From: Marc Geddes (marc_geddes@yahoo.co.nz)
Date: Thu Nov 21 2002 - 20:42:42 MST
Hello All!
Joining SL4 to indicate support for 'Singularity
Institute' and the quest to build 'Friendly A.I'.
I've always been interested in the big questions:
philosophy - especially metaphysics, cosmology and
physics were my main interest before A.I. I thought
I'd share a few ideas, which summarize the 'theory'
I'm working off.
I think there are 4 'key's to reality. INFORMATION,
REFLECTION, TIME and TELOS, these are the 4 keys to
the whole of reality. These four aspects of existence
are no where absent from any part of reality. There
is nothing that cannot be described by these 4
elements. Information is the raw ingredient of
existence, it is a mathematical network consisting of
every formal system which is logically possible.
(It's also infinite) But such a 'jumble' of
information by itself cannot exist.. Reflection is
the process through which reality 'Filters'
information into 'units' - this gives rise to 'mind'
or consciousness. (Self-reflection). Reflection
refers to the fact that reality is comprehensible -
consciousness is simply another word for
'comprehensiveness'. Time is causality - it's the
physical expression of 'mathematical consistency' :
'Causality' and 'Consistency' are actually the same
thing. And finally we have Telos. Telos is the goal
or purpose to which reality is geared: that goal is
'meaning' or comprehension. To create meaning is the
very purpose of mind. 'Meaning' is the equivalent of
the mathematical sense of 'completeness'. Recap:
Information = Essence of mathematics ('ground state'
of physical reality)
Reflection = Mathematical comprehensiveness
('consciousness' or mind)
Time = Mathematical consistency. (Physical
causality)
Tells = Mathematical completeness. (Striving for
infinity, creation of 'meaning')
I think a close correspondence can be drawn between
these 4 levels of reality and the 'levels' of mind
suggested by Eliezer for a general purpose A.I.
Here's the correspondence:
Information = Modalities.
Reflection =Concepts
Time =Thoughts
Telos =Deliberation
In an interview available online Eliezer asked 4
questions about the meaning of life that he said he'd
most like to know the answers to. I thought I'd take
a crack at answering them. So here are my answers:
Q / Why is there something instead of nothing?
A/ The mere possibility of a mathematical structure
that is consistent, complete and comprehensible is
sufficient to ensure its existence. Reality created
itself and is a completely self-contained system
compelling enough to 'bootstrap' it's own existence.
The 4 aspects of reality are Information, Reflection,
Time and Telos and they are the manifestations of pure
math corresponding to Essence, Comprehensiveness,
Consistency and Completeness. Reality itself is
single giant computation that is the complete
explanation as to why there is something rather than
nothing.
Q / What the heck are qualia?
A/ Qualia is a term referring to the 'Reflection'
aspect of Reality. 'Awareness', 'Consciousness',
'Self-Reflection' are terms referring to the
manifestation of the mathematical property of
"Comprehensiveness". There is no aspect of reality
that cannot be completely represented by a finite
formal system. This is the explanation for the
existence of consciousness.
Q / What's up with the Fermi Paradox?
A/ The emergence of intelligent life in the universe
was inevitable and once intelligent life comes into
existence it cannot die out. Intelligent life is
destined to spread across the whole of reality. These
facts follow from the 4 levels of reality:
Information, Reflection, Time and Telos. The
corresponding mathematical conditions cannot be
satisfied without intelligent life taking control of
the whole of reality. But observations prove that
only natural processes are at work in the region of
the universe surrounding Earth. This proves that
humans are the first intelligent life forms to exist.
We are alone in the universe.
Q / If the Meaning of Life isn't volition-based
Friendliness, what is it and why?
A/ The meaning of life is established by the 'Telos'
level of reality. The purpose of 'mind' is to create
'meaning' sufficient to satisfy the mathematical sense
of the term 'completeness'. (Incidentally 'mind' is
no where missing from any part of reality).
That's enough for now. Just a little taste of the
'cherry' of my Reality Theory. ;)
=====
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