From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Thu May 27 1999 - 02:40:20 MDT
128 bits isn't enough. Really. 1Thz isn't enough for molecular
assemblers, and while 573.9Gy seems like a long time now, it's only 40
ages of the Universe. I propose the following PostTimeXML identifier:
<posthuman-time>
<universe>Socrates</universe>
<!-- Universe identifier. -->
<seconds>08402834082304.83245353453452546456432</seconds>
<!-- Seconds since start of Universe. -->
<branch>1001001011</branch>
<!-- Quantum computing qubit branch indicator for 10 qubits -->
</posthuman-time>
If you really need a digital identifier, then use the native format for
your machine.
The standard used by most Jupiter-Beowolf networks is IEEE 3.2983e48,
the following 256-bit format in big-endian order:
8 bits -- Current universe (index into local table; 0 = machine-local;
1 = Earth).
24 bits -- Current quantum branch.
32 bits -- WEYL tensor (relativistic data).
96 bits -- Seconds since start of current Universe.
96 bits -- Fractional seconds (0x00..01 = 12.6218 grouchoseconds).
However, most Omega Point devices simply use the XML format, both
because Omega time is infinitely divisible, and because they have the
processing power to spare.
--
sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
http://pobox.com/~sentience/AI_design.temp.html
http://pobox.com/~sentience/singul_arity.html
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.
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