There is a qualitative difference between human intelligence and the intelligence of a water molecule. I can imagine ways that we could be more intelligent, but it would seem like a completely different kind of thing from our point of view. Chris A says had Bolsonaro been reelected in Brazil, would it have been ethical to assassinate him to prevent his continued wanton destruction of the Brazilian rainforest on which so much of the world's biological diversity depends? "I don't think that any current leader of a country is quite in that category"
Welcome to the November 2022 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by Patreon supporters (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number — based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questions themselves are good — and sometimes group them together if they are about a similar topic. Enjoy!
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