[ExI] The Chess Room

[Spencer Campbell]

Will Steinberg <steinberg.will at gmail.com>:
> Inspired by Spencer, here is a "brief" summation for those who thought this
> was "tl" and so "dr".

The summation is less compelling, but more approachable! B++

Based on the logic presented here, I feel pretty well convinced that
it is accurate to speak of the earth (say) having a mind. However, I'd
also submit that that mind is unconscious. This may just be my
prejudice against non-verbal entities, though. There is a certain
correlation, here, with Ken Wilber's concept of the evolution of
consciousness.

I am making the implication that the earth could develop into a
conscious entity, whether or not it's converted to computronium first.
In fact, it ought to be possible without any visible technology to
speak of; we just have to get all the humans to act in a certain way.

I'm not sure exactly what that way is, though. China Brain is
cheating; that would only instantiate a new mind, whereas I want to
give a voice to a mind that already exists.  Benthic Violet (the
machine with a genius name) does something equivalent to
brain-scanning, and the jury is still out on that.

How do you talk to a thing made of seven billion people?