From: Chris Hibbert (hibbert@netcom.com)
Date: Fri Jul 13 2001 - 00:18:33 MDT
In response to my comment
> By the time
> people (or at least I) will be willing to move in, the resolution will be
> as good as you want. But someone will have to have made a choice about
> which moment in the lifetime of the rock to recreate, and at what rate to
> let it erode, if at all.
Brian Atkins wrote:
> That "someone" will be you. And you can, if you want, climb a simulated
> mountain that is an exact, down to every little micro-crack, copy of a
> current mountain on the real Earth in realtime. In other words you can
> import the real world in its current state into your VR, no problemo.
But if I can do all of that, what would be the point of it? If and when
the attractions of life within are too great, I'll give up my old ways.
But I like the reality of life as it is. I won't be going in because I
can climb different mountains, or because I can choose to climb any
mountain at any point in its history. I surely won't go in and select
the "potentially fatal consequences" version. I'll go in because that's
where the people are, or that's where the interesting challenges are.
But I predict that when I do, I'll stop climbing. I accept the
"potentially fatal consequences" because it's inseparably part of the
experience. It's a reinforcement to keep a certain kind of honesty as
you climb. When I climb indoors, that rule is suspended, and that makes
it a very different sport.
For those of you have are familiar with Marc Stiegler's "The Gentle
Seduction", I've read the story and I believe that it's a reasonable
model of how the world will change. (Remember that the central
character is also a lover of mountains.) If you haven't read it yet,
hold tight. I've been working on Marc to post it on FictionWise or some
other such place where you can buy it in soft copy, since it's out of
print on paper. This is a short story that is on most lists of
extropian classics.
Chris
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