2017/08/03 by D. P. Whitmire · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life #Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution #Origins and Evolution of Life #Extant taxon #Mediocrity principle #Extinction (optical mineralogy) #Biosphere #Extinction event #Cornerstone #Astrobiology #Technological change #Planet #Ecology #Earth science #Geography #Paleontology #Evolutionary biology #Astronomy #Biology #Computer science #Geology #Physics #Sociology #Demography #Archaeology #Biological dispersal
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s1473550417000271
openalex publication_date 2017/08/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract According to the Principle of Mediocrity, a cornerstone of modern cosmology, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, we should believe that we are a typical member of an appropriately chosen reference class. If we assume that this principle applies to the reference class of all extant technological species, then it follows that other technological species will, like us, typically find that they are both the first such species to evolve on their planet and also that they are early in their potential technological evolution. Here we argue that this suggests that the typical technological species becomes extinct soon after attaining a modern technology and that this event results in the extinction of the planet's global biosphere.