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Von Neumann pointed out that an advanced civilization, with technology that we can predict should be developable, can colonize the entire galaxy in roughly 10 million years.

Which is a blink of time by geological standards.



Von Neumann was much smarter than I but for such a calculation you have to make so many assumptions as to make it worthless. How can we possibly be able to predict what happens to a civilization in 10 million years?

And yes I am aware of Von Neumann probes. But as someone else pointed out there may be secondary effects we aren't even aware of.


> How can we possibly be able to predict what happens to a civilization in 10 million years?

Obviously under the assumption that no other changes but growth and colonisation happens to that civilisation.




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