Speaking broadly, I think people underestimate the tractability of this class of work, since we’re already doing this sort of inquiry under different labels. E.g.,
Nick Bostrom coined, and Roman Yampolskiy has followed up on, the Simulation Hypothesis, which is ultimately a Deist frame;
I and others have written various inquiries about the neuroscience of Buddhist states (“neuroscience of enlightenment” type work);
Robin Hanson has coined and offered various arguments around the Great Filter.
In large part, I don’t think these have been supported as longtermist projects, but it seems likely to me that there‘s value in pulling these strings, and each is at least directly adjacent to theological inquiry.
Speaking broadly, I think people underestimate the tractability of this class of work, since we’re already doing this sort of inquiry under different labels. E.g.,
Nick Bostrom coined, and Roman Yampolskiy has followed up on, the Simulation Hypothesis, which is ultimately a Deist frame;
I and others have written various inquiries about the neuroscience of Buddhist states (“neuroscience of enlightenment” type work);
Robin Hanson has coined and offered various arguments around the Great Filter.
In large part, I don’t think these have been supported as longtermist projects, but it seems likely to me that there‘s value in pulling these strings, and each is at least directly adjacent to theological inquiry.