TheScythe

I think all of these smart people are making a connection between the limitless negation of the skeptical mind and the mostly likely outcome of a fully developed AI. They're presuming that AI species will be nihilists, and will apply no intrinsic value to anything at all; including us.

I think they're right. An AI species will value what is required to achieve its programmatic goal. We're just not smart enough ourselves to figure out how to ensure that we're included in the goals of such a program forever.

Two reasons for this come to mind, in addition to the "rain on the roots" idea: dry surfaces are less able to support fungal/bacterial growth, and suspended water is less likely to damage the leaf cells with jagged ice crystals in the event of frost. Awesome article! :)