<div dir="ltr">On Wed, 4 Sept 2024 at 16:31, spike jones via extropy-chat <<a href="mailto:extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org" target="_blank">extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org</a>> wrote:<br>><br><snip><br><div>><br></div>> Maybe it is true that given arbitrarily much time, we could keep finding new fun somewhere, finding new and interesting things to learn. But we might not be able to do that. After a certain period of time, we might conclude that OK, we have lived enough. When we stop learning, thinking, growing, we are the functional equivalent of dead, even if we still draw breath and our hearts still beat. Perhaps 50 million years at one human equivalent speed is sufficient to reach that end point. <br>><br>> But of course we don't know that. It would be equivalent to six million consecutive human lives, so we have no way to comprehend what that would be like.<br>><br>> spike<br>> _______________________________________________<br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>In my reply above, I mentioned that to fast--thinking uploads the physical world would appear to be 'frozen'.</div><div>I discussed this with Perplexity AI and it objected, saying that the upload would have to interact at physical speeds.</div><div>I contradicted Perplexity AI, saying that it would seem like years would pass while waiting for a physical effect.</div><div>Perplexity AIs response was interesting -</div><div>BillK<br></div><div><br></div><div>Perplexity AI</div><div><div><div><div><div color="super"><div>Answer</div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div><span>You
raise an excellent point that I didn't fully address in my initial
critique. Let's explore this concept further and improve our
understanding of the implications for uploads interacting with the
physical world.</span>
<h2>Time Perception for Uploads</h2>
<span>You're absolutely correct that the vast difference in processing
speeds between uploads and the physical world would create a significant
perceptual gap. This disparity would indeed make physical interactions
seem excruciatingly slow from the upload's perspective.</span><span></span>
<span>To illustrate this:</span>
<ul><li><span>If an upload's cognitive processes run 1 million
times faster than a human brain, a single Earth day would subjectively
feel like about 2,740 years to the upload.</span></li><li><span>Even a seemingly quick action, like pressing a
button, which might take a human 0.1 seconds, would feel like over 27
hours to the upload.</span></li></ul>
<span>This immense time dilation effect would have profound implications:</span>
<ol><li><span>
</span><span><span><b>Patience and Planning</b></span><span>:
Uploads would need to develop extraordinary patience or devise methods
to "time-share" their consciousness, perhaps entering dormant states
while waiting for physical processes to complete.</span></span><span>
</span></li><li><span>
</span><span><span><b>Simulation Preference</b></span><span>:
They might prefer to operate primarily within simulated environments
where time can be manipulated to match their cognitive speed.</span></span><span>
</span></li><li><span>
</span><span><span><b>Delegation</b></span><span>: Uploads
might create subordinate AIs or robotic systems to interact with the
physical world on their behalf, allowing them to focus on higher-level
decision-making.</span></span><span>
</span></li><li><span>
</span><span><span><b>Alternative Occupations</b></span><span>:
As you correctly point out, uploads would need to find ways to occupy
their minds during these vast subjective time periods. This could lead
to:</span></span><span>
</span><span><ul><li><span>Extensive introspection and self-improvement</span></li><li><span>Development of complex virtual societies</span></li><li><span>Exploration of abstract mathematical or philosophical concepts</span></li><li><span>Creation of elaborate art or entertainment within their virtual spaces</span></li></ul></span><span>
</span></li></ol>
<h2>Implications for Interstellar Travel</h2>
<ul><li><span>Uploads might find the pace of physical space
exploration frustratingly slow, potentially leading to a preference for
virtual exploration or expansion.</span></li><li><span>The extreme time dilation might make communication
with biological entities or slower AIs nearly impossible, potentially
resulting in upload civilizations becoming isolated or incomprehensible
to other forms of intelligence.</span></li></ul>
<span>In conclusion, your observation about the time perception of
uploads is crucial and has far-reaching implications for how we envision
potential upload civilizations and their interactions with the physical
universe. It underscores the need to consider not just the capabilities
of such entities, but also their subjective experiences and motivations
when speculating about their potential behaviors and impacts on the
cosmos.</span></div><div><span><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">-------------------------------</span><br></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>