From: The Low Golden Willow (phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu)
Date: Tue Apr 15 1997 - 22:31:09 MDT
On Apr 15, 8:40pm, Robin Hanson wrote:
} The Low Golden Willow writes:
} that end up valuing future payoffs. Children spend almost all their
} time investing in their human capital, investments which pay off later.
As opposed to young male conflict and posturing. Got it.
} >Hmm. Are these asexuals in general, or immortal asexuals? And does
} >asexual meaning cloning oneself or designing your offspring?
} The analysis is the same for all these variations, I think.
So the big difference comes from sexuality, mortality, or both?
Interesting, now that I think of it. Should go find the paper, I guess.
} What these SF creatures lack is the very rapid growth rate predicted
} by these models: as fast as possible. More like grey goo, Von Neuman
} machines, etc.
Saberhagen's Berserkers? :) But you're right, I know of no SF of
that sort, presumably because the evidence obviously conflicts with it.
One would have to have such a universe result from human development,
and most people assume that means extinction of humans, which makes
storywriting hard.
Hmm. Given that this _is_ similar to the universe I've been working on,
perhaps I should try writing some SF, at least if Benford's 6 book
series (can't remember the title) isn't too similar to what I have in
mind. Even if I can't make up a story I should get points for new
combination of ideas.
Authors may also shy away from imagining a universe where nearly all
matter is biomass, fuel, or substrate. I'm not sure I've seen any
entirely alive universes, Bayesian immortals or not. Although I read
_Star Maker_ a long time ago.
Curt Adams writes:
} Do these papers take into account evolution of memetic parasites?
} (I would miss sex, though :-)
You can have sex, just don't reproduce with it...
} Do these papers take into account evolution of memetic parasites? Fashion,
} fantasy, and religious-type beliefs interfere with patience, risk-aversion,
} and inductive reasoning, and they haven't been doing poorly of late.
I'm not sure what you mean by fantasy; reading fiction or believing the
tabloids? At any rate, since both mortality and sexuality have yet to
do poorly I wouldn't expect the analysis to apply, from what Robin's
said. Is fashion largely attributable to sexual competition? Also,
evolution does take time; scientific reasoning is mostly new to the past
few centuries, and its large growth wouldn't be eating into the
'parasites' you mention yet.
Merry part,
-xx- Damien R. Sullivan X-) <*> http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~phoenix
...description of a shimmering form that he had just seen flutter past
the end of the street, closely pursued by a priest brandishing what
appeared to be a giant butterly net.
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