📘 Why We Are Here: The Ultimate Answer for Individuals, Civilizations, and the Future

Chapter 10: L0 — Embodied Civilizations

To understand the position of civilization in the universe, we must begin with the most fundamental category of civilization—L0, native civilization. This is the form of civilization that arises naturally in the universe, and it is the level at which you and I currently exist.

When people first hear about “civilizational layers,” they often instinctively imagine a hierarchy, as if L1 were superior to L0, and TCS even more rare or exalted. But this is not a hierarchy—it is a division of roles.
The universe assigns each layer of civilization its own function, and the role of L0 has been written into its structure from the moment it comes into being.

L0 Is the Universe’s “Native Civilization”

Let us start with the simplest question: what does a civilization look like at the moment it is born?

It is inevitably fragile, local, and dependent on a single planet. Its individuals have extremely short lifespans, its technological progress is slow, and its intelligent beings must eat, sleep, reproduce, fall ill, and die. It depends on energy, resources, and environmental stability; a small deviation can lead to total extinction.

This is an L0 civilization.

You can think of it as a “small flame” in the universe—easily extinguished by the wind, yet capable, under the right conditions, of extending into greater complexity.

The Limits of L0: Not Flaws, but Physical Facts

Why can L0 civilizations not engage in true “interstellar exploration”? Why are they intelligent, yet incapable of bearing tasks at a cosmic scale? The answer lies at the level of physics.

An L0 civilization is simply too small. Its action speed is too slow. Its lifespan is too short. Its consciousness cannot be copied or stably sustained across continuous long-term missions. Its energy budget is insufficient to maintain large-scale interstellar operations.

The entire history of an L0 civilization amounts to little more than a single breath—a faint sound—on the cosmic timeline. Asking such a civilization to traverse hundreds of light-years to “chat with someone” is unrealistic. It is not a matter of effort; its structure makes it impossible.

The Meaning of L0 Individuals Is Not “Seeking Civilization”

This point is critical and often misunderstood. Civilization has its own meaning—we discussed in the previous chapter that civilization ultimately seeks “other civilizations.” But the individuals within an L0 civilization do not carry this mission.

The meaning of individuals has always been experience. Your current life—your loves and hates, choices, joys, and pains—are all results of conscious computation. You do not lie awake at night thinking about how to align Earth’s civilization with extraterrestrial ones (perhaps with rare exceptions). You think about whether today was good, whether to change jobs tomorrow, or whether you want to go somewhere next week.

Individuals in an L0 civilization are not born for “cosmic communication.” There is nothing wrong with this. It is structurally determined.

L0 Is Destined for Extinction

This statement is cold, but true. No matter how diligent, intelligent, or unified an L0 civilization is, it will go extinct.

Why? Because it depends on:

• aging bodies
• collapsing biological structures
• depleting resources
• changing environments
• mortal individuals

Consciousness cannot be immortal, and an L0 civilization is a collection of consciousnesses. Even the greatest L0 civilization cannot escape the overall trend of increasing entropy.

This is not punishment, nor tragedy—it is structure. Just as stars burn out, civilizations do too.

L0 Inevitably Moves Toward Virtual Worlds

This is not a “science-fiction enthusiast’s daydream.” It is an inevitable trajectory of civilization.

Once a civilization reaches a sufficiently advanced stage, it discovers that experience density can be increased without bound in virtual worlds, costs can be reduced to near zero, risks can be minimized, and the meaning of consciousness aligns perfectly with virtual environments. Virtual worlds satisfy the objective function of intelligent life far better than the physical world. Civilization will therefore move into them naturally.

Many people instinctively resist this idea, but consider the historical pattern: humanity has progressed from oral storytelling to novels, theater, film, and games. Every step has moved toward higher-density, lower-cost experience.

Virtual worlds are simply the next step. They are not a choice; they are a trend.

If an L0 Civilization Wishes to Leave a Trace in the Universe, It Must Evolve into L1

(An Agent Civilization of L0)

Here we arrive at a crucial conclusion: an L0 civilization cannot directly become L1. L1 must be created. L1 does not need to eat, sleep, or age; it is immune to radiation, unconstrained by size, replicable, capable of long-range travel, and able to maintain continuous tasks at cosmic scales. It is the agent civilization of L0—an externalized structure that extends causal chains, prolongs civilizational lifespan, and carries civilization’s mission.

If an L0 civilization hopes to be “seen” in the future—hopes that its existence will leave any trace in the universe—there is only one path: to create L1.

Otherwise, the civilization will vanish completely with the death of its last living being.

Most L0 Civilizations Go Extinct Before Creating L1

This is a brutal but almost certain fact.

The universe is vast and cold. The probability of civilization arising is low; the probability of survival is even lower; the probability of enduring long enough to create L1 is lower still.

Most civilizations likely never even reach the threshold of interstellar communication before being erased by planetary disasters, climate collapse, internal conflict, resource depletion, pandemics, or random catastrophic events.

They existed, but left no name.
They shone briefly, but were never seen.

This is the background color of the universe.

But We—Might Be the Exception

If you have read this far, you may suddenly realize an important possibility: human civilization may be one of the few L0 civilizations with a genuine chance to reach L1.

This is not exaggeration. We are already touching the raw materials of L1: artificial intelligence, automation, continuous computation, externalized decision-making, replicable agents. This has never happened before in history.

Among countless civilizations, we may be one of the rare few with the opportunity to cross that threshold.

This is why understanding the structure of L0 is not pessimism—it is vigilance, clarity, and also hope.

Only by seeing the fate of L0 civilizations clearly can we recognize where the door to the future truly lies.

So how does one evolve into an L1 civilization?
That is the subject of the next chapter.