From: James Higgins (jameshiggins@earthlink.net)
Date: Wed Aug 01 2001 - 19:32:53 MDT
At 10:50 AM 8/1/2001 -0700, Durant Schoon wrote:
>Ok, it's time to ask if this scenario is more than a bad Sci-Fi
>plot. I think it relates to a class of problems such as:
>
>1) Should an SI spend time looking for other hidden AI's as soon
> as possible?
>2) Should an SI spend time looking for ET?
>3) Should an SI spend time trying to determine if it is already
> in a simulation?
>
>Of course only an SI should decide these things, but we as humans
>already pour resources into #2. Maybe the DOD spends money on #1.
>And #3...well, that's deliciously undetectable isn't it ;-)
All of the above? If it is truly an "SI", then these tasks should be
trivial for it (at least when comparing its ability to ours). It should be
able to spot #1 easily, since it is an SI looking for AIs. If there has
been contact, #2 should be simple since it should be easy an SI to get the
real truth out of any human. If there has not been any contact, #2 would
be incredibly difficult if they didn't want to be found since they are
likely to either be or have SIs themselves. The last one could be a piece
of cake for an SI, or maybe not. Heck if #3 is true, creating an SI either
may not be possible at all or it may halt the simulation (god, I hope that
isn't it). Or the goal of the simulation may have been to produce an
SI! Do yourself a favor, don't get me started on #3.
James Higgins
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