From: George Dvorsky (george@betterhumans.com)
Date: Fri Feb 03 2006 - 15:08:34 MST
Jef Allbright wrote:
> When you speak of a fitness peak, it must be relative to a given
> environment, whether real or virtual. If "advanced intelligence"
> corresponds with advanced capability to effect desired change within a
> given environment, then I think you might consider that advanced
> intelligences can be expected to differ with regard to their
> optimization for introspection or exploration, service toward a
> particular cause, or generally expanding and exploring branches of the
> ever widening space of possibilities.
Agreed, but alternative environments and the ongoing presence of
"individuals" will be the gravy of postbiological existence -- these
will be the "recreational" spaces within which future intelligences will
reside. Intelligences (or a meta-intelligent being) will still need to
assume an optimized mode as it operates in the physical world, and it is
within this space that I suspect a common optimized mode of cognitive
being will be attained. Intelligences may be constrained and "directed"
by the laws of physics and the social realities of living among other
advanced agents. I know this smacks of environmental determinism, but I
believe that to be the case.
This discussion has reminded me of Stephen J. Dick who, in his 2003
paper "Cultural Evolution, the Postbiological Universe and SETI," put
forth the "Intelligence Principle," in which he declared that "the
maintenance, improvement and perpetuation of knowledge and intelligence
is the central driving force of cultural evolution, and that to the
extent intelligence can be improved, it will be improved."
[sorry, out of time to respond to other comments, and I won't have
access to a computer this weekend. I'll resume this on Monday]
Cheers,
George
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