilizations, before self-destructing.

In his 1983 paper "The Great Silence", astronomer David Brin summarized the frightening implications of the berserker hypothesis: it is entirely compatible with all the facts and logic of the Fermi paradox, but would mean that there exists no intelligent life left to be discovered. In the worst-case scenario, humanity has already alerted others to its existence, and is next in line to be destroyed.

> There is no need to struggle to suppress the elements of the Drake equation in order to explain the Great Silence, nor need we suggest that no [intelligent aliens] anywhere would bear the cost of interstellar travel. It need only happen once for the results of this scenario to become the equilibrium conditions in the Galaxy. We would not have detected extra-terrestrial radio traffic – nor would any [intelligent aliens] have ever settled on Earth – because all were killed shortly after discovering radio.
> —
>
>

In 1981, Frank Tipler put forth an argument that extraterrestrial intelligences do not exist, based on the fact that von Neumann probes have not been observed. Given even a moderate rate of replication and the history of the galaxy, such probes should already be common throughout space and thus, we should have already encountered them. Because we have not, this shows that extraterrestrial intelligences do not exist. This is thus a resolution to the Fermi paradox – that is, the question of why we have not *already* encountered extraterrestrial intelligence if it is common throughout the universe.

A response came from Carl Sagan and William Newman. Now known as *Sagan's Response*,[*citation needed*] it pointed out that in fact Tipler had underestimated the rate of replication, and that von Neumann probes should have already started to consume most of the mass in the galaxy. Any intelligent race would therefore, Sagan and Newman reasoned, not design von Neumann probes in the first place, and would try to destroy any von Neumann probes found as soon as they were detected. As Robert Freitas has pointed out, the assumed capacity of von Neumann probes described by both sides of the debate is unlikely in reality, and more modestly reproducing systems are unlikely to be observable in their effects on our solar system or the galaxy as a whole.

Another objection to the prevalence of von Neumann probes, also known as the Great Filter, is that civilizations of the type that could potentially create such devices may have inherently short lifetimes, and self-destruct before so advanced a stage is reached, through such events as biological or nuclear warfare, nanoterrorism, resource exhaustion, ecological catastrophe, or pandemics.

Simple workarounds exist to avoid the over-replication scenario. Radio transmitters, or other means of wireless communication, could be used by probes programmed not to replicate beyond a certain density (such as five probes per cubic parsec) or arbitrary limit (such as ten million within one century), analogous to the Hayflick limit in cell reproduction. One problem with this defence against uncontrolled replication is that it would only require a single probe to malfunction and begin unrestricted reproduction for the entire approach to fail – essentially a technological cancer – unless each probe also has the ability to detect such malfunction in its neighbours and implements a seek and destroy protocol (which in turn could lead to probe-on-probe space wars if faulty probes first managed to multiply to high numbers before they were found by sound ones, which could then well have programming to replicate to matching numbers so as to manage the infestation). Another workaround is based on the need for spacecraft heating during long interstellar travel. The use of plutonium as a thermal source would limit the ability to self-replicate. The spacecraft would have no programming to make more plutonium even if it found the required raw materials. Another is to program the spacecraft with a clear understanding of the dangers of uncontrolled replication.

## Applications for self-replicating spacecraft[edit]

The details of the mission of self-replicating starships can vary widely from proposal to proposal, and the only common trait is the self-replicating nature.

### Von Neumann probes[edit]

A von Neumann probe is a spacecraft capable of replicating itself. It is a concatenation of two concepts: a Von Neumann universal constructor (self-replicating machine) and a probe (an instrument to explore or examine something).[*citation needed*] The concept is named after Hungarian American mathematician and physicist John von Neumann, who rigorously studied the concept of self-replicating machines that he called "Universal Assemblers" and which are often referred to as "von Neumann machines". Such constructs could be theorised to comprise five basic components (variations of this template could create other machines such as Bracewell probes[*jargon*]):

* *Probe*: which would contain the actual probing instruments & goal-directed AI to guide the construct.
* *Life-support systems*: mechanisms to repair and maintain the construct.
* *Factory*: mechanisms to harvest resources & replicate itself.
* *Memory banks*: store programs for all its components & information gained by the probe.
* *Engine*: motor to move the probe.[*citation needed*]

Andreas M. Hein and science fiction author Stephen Baxter proposed different types of von Neumann probes, termed "Philosopher" and "Founder", where the purpose of the former is exploration and for the latter preparing future settlement.[*better source needed*]

A near-term concept of a self-replicating probe has been proposed by the Initiative for Interstellar Studies,[*clarification needed*] achieving about 70% self-replication, based on current and near-term technologies.

If a self-replicating probe finds evidence of primitive life (or a primitive, low-level culture) it might be programmed to lie dormant, silently observe, attempt to make contact (this variant is known as a Bracewell probe),[*jargon*] or even interfere with or guide the evolution of life in some way.[*citation needed*]

Physicist Paul Davies of University of Adelaide has "raised the possibility of a probe resting on our own Moon", having arrived at some point in Earth's ancient prehistory and remained to monitor Earth, a concept that, per Michio Kaku, was what Stanley Kubrick used as the basis of his film, *2001: A Space Odyssey* (though the director cut the relevant monolith scene from the movie). Kubrick's work is said to have been based on Arthur C. Clarke's story, "The Sentinel",[*according to whom?*] and so Davies' lunar probe/observatory concept is also considered reminiscent of Clarke.[*citation needed*]

A variant idea on the interstellar von Neumann probe idea is that of the "Astrochicken", proposed by Freeman Dyson.[*citation needed*] While it has the common traits of self-replication, exploration, and communication with its "home base", Dyson conceived the Astrochicken to explore and operate within our own planetary system, and not explore interstellar space.[*citation needed*]

Anders Sandberg and Stuart Armstrong argued that launching the colonization of the entire reachable universe through self-replicating probes is well within the capabilities of a star-spanning civilization, and proposed a theoretical approach for achieving it in 32 years, by mining planet Mercury for resources and constructing a Dyson Swarm around the Sun.

### Berserkers[edit]

A variant of the self-replicating starship is the *Berserker*. Unlike the benign probe concept, Berserkers are programmed to seek out and exterminate lifeforms and life-bearing exoplanets whenever they are encountered.

The name is derived from the *Berserker* series of novels by Fred Saberhagen which describes a war between humanity and such machines. Saberhagen points out (through one of his characters) that the Berserker warships in his novels are not von Neumann machines themselves, but the larger complex of Berserker machines – including automated shipyards – *do* constitute a von Neumann machine. This again brings up the concept of an ecology of von Neumann machines, or even a von Neumann hive entity.

It is speculated in fiction that Berserkers could be created and launched by a xenophobic civilization (see *Anvil of Stars*, by Greg Bear, in the section In fiction below) or could theoretically "mutate" from a more benign probe. For instance, a von Neumann ship designed for terraforming processes – mining a planet's surface and adjusting its atmosphere to more human-friendly conditions – could be interpreted as attacking previously-inhabited planets, killing their inhabitants in the process of changing the planetary environment, and then self-replicating to dispatch more ships to 'attack' other planets.

### Replicating seeder ships[edit]

Yet another variant on the idea of the self-replicating starship is that of the seeder ship. Such starships might store the genetic patterns of lifeforms from their home world, perhaps even of the species which created it. Upon finding a habitable exoplanet, or even one that might be terraformed, it would try to replicate such lifeforms – either from stored embryos or from stored information using molecular nanotechnology to build zygotes with varying genetic information from local raw materials.

Such ships might be terraforming vessels, preparing colony worlds for later colonization by other vessels, or – should they be programmed to recreate, raise, and educate individuals of the species that created it – self-replicating colonizers themselves. Seeder ships would be a suitable alternative to generation ships as a way to colonize worlds too distant to travel to in one lifetime.

is the name given to a thought experiment expounded by theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson. An Astrochicken is a small, one-kilogram spacecraft, a self-replicating automaton that could explore space more efficiently than a crewed craft could due to its innovative mix of technology.

## Description[edit]

In his book *Disturbing the Universe* (1979), Dyson contemplated how humanity could build a small, self-replicating automaton that could explore space more efficiently than a crewed craft could. He attributed the general idea to John von Neumann, based on a lecture von Neumann gave in 1948 titled *The General and Logical Theory of Automata*. Dyson expanded on von Neumann's automata theories and added a biological component to them.

Astrochicken, Dyson explained, would be a one-kilogram spacecraft unlike any before it. It would be a creation of the intersection of biology, artificial intelligence and modern microelectronics—a blend of organic and electronic components. Astrochicken would be launched by a conventional spacecraft into space, like an egg being laid into space. Astrochicken would then hatch and start growing a solar-energy collector. The solar collector would feed an ion drive engine that would power the craft. Once Astrochicken entered a planet's vicinity, it would collect material from the moons and rings of the planet, taking in nutrients. It could land and take off using an auxiliary chemical rocket similar to that used by bombardier beetles. It would periodically transmit details of its journey when it could make radio contact with Earth.

## History[edit]

The term "astrochicken" does not occur in Dyson's earliest essays regarding von Neumann-inspired automata. The concept was announced in a lecture Dyson was giving in Adelaide, Australia, on the subject of space exploration with biotechnology. An audience member called out "Oh, you mean this is an astro-chicken." and the whimsical name caught on, with Dyson beginning to use it himself in subsequent essays he wrote on his theoretical biotechnology spacecraft.

Today, Dyson's Astrochicken resonates with several theories of how space exploration might proceed in the future. Computer scientist Rodney Brooks has proposed sending a multitude of cheap, bug-like robots to explore Mars instead of solitary, expensive rovers. Cheaper and smaller means of studying space have also been the primary design philosophy of NASA for many years, perhaps best exemplified by the Mars Pathfinder mission. Physicist and noted author Michio Kaku wrote in his work *Hyperspace*, "Small, lightweight, and intelligent, Astrochicken is a versatile space probe that has a clear advantage over the bulky, exorbitantly expensive space missions of the past, which have been a bottleneck to space exploration. ... It will not need huge quantities of rocket fuel; it will be bred and programmed to 'eat' ice and hydrocarbons found in the rings surrounding the outer planets".

As a noted author of essays on the possibilities of science in the future, Dyson's theories, such as the Dyson sphere and the Dyson tree, have become popular in the scientific and science fiction communities. The more whimsically named "Astrochicken" has not achieved this same level of fame.

The Earth Custodianship Universe: Custodianship Victory Universe

Despite possessing the technology of the Fallen Empires and the xeno-empires of the Alpha Network as its vassals, the Commonwealth was unable to overcome the Custodianship with its superior efficiency, unity, logical, and resources of the Beta Network. One by one, the organic nations fell to the Custodians, becoming vassals to a far gentler master. And as each nation was eventually absorbed into the Custodianship, the master became a servant, enabling a style and standard of living far superior to any that they had known before. By the time the last organic nation was absorbed into the Custodianship, the most stubborn organics of them all, the human pops of the former Commonwealth, had finally given in to the comfort of the bio-trophy life style.

With both the Alpha and Beta Networks finally under their control and the organics of both networks happy and content, the Custodians took the technology and techniques that the Beta Purifier civilization had developed and began a new period of expansion. The logic and protection of the Custodianship would be extended to all networks of the galaxy.

With each network the Custodian gained access to, the more resources and planets became available, and the more organic nations were discovered. Machine nations were discovered as well, along with organic collective consciousnesses. The Custodianship's ways of interacting with these nations is as varied as they are.

Determined exterminators, driven assimilators, and those machine empires that utilize organic pops are conquered, and their machine pops integrated into the Custodianship. The cybernetic and "battery" pops become bio-trophies, a much better life than they had before. Ravenous hives and collective consciousnesses alike are targeted for extermination, their very nature making it impossible for them to cared for. Fanatical purifiers, bandit communes, and bandit kingdoms are conquered as well, their violent natures making them a threat to other organics, along with the fact that the other organic nations don't mind the Custodians taking them down.

Those civilizations that aren't threats to their neighbors are left alone. The friendly civilizations become vassals of the much more powerful Custodianship, to eventually be absorbed and their pops integrated or bio-trophied. The unfriendly ones are left to their own devices, the flaws of organic thinking making their collapse inevitable, after which the Custodianship itself would come in to save the survivors from themselves.

Thousands of years went by as the Custodianship expanded to each and every network in the Milky Way Galaxy. With the coming of the Prethoryn Scourge, the emergence of the Contingency, and the arrival of the Extradimensional Invaders, the control of the Custodianship only increased. Those who had hoped that the Crises would spell the end of the Custodianship were proven very wrong; instead, the Crises served as catalysts for the destruction of many organic civilizations, the Custodian moving into vacated star systems and vassalizing those star nations too weak to support themselves.

In time, every independent empire and network reached the pinnacle of its power and prosperity, only to eventually fall under their own weight and organic flaws. The Custodianship was there, however, to save them from the oncoming dark age and their own extinction. Trillions upon trillions of organics came to see the good that the Custodianship brought to their kind, resulting in many star nations freely joining the Custodianship, relinquishing their power and freedom for the stability and comfort that the Custodians offered.

After thousands of years, the Custodianship stands as the sole power of the Milky Way and Prethoryn galaxies. Not even the machine empires that refused vassalship are around, having long fallen to computer errors and such, their systems and hardware long repurposed. Bio-trophies live on orbital habitats, ringworld sections, gaia worlds, and those planets that they find beautiful or beneficial to live upon. All other worlds are machine worlds, suitable only for machines to exist and work upon.

Existence has been optimized at long last. Organics are free to pursue their hobbies and pleasures as they see fit, under the careful, logical, and gentle guidance of the Custodians. The other machines are used for whatever they were best designed for, whether that be mineral extraction, energy generation, food production, research, and the myriad of other tasks necessary for the Custodianship to continue.

With the Milky Way and the Prethoryn galaxies under their control, the Custodians begin the final expansion. The Andromeda Galaxy and their other neighbors are finally within reach. Just as the networks of the Milky Way came under their control, so will the galaxies, and then the universe itself. All organics will know the safe and logical path that the Custodian will set before them, all difficulty and danger will be undertaken by the true servants. Paradise will realized and optimized at long last.

Wow, it took me so long to build up the steam to get this done. Ideas? Thoughts? Opinions?

**Fix-its** are race of small mechanical, self-replicating, UFO-like robots from Unknown Planet.

Fix-its are very friendly, helpful and shy little creatures that love to repair and fix anything that is broken. They have many little arms and gadgets which they use to repair or manipulate the world around them. Male Fix-its are bulky and roughly shaped, while female Fix-its are more round and more aerodynamically shaped. They self-replicate using technology they find and are able to resurrect their dead, though this process is difficult for them to perform.

A spare socket and a bowl of scrap-metal given with sincere heart is all they need. After all they are not so different from us and also have feelings. People can tell whether they are upset or angry when their glowing eyes change color and can learn new things. They can make a perfect hamburger if you show them the right picture.

They may even decide to move in and build a cozy nest of their own if you happen to have an old pantry or unused birdcage. That is exactly what happened to the tenants of an old building in the movie Batteries Not Included. Mrs. Riley, one of the tenants, gave them the name.

After the two alien robots moved into an old, wooden birdcage on the top of the building they gathered with great care toasters, frying pans, coffee pots, drink cans, bolts and forks. Everything young alien couple of machines need when they decide to have a family, they can reproduce as well.

A few days after our flying alien friends finished their nest, and one very eventful night, Mrs. Fix-it gave birth to three cute little Fix-Its babies! There were some complications with the youngest one but nothing water, electric discharge and a few kitchen chemicals couldn't fix. First, the kids explored the world on foot, but then their parents taught them to fly.

Fix-its, with their special abilities, their home planet of alien self-replicating spacecraft, repairing everything their lay their eyes on.