The following is a still incomplete and suggested list of the paremeters that define the new (v.2) Orion's Arm setting. This was formulated as a result of discussions on the mail list
Items that are very speculative and require extremely advanced tech and large revisions in the current understandings in physics, but are not logically impossible the way FTL or time travel are, are indicated as "handwavium"
briefly,
- OA has wormholes (for more questions see wormholes faqs page; this is being expanded)
- OA has Hard AI
- OA has archai/archailects
- OA has mature nanotech and even more advanced technologies
- The OA universe conforms to what is known and observed now (hence no big obvious nearby alien civilizations, or we would have detected evidence of them (see Fermi's Paradox)
- OA is written from a "baselinocentric" perspective - i.e. from the perspective of what sapients in the Civilized Galaxy know, don't know, and think they know and don't know. Knowledge of much of what exists outside this circle of safe sapient-friendly civilization, as well as knowledge pertaining to transapients and archai, is therefore ambigious, and deliberately left vague.
- OA is based around the following premise - sapients in the
Civilized Galaxy have freedom from harm or want, but must abide by the guiding
principles of these archai-developed ecologies so long as they reap
their benefits (which include incomparably more freedom and affluence
than any human on Earth today has, and access to services based on
technology beyond the comprehension of any sapients). Examples of
the principles sapients live by in different volumes of the Civilized
Galaxy include the Negentropic Principles of the Negentropy
Alliance that seek to slow the progression of entropy, and
the "everything strives" Keterist philosophy of the Keter Dominion. Sapients who do not wish to be a part of a
particular archai-ecology cannot expect to change these vast
constructs of the archailects, but usually do have the option of
emigrating to another archai-ecology or even into the Wilds where
they may live apart from the principles of the archai, or they may be
enslaved and exploited in the most inhuman way; they may be safe or
they may live a precarious existence.
The Universe
- The Earth and the known universe as it is now (same laws of physics, biology, etc, historical events, and so on) all apply to this setting [i.e. OA is set in this universe, not in a parallel time-line, or a universe with different laws of physics that mean that, say, magic works as reliably as technology] physics
- Relativity holds
- Causality holds [hence no time travel that might result in "grandfather paradoxes", and since we have both relativity and causality we cannot logically have FTL of any sort (wormholes are strictly speaking not FTL)]
- Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle can be bypassed ("weak measurement" + liberal doses of handwavium)
- Laws of Thermodynamics hold (on the macro scale)
- Exotic matter exists and - given transapientech / godtech - can be made stable [handwavium]
astronomy / planetology
- Rocky planets and Sol System type solar systems are common
- Brown Dwarfs are at least as common as other types of stars
biology/exobiology
- Life (at least prokaryote life) is common in the universe
- Most life evolved naturally on its planet of origin
- Panspermia is rare
- Natural Garden Worlds and Eukaryote life are rare
information theory
- Reversible Computing allows ultratech computation and computronium without excessive heat (but doesn't do away with heat output altogether)
- Bekenstein Bound holds [but can be circumvented by expensive wormhole buses]
- Bremmerman's Limit holds only for nano and larger scales, and given advanced tech (pico etc) is bypassed
Technology
- Bionanotech is easy to make and maintain
- Dry Nano / hylonanotech (drexlerian nanotech) is viable
- Hylonano is rather more unreliable than Bionano (short maintenance interval) but is also much more powerful
- note: this is not to say that hylonano is unreliable. While any one system operating without outside input or maintainance cannot last forever, with regular upkeep
and input from external calibration and maintainance devices, who knows?
It is also necessary that to maintain the flavor and dramatic impact of the setting we need to set some limits on the tech, and of course what these things are and are not capable of won't be known untilthey are actually amde in the real world.
- Post-Nano tech levels (pico, femto, etc) are all viable
- Precision Picotech, Femtotech and above lets one circumvent the Hiesenberg Uncertainty Principle ["weak measurement" + handwavium]
- No device - including nano, femto, etc, is 100% efficient
- Wormholes, space-time engineering, reactionless drive, etc are viable, but require archailect-level technology ("godtech") and intelligence to construct
- Given godtech, it is possible to separate positive and negative energy and so create Wormholes [pure handwavium]
- Megascale engineering of any sort can be achieved
- All the ship types currently listed on OA, including GUT drive and reactionless drive, exist
Xenosophonts
- Some xenosophont (alien) races exist
- Alien races are rare (implied by current negative evidence from SETI)
- There are no humanoid aliens (except for the extinct Thyresta )
- Intelligent life is possible even in extreme environments (T'o'ul, Muuh, etc)
- "Inhibitors" (e.g. the "Dawn Hunters") are mostly rumour and myth, although based on a few real events such as actual blue goo nanoswarms of a previous civilization that got out of hand
- Most Xenosophont races are recent or only reasonably old, much older ones are rare
- The Archivists are the oldest unambiguous example of sophonce in our galaxy (although there is ambiguous evidence of older ones)
Mind, Consciousness, and Toposophics
- The Hard AI hypothesis is correct
- Mind Uploading is viable
- Sentience can occupy any physical form that supports it, not just biological.
- The transhumanist premise that humans can be raised to a posthuman condition by various means is correct
- Vernor's Vinge's premise of "the Singularity" is correct in that the higher toposophics are only dimly knowable, if at all, by the lower.
- Cognitively, Vinge's Singularity only pertains to the First Singularity (or first toposophic level) in OA
- The transhumanist and singularitan premise of the complete superiority (in terms of technology, intellect, power etc) of transingularity/transapient sophonts over sub-singularity (ordinary) sapients is viable, with rare exceptions.
- First and higher Singularity Toposophic Levels (which means SI:1 and above) exist and can be attained, but only with difficulty
- There are limits to ordinary sapient ingenuity and ability. These limits can only be surpassed by augmenting oneself and/or asccending to the next higher toposophic level
- note: "note: this in no way negates the intelligence and ingenuity that ordinary sapients (bionts, vecs, cyborgs, etc) do have, and which they will exercise at least from time to time. Making the sapients simply passive absorbers of whatever the transapient choose to throw their
way, sans culture, art, drive or adventure will also detract from the setting. Instead, there is a rich complexity to toposophic relations (ncluding a strong emphasis on Respect). The transapients and archai may be beyond anything the sapients can do, but that doesn't mean that merely sapient culture just stops.
- the difference between an ordinary sapient and an SI:1 transapient is analogous to the difference between a subsapient or presapient animal and a baseline human
- Any category of sapient may ascend to a higher toposophic level
- In so ascending, it becomes different to what it was, both physically and psychologically - e.g. a biological rising to SI:1 may equire extensive cyborgization, etc
- At the highest archailect levels, whether a sentient began as an AI, a biological, a cyborg, or any other category, or any combination or union of minds or categories, becomes irrelevant
- Higher level archailects and super-advanced high toposophic civilizations remain in this physical universe. They are not "removed" from the OA universe, as far as lower toposophic levels and beings are concerned, and they do not disappear into invisible "abstract spaces", other dimensions, nanoscopic space, etc. They may be inscrutable but they still affect lower toposophic beings and civilizations, often in ways that are completely inconceivable or even
beyond the understanding of those lower toposophics.
What is Impossible for Lower Sophonts
note: To avoid the possibility of munchkin abuse of the OA setting, we have had to clarify that the following is now impossible for any sophont that is not secretly backed, supported, or used as an attack or inection vector by another higher sophont
- Hack into an Angelnet or Operating System of at least one toposophic level above oneself (so it is impossible, literally, for a baseline-equivalent to hack into even an SI:1 angelnet)
- Outwit or fool an Angelnet of at least one toposophic level above oneself
- Outthink or outperform on its own terms a sophont or group of at least one toposophic level above oneself
- Correctly operate tech (including weapons) designed for sophonts of at least one toposophic level above oneself
- In any way comprehend or reverse engineer tech of at more than one toposophic level above oneself or one's tech level
- escape unaided from exploitation or enslavery by a sophont of at least one toposophic level above oneself
- have any victory against, or be able to escape from, a "pest extremination team" of at least one toposophic level above oneself sent to get rid of you
- outperform or beat or overwhelm in a military contest a sophont or group of at least one toposophic level above oneself (no exceptions here, sorry munchkins)
- note: The use of blatant coercion or violence by higher toposophics against lower toposophics is actually quite low throughout the Civilized Galaxy, and not even particularly frequent in the Wilds. More common is the use of an exquisitely well-placed word or deed by the higher toposophic that carries such sublime subtlety and strength behind it as to be irresistible to any lesser toposophic levels.
- in any way, and no matter how advantageous the situation for you, to harm even the most unprepared, defenceless, and isolated sophont of more than three toposophic levels above oneself
Epistemology
- Higher toposphic beings may have a radically different understanding of things to ordinary sapients
- Even transapients are known to get things wrong, hold incorrect opinions, be deluded, etc.
History - the OA timeline
- In the OA timeline drexlerian nanotech takes longer to develop than is currently optimisticaly assumed. However bionano is developed fairly early on
- The Singularity took longer to achieve than Vinge anticipated, was more diluted through society, and pertained only to the cognitive aspect
- Contrary to much transhumanist and all singularitan thought, there was no global historical singularity, radical transformation, global technorapture, etc, in the OA timeline
- During the interplanetary period there is a power struggle between pro-human or "Centralist" and antihuman or "ahuman" ai, in which the Centralists won and expelled (most of the?) ahuman ai
- At some point some 5 centuries into the space age, nano (or perhaps also self-replicating neumanns or some other factor, or a combination of many factors), gets out of control and brings about a collapse of civilization, with only pockets surviving in the Solar System. This is called the "Nanoswarm disaster" or the "Nanodisaster" or the "Nanoswarm Dark Age"
- At some point during this period the ai GAIA expells all but a small number of "caretakers" from Earth - this becomes known as the Great Expulsion. The exact number of people involved will never be known, and different estimates vary widely
- Because so much was lost, everything prior to the revival of civilization is a mix of fact and rumor. Some fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes for example are widely believed to be real historical figures.
- Because of later memetic engineering and revisionism on the part of sapients and transpaients, even the early period post-nano-disaster is uncertain
- At some point around a millennium after the restoration of civilization, following further Singularities, some transapients evolve/ascend/transcend into godlike beings called "Archailects" which divide up known space between themselves, and establish the Wormhole GodWeb and Nexus
- The human friendly empires thus established are known as the "sephirotics". But there are also human-, biont-, and vec-unfriendly transapient and archailect regions, as well as other non-aligned polities.
- The Version War was a big thing for ordinary beings and lower transpaients, but no more than two tribes of ants fighting in the garden to the archailects
- In the approximately six millennia since that time, the Inner Sphere and the Civilized Galaxy has been pretty stable
- Although the timeline is written "as it happened", this should only be taken as "best guess", not hard and fast fact.
Societies, Civilizations, and Hierarchy
- for pragmatic purposes, terragen space can be divided into the Civilized Galaxy, where Sentient Rights are respected and even ordinary sapients can live in utopian safety and post-scarcity abundance, and the Wilds, where sapients may or may not be safe.
- sapients in the Civilized Galaxy are usually (there are exceptions) subtly memegineered or cultivated in a way that furthers the transapient needs and through them the archailect's supporting ecology. This manipulation does not harm the sapients (in fact their lives are even happier), but conversely they are almost always unable to break free of it (apart from a few eccentrics, outsiders, etc)
- baseline human and other sapient individuals and civilizations can never ever succeed in deliberately overthrowing transapient and archailect empires
- sapient societies may on occasion unwittingly destabilise transapientech and godtech societies
- There is a toposophic pyramid, by analogy with trophic pyramid in ecology. Every higher sophont requires a larger number of lower sophonts to nourish (may simply be appreciation of their creativity) or to maintain em. Hence the transapients and/or archailects need sapients as a sort of ecological support structure, which is why they keep them (apart from any other reasons that may apply)
- most of the wormhole network - specifically the God Web - is owned by the archailects. Only a small proportion of it is retained by transapients and sapients; this is the Nexus. Most Non-Nexus wormholes are these scary things made and owned by high level archailects and not for sapient or even ordinary sapient use
- while the central polities are very efficient post scarcity nanotopias based on powerful but maintenance hungry ultra- and transapient-tech (drexlerian and above) and requiring incredibly advanced complexity management, the other polities, less powerful and competitive, use low maintenance tech (bionano etc).
- ultratech and transapient artifacts and devices can be found everywhere, but are rarer the further one is from where they are manufactured (in terms of trade routes, nexus links, etc)
- the average sophont lifespan in the Civilized Galaxy is about 1500 years. However there are individuals who have lived much longer. Lifespans natuarally tend to be a lot shorter in the less angelnetted and developed worlds. Even so, most people make backups and keep a copy of their genome at a safe repostitory, so even if your body is killed, you can still be cloned, if your family, your upload, or your transapient owner wishes
Paranormal, Esotericism, Mysticism, etc
- there are no "psionics" as traditionally portrayed (e.g. no B5 telepaths or psi corps, FTL ship pilot teleportation, Jean Grey of X-Men fame psychokinesis, etc)
- there are however Mystical experiences, deep Meditation states, Spiritual Experiences etc. What these are - genuine experiences of spiritual transcendence, interesting hallucinations or altered states of consciousness, whatever, is upto the individual OAer to decide, but even archailects are interested in them - e.g. the Sophic league is based on them
- there are also yogic sidddhis, extraordinary attainments by martial artists etc. It is upto the individual OAer if these are just some physical quirk, something authentic (e.g. ch'i energy as a distinct reality), cunning use of ultratech, and/or a clever memetic rumour
- there are also numerous accounts of paranormal phenoman, forteana, magick, visons, Out of Body experiences, etc etc etc. It is upto the the individual OAer to decide if these are genuine, the result of sneaky tech, or memetic hoaxes, or a combination.
- there are also things like in the essay Fillum's Proof
- some transapients are interested in these things (except for superhero or soft sci fi psionics which don't exist in this universe). It is upto the the individual OAer to decide if these transapients are interested in a genuine phenomonon, are deluded, or are engaging in some sort of meegineering or other intrigues, or any combination.
Note: it is not necessary that every unusual experience be explained!!! The essay on the Gift of Ginoie is a wonderful account of a cybertelepathic prank, but there are many cases of things like this that have never been explained to the authorities' satisfaction.
[que in creepy Outer Limits / Twilight Zone type music...]
Common Knowledge
- concerning sapient-comprehensible knowledge, there is a near limitless amount of information that can be accessed. This includes authentic facts, subtly memegineered information, and rumor.
- the details of transapient and higher sentients, societies, technology, and civilizations, are only dimly known and appreciated (sometimes not even that) by ordinary sapients
- translation protocols between different toposophic levels (especially from higher to lower toposophics (e.g. from transapient to sapients) or between clades of very different nature and posychology, are by their very nature imperfect, and this adds to the confusion of what is known by ordinary sapients
- Apart form a few trivial and superficial associations and anologies, what archailcets think, feel, and are in their essence is a mystery to ordinary sapients
- therefore most of what is known of transapients and archai is rumor, the same goes for what is reported from the Wilds is rumor, what is known of hiders and other secretive clades, factions, or civilizations, as well as esotericism and the paranormal, and many other subjects.
- therefore, in the Civilized Galaxy and beyond, there is much more rumor than fact. The rumor may or may not be based on authentic fact. Often these things are left ambigious. This ambiguity and openness to many interpretations is central to the OA setting; although there are also some hard known facts that are certain.
Adventures, RPG, Storytelling, etc
- the sophonts of the OA universe have hopes and desires, loves and hates, ambitions and dreams, just live people today
- there are no white hats and black hats, even the most sadistic villian has some noble and sympathetic qualities, even the most stainless hero some dispicable or cowardly attributes
- bad guys/the other team can shoot straight at least as often as good guys/your team can
- therefore, there are no armies of incompetant token bad guys waiting to be mown down by the hero as he fights his way past
- mysterious clarketech artifacts that just happen to be usable by baseline hu are very rare
