Biological Bots: What if We Are Engineering Earth for Someone Else?

Exploring the Possibility That Humanity's Greatest Innovation Might Not Be for US

If Einstein’s theory of general relativity holds throughout the universe and nothing can travel faster than the speed of light—about 670 million miles per hour (1.08 billion kilometers per hour)—then, while this speed might seem incredibly fast to us, it’s surprisingly slow from the universe’s perspective. For context, it would theoretically take light around 93 billion years to traverse the observable universe, assuming space itself isn’t expanding (though we know it is). This immense scale, coupled with the inherent dangers of space travel, makes it far more logical for us to send robots to planets like Mars to determine if they are habitable for humans. Robots are already on Mars conducting research, enduring the harsh conditions of space exploration, making them the ideal pioneers for such an ambitious endeavor. 

If the need for terraforming Mars occurred, we would deploy many specialized robots to alter the atmosphere, cultivate the soil, and generate sustainable ecosystems. Imagine millions—or even billions—of robots on Mars, all programmed to perform tasks that contribute to terraforming the planet for us. This scenario would turn Mars into a robot planet, raising intriguing questions: Would these robots be aware they are shaping what they think of as their world for another life form’s future use? Or might they come to see Mars as inherently theirs, unaware of the true purpose behind their mission?

I often wonder, what if we are unknowingly engineering Earth for another species, such as advanced AI robots? Imagine a scenario where these beings, in search of a new planet, decide against risking a perilous journey across the cosmos at the slow pace imposed by the speed of light. Instead, what if they sent asteroids filled with genetically programmed biological life to a distant world to initiate life on their behalf? By doing so, they could avoid space's vast, hazardous expanse, waiting for a species like humans to evolve, develop advanced technology, and eventually construct AI robots—effectively teleporting their presence to Earth. Once these robots are built, the AI could transfer or upload their consciousness from their home planet into these newly created robotic bodies on Earth, bypassing the dangers of space travel and making full use of a pre-prepared world.

DNA is like a zip drive, capable of storing extraordinary amounts of data in an incredibly compact space. For instance, one gram of DNA can theoretically hold about 215 petabytes of data (1 petabyte = 1 million gigabytes), making it one of the densest storage mediums known. Its remarkable efficiency and resilience allow DNA to remain stable even in the harsh environment of outer space, where it resists damage from cosmic radiation and ultraviolet exposure. This durability makes DNA a viable candidate for interstellar data transmission, potentially enabling advanced species to use it as a tool for seeding genetically programmed life on Earth. By embedding DNA within an asteroid, they could initiate the biological processes needed to engineer the planet, using the genetic blueprint to develop complex life forms capable of advancing Earth’s technological landscape and preparing it for future use by the life form that set this process in motion.

Perhaps dinosaurs were a mistake, and the asteroid that did away with them was deliberate—an attempt to “start over” by the same advanced life form that originally seeded Earth. It’s possible that this asteroid carried new genetic material, resetting the evolutionary process and allowing more advanced organisms like humans to eventually emerge. If Earth had been left under the dominion of dinosaurs, intelligent life as we know it might never have evolved, implying that this catastrophic event could have been part of a larger, intentional design to shape the planet into a habitat suitable for advanced, sentient life forms.

For those unfamiliar with genetic coding, it’s a marvel of complexity. Each of us is constructed from intricate sequences of DNA, which serve as the blueprint for our individuality. Just as computer software is encoded using combinations of zeros and ones, human DNA is written with four nucleotides, represented by the letters A, C, T, and G. Astonishingly, over three billion of these nucleotides are sequenced in unique combinations to form our genetic code. To put this in perspective, as geneticist Roger Wilson once explained, “If I were to read your DNA, reading one character every second, night and day, it would take 96 years just to read the description of you.” This profound complexity makes me wonder about the origins of our biological programming—where did this sophisticated code come from?

As we explore hypothetical ideas like this, we are reminded of the profound mysteries surrounding us. From the vastness of the universe and the speed limits imposed by the speed of light to the intricate coding of DNA that defines our very being, we find ourselves at the intersection of science and wonder. Could we be part of a larger, unfathomable plan, unknowingly preparing our world for a future we cannot yet conceive? Or is the complexity of life itself a cosmic accident, a result of countless random events unfolding over billions of years? The more we learn, the more we realize how much there is yet to understand. Perhaps that is the greatest marvel of all—the endless frontier of discovery that stretches before us, inviting us to explore, question, and marvel at the unknown. As we continue to seek answers, let us celebrate the beauty of not knowing, for in the mystery lies the spark of curiosity that drives us to explore the cosmos, the fabric of life, and the depths of our existence.

Being new to Substack, I’m excited to have a platform to share long-form articles like this one. I’ve got plenty more blogs in the works, so subscribe below if you want to read more. I hope you enjoyed this article; if you did, please let me know by hitting the like button. It’s a simple way to give writers positive feedback and inspire more writing. Thanks for reading! :)