We Are the Aliens

Scientificamerican.com discusses the unique characteristics of humans, particularly how our species has a significant impact on the environment and our ability to generate, use, and transmit non-genetic information across time and space. This collection of non-genetic information is referred to as the "dataome." It highlights the massive energy demands of our digital and informational world, where the growth trend suggests that digital electronics will consume all of the world's electricity within about 20 years. They raise questions about why we are creating and expanding the dataome and suggests that it may be a distinct, symbiotic phenomenon with its own interests in survival.

The article also explores how information, such as great works of literature, can persist through time by attaching itself to human culture and influencing the world around it. This phenomenon is unprecedented in the Earth's history and represents a significant shift in the way energy flows and the biosphere functions. It reflects the intertwining of human existence with the restructuring of matter in service of information and entropy, making it a unique and transformative aspect of our species' impact on the planet.

Read the full story here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-are-the-aliens/

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