From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Wed Mar 28 2001 - 14:16:56 MST
Mitch writes,
> When you mention the Eternal Return, I reach for my phaser! Neitszche is
> cool, but I suspect that if he is correct, then the information is useless.
> It becomes, what Philosopher, John Leslie, calls "value death'. Back to
> survival, in a longer mode; we need to see if we or they (AI) can produce
> digital analogs of the mammal brain, or see if synthesized brain/minds are
> similar to us. If they get bored, in either case, then we will have to face
> up to the eternity of boredom, and its resolution. Sometimes taking long
naps
> seems to help resolve boredom, though not depression. Can AI SI's become
> depressed?
Actually, I discovered ER before reading Nietzsche, and only learned later
that he had assigned it this term (which made it that much easier to
understand ER). Since ER has nothing to do with philosophy, and everything to
do with reality, it has value in proportion as anyone imputes value to
reality. Of course AIs can become depressed. We're all AIs because
intelligence is artificial. By extrapolation, SIs will become super depressed,
that's why you don't see the universe filled with intelligence. Intelligence
understands ER, and finds no reason to continue.
> I am taking a psychologically, linear, view, and with all due respect to
> Master Neitszche, I am supposing that this universe that we have so far
> detected is linear (or helical as Ben Goertzel suggests) and that we, as a
> species, live in a cosmos that is 'merely' 12-15 Giga years old. Taking that
> view "we" have not been down this road before. Or if we have, we have no
> recollection, therefore its utterly, unimportant.
That's right. We are utterly unimportant, and we have been down this road an
infinite number of times before. Forgetfulness accompanies us each and every
time, until at last we understand how it all works. Then we understand the
meaning of importance.
> If we find a mass storage, place that indicates that Neitszche was correct,
> then we have to ask, "Is they, us?" If they is merely replicas, lets do
> something fun! Then lets take a nap. Beats the crap out of mopping floors,
or
> cutting cane.
Yes, of course, the mass storage place is between your ears. Yes, they is us.
Each Big Bang is a replica of all the previous ones, just like every helium
atom is a replica of all the others.
τΏτ
Hunger disappears when you're having fun,
--J. R.
Useless hypotheses:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia
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