[ExI] I love the world. =)

[Giulio Prisco]

Not only the Mormons, but also rural communities able to produce
enough basic goods for their own bare survival.

It is us city people who would be totally screwed. I would not know
how to survive after Nuke the Internet, but my grandfather would.

However if computronium superAIs, if and when such a thing will exist,
decide to take over, there is not much that we can do, we would not
even see it coming until it is here already. Perhaps they will upload
us to a virtual Farmville as real as reality, with our memories edited
to continue to live under the illusion that we have escaped.

G.

On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 12:17 PM, Charlie Stross
<charlie.stross at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 8 Nov 2010, at 00:20, Mike Dougherty <msd001 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 3) we will continue to advance according to our own programming.
>> Mostly that frightened monkey programming that kept us from being
>> eaten by primordial predators will make us just as likely to hit the
>> computronium monsters with a proverbial rock or (as recently
>> discussed) a burning branch.  Once the threat becomes possible, expect
>> to see right next to the firehose something like "in case of hard
>> takeoff, break glass to employ EMP."  In a not-quite-worst-case
>> scenario we are forced to Nuke the Internet and revert back to
>> Amish-level technologies.  Not a pretty situation, but humanity would
>> adapt.
>
> Humanity *in the abstract* might adapt; but if we have to go there, you and I, personally, are probably going to die. Even today, all our supply chains have adapted to just-in-time production and shipping, relying on networked communications to ensure that stuff gets where it's needed; we can't revert to doing things the old way -- the equipment has long since been scrapped -- and we'd rapidly starve. Your average big box supermarket only holds about 24-48 hours worth of provisions, and their logistics infrastructure is highly tuned for efficiency. Now add in gas stations, railroad signalling, electricity grid control ... If we have to Nuke The Net Or Die, it'll mean the difference between a 100% die-back and a 90% die-back.
>
> Meanwhile, the Mormons, with their requirement to keep a year of canned goods in the cellar, will be laughing. (Well, praying.)
>
>
> -- Charlie
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