Alien Contact Hypothetical - Join 'The Culture' or not? (Poll)

Well as Max the Immortal says the basic premise of the Culture novels are that AI is invented and is benign, but yes its a pretty big risk we’re taking by signing up as unlikely as them turning against us is.

But then again if we weren’t part of their society we would have no protection at all against hostile aliens and AI’s, which in this scenario we now know are almost certainly out there.

Well as flawed as it is its still humans in charge of human destiny.

True, though the threat they could present is neglible in comparison to that posed by hostile Minds.

Interesting, I like that idea, that Earth doesn’t join as such but any individual humans who want to can move to the Culture. I imagine they’d stay in touch no matter what decision we made and would let this take place. Whether Terran authorities would be so keen, likely losing their ‘best and brightest’ is another matter.

True, but even the Gray Area/Meatfucker only did it to people who probably deserved it. I can’t remember what exactly the FOTNMC did? And the former at least was a pariah for its actions.

True, but most of the ‘seed species’ seem to have been humanoid, which is why after all the fashionable body-changing shenanigans they’ve mostly gone back to base humanoid form as standard.

Because as mentioned we are ceding in reality total and absolute control to entities vastly more powerful and capable than we are, in a sense it could be thought of that we would be nothing more than children who never achieve adulthood as a species or pets under the leash of a benign master, but its still a leash and they are still our masters.

This is true, but The Culture would never force a decision like that on a species (though they’re certainly not above attempting to covertly and subtley directing the decision to their preferred ends)

I don’t agree, the aforementioned Contact branch and other departments are their for people who want more than simple hedonistic pleasure, and there are plenty of people who do what we would consider work as a hobby or interest (biologically made items and art have a certain cache although in any objective sense the Minds could create vastly superior examples with ease, for example), but doing so is very much their choice.

The very definition of Culture society is that nobody is forced into anything they don’t want to do, and there are plenty of worthy tasks for people who want to do them and plenty of volunteers for them.
As for the hypothetical I would personally sign up in a heartbeat, The Culture is the best example of a plausible utopia I’ve ever read, but considering on a species-wide basis I’m more than a little uncomfortable at ceding power and control entirely to another, no matter how benign it is.

btw I’m surprised and pleased that there are apparently so many Culture/Iain Banks fans in here. My personal favourite sci-fi author and sci-fi universe. :smiley:

That might make a fun Terminator sequel. We create Terminators who defend us from an even greater threat.

I’ve read enough Culture novels to know that my answer would be an enthusiastic “Hell Yes!”

Dibs on being Jernau Gurgeh in this scenario. :slight_smile:

Another poster addressed this nicely enough for me. The amount of real power I actually have over my life wouldn’t go anywhere but up under this scenario. The President might feel like it’s crimping his style, but he’s controlled by the Illuminati anyway. :slight_smile:

In fact, anyone who’s tried to get anything done when other people are involved knows that power is a fleeting illusion at best. The effort involved in getting the PTA to agree on a theme color makes me despair of any real control over human affairs. Even the choices we think we’re making independently seem like statistical trends on a big scale. Might as well cede it to a robot, assuming that we trust the robot’s motivations.

I would sign up. Earth governments are shitty by comparison and of course space is freaking rad. Advanced tech, hot blue ladies, brain to computer interfacing, hot blue ladies… Nope, it would never be a no from this one.