[ExI] is a FTL drive a dream without any physics to back it up?

[Stefano Vaj]

On 14 December 2011 10:30, Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:

> Space will never belong to monkeys. Convert to solid state, and enjoy
> your relativistic ride at whatever duty cycle you want.
>

I have always been perplexed by the solution hinted here.

We have known for a while now that more or less everything (starting from
the level of complexity of Wolfram's automata) computes things, and that
the real difference between the original IBM PC, a Chinese Room, a human
brain and a godlike computronium Jupiter brain is essentially one of
performance at a given task.

So, the most plausible reason to convert to solid state (besides
immortality, etc.) or to develop AIs is to compute faster - which in turn
means to live and think at a faster pace.

What would be the point if we were to deliberately slow down our subjective
time? If we object to those opposed to life-extension research that there
is no real reason why one should get more bored in a 1000 years lifespan
than one does in a 80 years one, the same would apply to hyperfast
"intelligence" emulation.

So, for interstellar travelling, a FTL one day's journey - lasting, say,
10,000 subjective years anyway to a superfast AI - would be neither less
nor more boring for it than a relativistic 50 years' one.

If boredom was the problem we would indeed be better off by sending a few
frozen monkeys...

-- 
Stefano Vaj
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