From: Robin Hanson (rhanson@gmu.edu)
Date: Mon Sep 20 1999 - 07:49:10 MDT
Robert B. wrote:
> What is maximally survivable -- the largest distributed
> intelligence -- or the densest local intelligence.
>
>I would argue that (b) the densest local intelligence has
>the greatest surivival potential provided it can predict
>and track events based on physical laws in its local universe.
I don't really see the need for much of a tradeoff.
Assume that it takes <.1% of the resources at a mature system to
launch a probe to colonize stars, and that there are > a billion
systems around one can colonize before one runs into competitors.
If each colonized system were made as "dense" as possible,
missing only the .1% needed to launch that next probe, would you
still argue that the single initial system survives better than
the system of a billion slightly smaller systems?
Robin Hanson rhanson@gmu.edu http://hanson.gmu.edu
Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030
703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323
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