Re: Singularity Worship

Eliezer Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Wed, 01 Jan 1997 21:11:45 -0600

> In the sci.skeptic FAQ, it is suggested that if you meet some aliens,
> you ask for the complete prime factorization of 2^1024+1. Can these
> factors be found by anyone, and when will we be able to do it? Any
> suggestions for a better question to ask?

Haven't we, like, factored 2^(2^20 - 1) or something like that? Number
too small. Ask for
(1) a proof of the Goldbach Conjecture
(2) nanites
(3) a written message on the moon
(4) how their saucer works
(5) a penny with a few grams of magnetic monopoles embedded in it
(6) the exact mass of the top quark
(7) the complete human genome on a Jaz disk
(8) some Arthurium or whatever element 124 is called
(9) a shirt woven from buckytubes
(10) the prime factorization of a 1024-bit RSA key
(11) the secret of life
(12) who really shot Prez Kennedy
(13) why Beavis, Butthead and B'harnei haven't been strangled yet

-- 
         sentience@pobox.com      Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
          http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/singularity.html
           http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/algernon.html
Disclaimer:  Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.