From: Robert Owen (rowen@technologist.com)
Date: Sun Mar 19 2000 - 20:54:18 MST
Damien Broderick wrote:
> At 02:15 PM 19/03/00 -0500, Bob Owen wrote:
>
> >> 6) What is the probability that an amoral, self-evolving, self-replicating
> >> AI/Alife can develop and "breakout" by accident? { After all, the
> >> computers and the net *are* an environmental niche... }
>
> >29.
>
> That is incoherent. Probabilities only range from 0 => 1.00.
>
> Damien
> [don't you hate it when someone gets rigorous about a throwaway joke?]
Yes, so it is. Well, then, we'll have to fix that up, for one thing.
Then, I have to see if I'm feeling any "hatred" in a bit.
You see, I have the same relationship with numbers and math-
ematical notation as Humpty did with words. I think I quoted
him to that effect further down, didn't I? Quantities are just
as avaricious, or I guess mercenary, as words and molecules,
so its not hard to get them to bend a little if the price is right.
Let's see, what do I prefer? "A" or "B" ? Yes, that will do just
fine.
Now, about the "hatred" -- there's nothing there at all, Damien,
not even "unhatred". Nothing at all.
Hope this helps,
Bob
P.S. You just reminded me, I've got to change my sig.txt --
this was pointed out to me by another helpful person --
57 is not a percentage, it's the number in the street address
of my residence, not the Institute. I wrote to my other
friend as follows:
<I'm in my office at work right now -- oh, and by the way, the sig.txt to
be strictly correct should appear as:
Robert M. Owen
Director, Orion Institute
57 West Morgan Street
Brevard, NC 28712-3659
In other words, this is my home address. I just preferred the slope or
slant of the right carriage return points. Taking out the "The" makes
the line created by these points about 30 degrees or so. And look,
substituting a monogram is even better ??????? What on Alpha Orionis
am I fiddling with this for ????????? Whimsy, I suppose.
I MUST finish the White Paper I'm working on, which will take several
more hours. I'll send this now, and return to our conversation then.>
Bob
=======================
RMO
Director
Orion Institute
57 W. Morgan Street
Brevard, NC 28712-3659 USA
=======================
=======================
Robert M. Owen
Director
The Orion Institute
57 W. Morgan Street
Brevard, NC 28712-3659 USA
=======================
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