From: Damien Broderick (thespike@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Dec 13 2002 - 11:14:13 MST
Robert J. Bradbury sez:
>the only "being" that could minimize its
> hazard function was a "distributed, replicated intelligence".
> (As much as Damien might like to maintain "there can be only
> one", it just doesn't work in the long run. You have to
> be distributed in space to avoid point source failures.
Whoa, not so fast, bucko. Assuming I'm the Damien in question, all I've ever
said is that personal identity is more or less continuous and bounded. We
each have/am an `I' that isn't a unitary identity atom (like a medieval
angel) but a composite construct in ceaseless dancing action--so in a sense
we're *already* distributed. Once you can add external modules to provide
redundant backup in light-speed-realtime two-way contact with your basic
identity-node, all's well for the extended being, more or less. The self
might lose some memories when the Centaurian Ugh take out a node or two with
a relativistic bomb, but then memory is always volatile.
>From the point of view of the *rest* of the universe, of course, nobody
cares which instantiation of Robert lives or dies; we're just happy to see
the emails rolling in. It's like a flaming brand in a dark cave; the more
torches you can fire up some , the less chance all of them will be blown out
at once. The flame is distributed and replicated. But then, the dance of the
flame has no inner life. It doesn't *care* if any particular torch goes out.
*We* would, from the inside here, if we were conscious flames; we'd resent
it bitterly, in our last dying moments.
But if all we're after is any Robert the rest of the world can relate to, we
can *do* that. We have the technology. Well, eventually.
> Now, to be realistic, the short term hazard function is much
> higher. Be it risks from bioterrorists or for example John Grigg
> crawling around in canyons in Arizona.
Nah, I think we're all safe from the John Grigg short term hazard function.
:)
(Sorry, John, I couldn't help myself--the devil made me do it.)
Damien Broderick
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Jan 15 2003 - 17:58:43 MST