Self-replicating von Neumann probes could plausibly spread like a virus across the universe and convert resources into 'goop'; combined with Robin Hanson's argument that the fastest-expanding civilization controls most of the universe, the expected long-run state of the cosmos may be one where low-hanging-fruit resources have been consumed by such probes.

forecastpending

Speaker

Dwarkesh Patel

Evidence Quote

maybe like the expected outcome of colonization is just that that's what the universe ends up looking like where the low-hanging fruit so to speak has been burned away by burned away by such probes

Source

Ananyo Bhattacharya - John von Neumann, Jewish Genius, and Nuclear WarDwarkesh Patel
Created: 6/13/2026, 7:00:41 PM

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