Anders Sandberg on war in space, whether civilisations age, and the best things possible in our universe

Abstract

In today’s episode, host Rob Wiblin speaks with repeat guest and audience favourite Anders Sandberg about the most impressive things that could be achieved in our universe given the laws of physics. They cover: • The epic new book Anders is working on, and whether he’ll ever finish it • Whether there’s a best possible world or we can just keep improving forever • What wars might look like if the galaxy is mostly settled • The impediments to AI or humans making it to other stars • How the universe will end a million trillion years in the future • Whether it’s useful to wonder about whether we’re living in a simulation • The grabby aliens theory • Whether civilizations get more likely to fail the older they get • The best way to generate energy that could ever exist • Black hole bombs • Whether superintelligence is necessary to get a lot of value • The likelihood that life from elsewhere has already visited Earth • And plenty more.