[extropy-chat] limits of computer feeling

[Eugen Leitl]

On Tue, Mar 13, 2007 at 07:37:55PM +1100, Stathis Papaioannou wrote:

>    No doubt, someone will try to regulate self-modification, but it is
>    interesting to speculate as to what would happen if it were allowed to

Frontiers are always unregulated. There will be plenty of experimentation.

>    develop unfettered. We would have to consider not only second order
>    desires but also third and higher order desires. For example, if
>    someone felt uncertain as to what they should desire, instead of
>    seeing a desire consultant they might simply nullify the uncomfortable
>    aspect of the uncertainty, rendering themselves confident and happy
>    with any decision they might make. I think the equilibrium point in

Nobody can bliss out forever ignoring the physical layer.

>    this process will ultimately be a computer heaven in which the
>    inhabitants experience maximum pleasure for no effort, as John K Clark
>    has suggested. However, it may be a long process before someone gets
>    to heaven, and there will always be at least the eccentrics who
>    deliberately limit their self-modification (perhaps by modifying
>    themselves so that they are never again tempted to modify themselves).
>    Moreover, even if everyone is in the heaven computer, there will be
>    either servitors who will maintain it, and will have blocks in place

If your computer is your body, why would you hire external craft
(cosmetologists?) to take care of it?

>    so they are not diverted from their goal. These servitors might
>    continue to explore the universe, or give rise to new transhumans who

"servitors might continue to explore the universe", well, I guess that
means that the meek won't inherit the Earth, but certainly the stars.
Where can I sign up as such a servitor?

>    will pursue this or other goals prior to self-modifying their way into
>    their final resting place.

You people have really strange future models. Darwinian systems never
converge to a static state. At best you'd get a Red Queen equilibrium.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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