to me, technological complexity seems inversely correlated to longevity. Our civilization will likely kick the bucket by the end of the century, largely because of our industrial technology. Our survival hinges on a complete reversal of our carbon emissions within the decade, which, given what we know about human behavior, is pretty much impossible<br><br>Also, the longest lived cultures on Earth have been non-industrial, non-agricultural communities. Whereas, all empires either quickly destroyed themselves or changed beyond recognition. The longest lived civilization within the galaxy is almost certainly smart enough to treat interstellar colonization and technology as a fool's errand. Main example, the other intelligent species on the planet who don't feel our recent compulsion for civilization (dolphins, cephalopods, whales, etc.)