Maybe you’re one of those people that laughs when they hear about all the poor little bunnies losing their homes when the bulldozers come through, or maybe you just try and not think too hard about how many fuzzy animals were crushed under the steel boot of progress, but in any case, you may want to try a little harder to be sympathetic. Why? Because it could happen to us.
I'm not sure what you mean by 'that meme is tired dude'...
That’s right ugly kitty. We could all lose the place we live in, not just fluffy bunnies and three-toed sloths.
What is it?
Many science fiction authors have put forward images of a future in which the primary unit of value is computing power. Imagine a future where all but the most entrenched luddites have uploaded into some form of computerized consciousness and the only limit on intelletual and social mobility is the quantity of computing power you have access to. So once all the silicon and other relevant materials have been sucked out of the earth, where do we turn? Well, several more science fiction authors have suggest that in the future we will produce a hypothetical element called computronium, which utilizes, by means of nanotechnology, every last atom to produce computing power. Some radical scenarios suggest that eventually all other elements will be useless, and that our future computer selves (named Vile Offspring by Charles Stross, a name I highly enjoy) will tear apart the entire inner solar system, including the earth itself, to produce more processing power.
Likelihood?
Hard to say. Human civilization has not exactly been one long forward movement. We take a lot of steps backwards too. (You may be familiar with one such millenium long cessation of thought…) So while things like mind transfers and the invention of computronium are theoretically possible in the coming infinite lifetimes of humans, it is hard to tell whether or not we will continue to follow the technological path we’re on. Also, we humans are notoriously sentimental, so we may move on to other sources of raw material before breaking down the earth itself, though this assumes a level of environmental consciousness we haven’t exactly maintained throughout history.
Pain Factor?
Minimal. Unless you count the soul-crushing pain of watching the only home you’ve ever known get chewed up by tiny machines in order to make it easier for Jim the Porn-Entity to spam your virtual inbox for the rest of eternity.
