[extropy-chat] Space: The Final Constraint

Lee Corbin lcorbin at tsoft.com
Tue Jun 13 11:08:02 UTC 2006


Well, so long as I'm fired up, let me add this to what I just said:

> But it's entirely a different matter what we *approve* of. And I don't
> think that anyone answered Rafal's question above. What if you can replace
> the entire Antarctic with computronium running 10^33 people per cubic meter?
> 
> I know---to many, that seems utterly horrific. Yet we talk at the same time
> about the possibility that we're living in simulations. Well, as such *we*
> ought to be able to continue our lives---or to get lives in the first place!

Ah!  But *why* is it horrific?  That is, why would gray, ugly uniform mile-high
blocks of computronium (or even Pentiums) appall so many people?  Well, I'll
tell you!

It's because they personally like the way the Arctic (or your favorite woodland
*appears*) looks! That is, they like the way that photons get bounced off these 
particular objects into their eyes, and they aesthetically disapprove of the
way the dull, apparently lifeless blocks of computronium look.

But this is simply a failure to distinguish appearance from reality!
The *reality* would be that of trillions of trillions of trillions of
people living wonderful lives in VR (e.g. as the happiest among us
now so live). That is what is *really* going on among those ugly
monoliths of silicon (or computronium).

Hell, if you so badly *want* to receive photons and phonons that 
depict birds chirping happily in a green woodland, then please do
so. But do not demand that untold trillions of people don't get
to live because you need so damned much matter to reflect those
photons! There are less expensive ways for you to get your fix.

(Besides---don't forget appearance vs. reality again. The "happy"
chirping of birds in reality are rather brutal territorial dominance
games that are key to their survival. But, sigh, I'm afraid that
logic is never any match for symbolism, imagery, and dare I finally
say it..., no I don't dare say it!)

Okay, so housing developments aren't as pretty as deserts and mountain
vistas. But can't we use space in the ways that---appearances to the
contrary---most deeply resonate with our true values?

Lee

P.S. And on a lighter note, space is not really conserved. A tiny bit
of new volume is created all the time by our little friends, the
wonderful, ever so hardworking and tireless virtual particle pairs,
who bring us ever more tidbits of new space via vacuum energy!   :-)




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