Re: TECH: Fractal Tardis Brains

Paul Hughes (paul@i2.to)
Fri, 11 Jun 1999 00:52:04 -0700

"Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" wrote:

> And, while I don't know if physics would permit, I
> see no reason why you couldn't fold up the meta-Jupiter brain and have
> meta-meta-Jupiter brains. I hereby dub this the Fractal Tardis Brain.
>
> (Who was talking about the fundamental limits of physics during the
> Singularity Colloquium a year back? I want to hold my monthly gloat. I
> keep telling you guys, if even human intelligence can bump up the
> apparent limits of physics by a few orders of magnitude every couple of
> years, do you really think They are ever going to hit the ceiling? I
> don't think there *is* a ceiling.)
>
> I think the Fractal Tardis Brain, since it would apparently be a
> computational hierarchy, presents measurable science-fiction potential.
> Each posthuman is a Jupiter brain, then the human civilization is a
> meta-brain, our galaxy is a meta-meta brain...

This is the most fascinating idea I've heard in months! And very refreshing to hear you share my sentiments on the SCH ('Sans Ceiling Hypothesis'). As I've often said, if we can develop rigorous theories on FTL warp bubbles, traversible wormholes and black holes with just a tiny and poorly configured 3lb. brain, imagine what we could do with jupiter brains!

Paul Hughes

'Limits, laws and ceilings, like rules, are meant to be broken!'