[extropy-chat] A reflection on the simulation argument

[Samantha Atkins]

On Jan 18, 2005, at 5:48 AM, Dirk Bruere wrote:
>>
>>
> There is one very good reason to run sims.
> In a truly posthuman world there may well still be a requirement to 
> bring new intelligences into the society. Since the bulk of the action 
> in a posthuman soc is likely to be in simulation itself it makes sense 
> to 'evolve' new citizens. And one of the best sims (IMO) would be one 
> where normal sim Humans progress through the Singularity (as they did 
> in the real history) to become those posthuman 'new citizens'. It 
> allows those who run the sim to get a good look at their new citizens 
> and weed out the undesirables. I rather doubt that Saddam would make 
> the grade, for example.
>

I don't know about that.  I rather doubt that it would be useful toward 
evolving fresh intelligences to have them live only one simulated 
lifetime and that's it, win or lose.   Also I would bet that an 
intelligence with some strength and determination, although certainly 
screwed up in other ways, presents a bit more to work with than say a 
total non-entity.  But, not being post-human myself, I plead ignorance 
except to point out that it is extremely unlikely that our own 
sensibilities and opinions would be even close to the criteria used.

- samantha