Beyond astronomical waste

Abstract

Astronomical waste refers to the apparent disparity between the amount of resources and opportunities available within our universe and the comparatively meager use of these resources. This article argues that total utilitarians and those with total utilitarian uncertainty should be concerned about the potential scale of astronomical waste and that there may be significant value in pursuing strategies that go beyond preventing astronomical waste in our own universe. Such strategies might involve escaping or being deliberately uplifted from a simulation that we’re in, exploiting a flaw in the software or hardware of the computer that is running our simulation, exploiting a flaw in the psychology of agents running the simulation, or altruism on the part of the simulators. The author also discusses the importance of philosophical competence in order to avoid making philosophical errors that could prevent us from realizing the full potential value of our actions. – AI-generated abstract.