[ExI] far future

[Anders Sandberg]

On 2014-01-07 22:26, William Flynn Wallace wrote:
> The reason the narrator goes to the future is to learn what changes 
> have been made, and ultimately to vote on them along with the future 
> persons.
...
> I am asking all of you for the same reason that the future people are 
> asking the narrator:  is this it?  The best we can be?  For example, 
> since all future people are neither very introverted or very 
> extroverted, could there be reasons for creating such?  Or take any 
> other psych or physical trait.  Is it the best idea to have people 
> mostly the same so there is no comparison, no one-upping one another?  
> Since there is no violence more variety might not be a problem.  Might.

So why don't they try it out? Isn't there room for experimentation, or 
if anything else, simulation?

If they can bring the narrator to the future, can't they check their own 
future, adjusting things until it looks good?

Generally, when solving problems diverse groups do better than 
homogeneous groups. So if there are problems that need to be solved - 
including emergent unexpected disasters that cannot be predicted - it is 
better to have a variety of cognitive styles represented. They ensure 
that more of the problem space has at least one mind that is 
particularly good at solving problems in that spot.

-- 
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University