[ExI] for the fermi paradox fans

[BillK]

On Sat, Jun 7, 2014 at 12:06 AM, Anders Sandberg wrote:
> I also semi-believe in the Lovecraft Hypothesis (it is at least in my top
> three). My reason is the thermodynamics of computing: at least error
> correction requires kTln2 J per bit, which is proportional to temperature.
> The lowest temperature you can get today without expending energy on cooling
> is 3 K. Wait long enough and it will be much lower. So if you have X Joule
> of energy stored as mass, using them now will give you many orders of
> magnitude less than if you wait a trillion years. Eventually the temperature
> levels off due to horizon radiation, but that is very far ahead. So my idea
> is that the Great Old Ones are quietly sleeping until the stars are right
> (i.e. turned off).
>

That is a nice idea, but it doesn't sound right to me.
If an intelligence is running in computronium at high clock speeds,
effectively the outside world freezes. I can't see them switching off
till the stars die. To them, that would be switching off for eternity.

Obviously they will optimize their computing to get the best bang for
their buck and minimise wasted energy. So they will probably compute
using nanotechnology, rather differently to the way we do at present.

I speculate along the same direction as Keith. The intelligence
speedup makes the outside world really boring. They live in virtual
worlds where they are gods and entertain themselves to death.

BillK