[ExI] Interstellar FedEx.

[Anders Sandberg]

spike wrote:
> I have pondered the question in terms of what would be the minimum amount
> of
> matter and information required to spread sentient presence.
...
> How much information is required to do that, and how do we estimate the
> mass
> of the simplest replicator?

Great question! Freita's probe is a rather hefty upper limit guess,
involving a Daedalus type fusion probe.

The device would need to be able to 1) slow down from interstellar speeds,
2) find something to build of (i.e. needs some asteroid detector), 3) a
system for taking regolith and turn into useful stuff (a general
assembler) and 4) information to build a radio or laser antenna for Earth
communication.


-- 
Anders Sandberg,
Future of Humanity Institute
Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University