[ExI] Space Gnats (Was: Re: Gold)

[BillK]

On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 3:06 PM, Ben Zaiboc wrote:
> Indeed, and one of the best things about it is, once you're solid-state, and once the
> infrastructure is in place, you can literally travel at the speed of light.
>
> That will be an interesting and strange scenario:  Matter being s-l-o-w-l-y shifted around
> the solar system, like elephants hauling felled logs, while minds can flit between them
> like gnats.  Space gnats.
>
> Is this feasible?  Or have I been reading too much Greg Egan?  (would the power and
> other requirements be too high to make beaming minds around the place, encoded
> on lasers, a practical thing?)
>
>

I like the idea, but solid-state doesn't mean you can travel at the
speed of light.
Solid means a solid block with no moving parts, except the electrons
(photons?) inside.

So you still have to find the power to drive a block up to high speeds
and slow it down at the far end.

But your idea of intelligences travelling at light speed might still
be feasible if the computronium block was sent on ahead and waited for
the mind to be lasered across the solar system into it. If your
standard Type 1483 mind bricks were scattered around, then minds might
be able to connect to empty bricks and move at light speed, leaving an
empty brick behind for someone else.


BillK