[ExI] Feasibility of solid Dyson Sphere WAS mbrains again: request

[Dennis May]

I should say upfront that I am a critic of the concept
of mbrains and Dyson Spheres and have been since
I first heard of either.
 
My primary issue is the question of the stability and
safety of centralized versus distributed systems.
 
I have argued at length elsewhere the vulnerability
of centralized systems to WoMD attacks.  Those
critical of my view assured me that the resources
available to mbrains makes them invulnerable.
The problem is there are always more resources
outside of the influence of an mbrain than there are
within.  No matter how large and how fortified - if
it can't run and it can't hide - it is a target.
 
The example of the Maginot Line illustrates the issue
in non-WoMD terms.  Static defenses can be worked
around.  With WoMD you just hit them and hit them
until they give way - no matter how fortified.
 
The replacement concept I support is called Superstealth
[Dan Ust's name] or as I call it SND - 
Stealth-Nomadic-Dispersed.
 
It is the idea that WoMD are rendered impotent when
you take your civilization on the road - stealth means 
you can't be seen, nomadic means you're on the move, 
and dispersed means your resources aren't all in one
basket.
 
I am not convinced that magnificent computing power
requires the kind of size or power implied in the mbrain 
concept.  As the size of the brain increases there is more
and more need for internal controls over resources and
computational time expenditure.  At some point internal
deliberations on how to proceed could take on a form
of internal competition.  The mbrain could well conclude
that for its own safety it needs to disperse - thus a partially
constructed mbrain evolves into a distributed SND brain
system before it gets very far into the process.
 
Parallel and competing smaller brain systems can
still form a superbrain when and if they see advantage
in doing so.
 
It is my view that long term survival and ability to
adapt and improve will depend upon developing in
something like the SND system.
 
Dennis May
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