There was a theory back in the 80’s that the earth was a carbon based life form transitioning to a silicon based life form and that life on earth as we know it was the software development process. We would be gone but the earth would be part of a universal network of computer planets. I can’t remember the source but Ian M Banks was writing his culture novels around this time. It was also when the idea of the singularity emerged. What a time to be alive hey?