[extropy-chat] In the Long Run, How Much Does Intelligence Dominate Space?

[Robin Hanson]

At 11:38 PM 7/6/2006, Lee Corbin wrote:
> > Among the usual variation around us it is not hard to identify
> > "single entities".
> > But among the sort of variation we imagine for future creatures, I find it
> > much harder to figure out that "single entity" means.   So like Damien, I
> > prefer to use terminology, like coordination scale, that seems more
> > robust in such situations.
>
>... in the organizations that seem most capable of dominating their
>environment, intelligence is focused in responsible individuals.  ... we
>do notnattribute much intelligence to genes or groups. ...
>A single owner, for example, of a vast ranch may delegate tasks, but he
>conceives of the whole place as his personal fiefdom.
>... I still cannot imagine a loosely
>composed entity being capable of sustaining itself against a centrally
>composed one. Hence I do not see selection ultimately favoring loose
>entities "coordinated at other scales".
>Of course, "nations" spring to mind, ... an actual plan of
>a nation will be understood and orders issued from the level of certain
>of its highly intelligent units, namely people.

I don't think you appreciate the possible complexities.   I'm saying 
that if I look
at a complex future world, I'm not sure how to divide it up into "individuals."



Robin Hanson  rhanson at gmu.edu  http://hanson.gmu.edu
Associate Professor of Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326  FAX: 703-993-2323