[ExI] Virtual Reality is where the aliens are

[spike]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Keith Henson
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>>... The notion of required low-entropy energy reflection is based on 
> an assumption of passive cooling only, with no fluid flow heat transfer.
> Robert never liked that idea, for he was a big fan of (or believer in) 
> strong nanotech.

>...You lost me there.  The computation between the light receiving side and the radiator side can be anything from Apple IIs to the most advanced nanotech based computers possible without affecting the fundamental physics.  That is set by the Stefan–Boltzmann law...

Ja thanks Keith; I didn't make that very clear.  Robert and I branched in our thinking on MBrains.  He was thinking of MBrain nodes which are post-strong nanotech, and consequently was imagining very complex nodes.  I went down a different branch, by assuming (do suspend disbelief for this exercise) that we want to create a proto-MBrain using current (or clearly foreseeable) manufacturing technology and computing technology.  

To do something like that, we would perhaps set up a manufacturing plant on an asteroid, entirely autonomous and possibly remote control.  I am judging it unlikely we would be able to support human life there.  The asteroid-based plant would make the MBrain nodes using indigenous materials and launch them.  It doesn't take much delta V to get a node into interplanetary orbit from an asteroid.

Granted it would take a remarkable stretch in our space-technology to build something like an MBrain node factory on an asteroid, but given a sufficiently simple node, I think we could do it with currently-foreseeable technology.  Probably not with any design which requires active cooling, fluid flow, anything like that.

>>... If Skylon flies, we could start launching them in our lifetimes...

>...I am hard pressed to figure out why we would want to do this.

Use them to mine bitcoins?  I don't know Keith, but I can imagine if we can create some kind of space-based factory to set a few billion space based microprocessors going with no cost to us, we should be able to think of some use for that capability.  This could predate nanotech and uploading, could predate the singularity (assuming there is not some unknown unknown which precludes both uploading and the singularity (and do let us hope there are no fundamental reasons why those notions are impossible (for the sake of ourselves and our fellow cryonauts.))) 

>> ...Perhaps, but having everything in text has its advantages too.

>...You can run Skype in IRC mode and get text...Keith

Cool thanks, I was not aware of that.  Keith I am far too not hip on these modern tricks you young guys are using.

spike