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by jcalx 321 days ago
Alternatively stated:

> The only explanation is that something has coded nonsense in a way that poses as a useful message; only after wasting time and effort does the deception becomes apparent. The signal functions to consume the resources of a recipient for zero payoff and reduced fitness. The signal is a virus.

> Viruses do not arise from kin, symbionts, or other allies.

> The signal is an attack.

―Blindsight, by Peter Watts

1 comments

Is that the sci fi novel about an alien race that is annoyed and feels attacked by noise?
Nope it's the book about the concept of a true turing-machine like alien being which has no "consciousness", it's mechanistic but insanely complex, like the Borg but not even assimilating; it's like a very very sophisticated "grey goo" nanobot scenario