Comments on: Kurzweil’s Sixth Epoch: Waking Up the Universe http://notabilia.us/blog/kurzweils-sixth-epoch-waking-up-the-universe/ occasional musings on things of interest Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:01:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Paul http://notabilia.us/blog/kurzweils-sixth-epoch-waking-up-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-18177 Paul Mon, 16 May 2011 03:54:23 +0000 http://notabilia.us/blog/?p=84#comment-18177 Well, I find it hard to believe that life and intelligence are that unlikely, but I also find it hard to believe that the technological singularity will never happen, so this is quite a thinker for me! The best explanation I have come up with for why the universe is not already in the 6th epoch is this: After the technological singularity the first goal of the post-singularity super-organism would be to increase its computational power by assimilating its home planet and solar system. Simultaneously, it will run a complete simulation of the universe and compare and contrast it to complete simulations of others universes with varying physical laws. By the time it has finished encompassing its solar system, however, it will have finished countless simulations and will have realized the futility of endlessly computing scenario after scenario and instead will seek to transcend knowledge altogether. You see, life grows exponentially while the resources to sustain that growth exist, but what truly drives exponential growth is appetite, i.e. appetite to consume resources. I imagine that a post-singularity super-organism will have overcome its appetite and will govern itself via intellect instead. Because of this, there is no reason to believe it will expand exponentially out into the universe, but will instead seek to transcend knowledge altogether through intensive "meditation"-not meditation in the western sense of contemplation, but in the eastern sense of achieving "selflessness". This would truly be the end of biological evolution. I'll be honest, I like Kurzweil's idea of the universe waking up more a lot than I like my idea, I just find it very hard to believe that commonplace intelligent life and the singularity are mutually exclusive. Well, I find it hard to believe that life and intelligence are that unlikely, but I also find it hard to believe that the technological singularity will never happen, so this is quite a thinker for me! The best explanation I have come up with for why the universe is not already in the 6th epoch is this: After the technological singularity the first goal of the post-singularity super-organism would be to increase its computational power by assimilating its home planet and solar system. Simultaneously, it will run a complete simulation of the universe and compare and contrast it to complete simulations of others universes with varying physical laws. By the time it has finished encompassing its solar system, however, it will have finished countless simulations and will have realized the futility of endlessly computing scenario after scenario and instead will seek to transcend knowledge altogether. You see, life grows exponentially while the resources to sustain that growth exist, but what truly drives exponential growth is appetite, i.e. appetite to consume resources. I imagine that a post-singularity super-organism will have overcome its appetite and will govern itself via intellect instead. Because of this, there is no reason to believe it will expand exponentially out into the universe, but will instead seek to transcend knowledge altogether through intensive “meditation”-not meditation in the western sense of contemplation, but in the eastern sense of achieving “selflessness”. This would truly be the end of biological evolution. I’ll be honest, I like Kurzweil’s idea of the universe waking up more a lot than I like my idea, I just find it very hard to believe that commonplace intelligent life and the singularity are mutually exclusive.

]]> By: Kevin Tran http://notabilia.us/blog/kurzweils-sixth-epoch-waking-up-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-7022 Kevin Tran Sun, 03 Oct 2010 05:01:06 +0000 http://notabilia.us/blog/?p=84#comment-7022 maybe after the singularity of Ray Kurzweil, we all stay home and play video games :)) maybe after the singularity of Ray Kurzweil, we all stay home and play video games :) )

]]> By: Nova http://notabilia.us/blog/kurzweils-sixth-epoch-waking-up-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-4277 Nova Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:10:39 +0000 http://notabilia.us/blog/?p=84#comment-4277 For all we know there could be so many other reasons that are far beyond our human comprehension. Maybe a civilisation that has already reached the sixth epoch is purposely avoiding engulfing us for whatever reason. There is now way to tell what will happen when a civilisation reaches that stage. For all we know there could be so many other reasons that are far beyond our human comprehension. Maybe a civilisation that has already reached the sixth epoch is purposely avoiding engulfing us for whatever reason. There is now way to tell what will happen when a civilisation reaches that stage.

]]> By: Yorick http://notabilia.us/blog/kurzweils-sixth-epoch-waking-up-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-3386 Yorick Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:33:41 +0000 http://notabilia.us/blog/?p=84#comment-3386 One other possibility: o The Singularity cannot be reached We do not understand how consciousness works. It'd be rash to state that we will understand it by such-and-such a date, or that we will positively be able to create it through technology, or that such technologically created people (conscious entities, whatever you wish to call them) will outstrip human intelligence exponentially. There are just too many unknowns. Maybe machines really cannot become conscious. Maybe if they can become conscious, it turns out that being able to find prime numbers really fast and being able to increase one's intelligence are two very, very different things. Maybe machines that become conscious just want to watch (virtual) reality TV, and that's why the Singularity never occurs. Maybe we'll find out eventually. That'd be fun. In the meantime, keep making those robots! One other possibility:

o The Singularity cannot be reached

We do not understand how consciousness works. It’d be rash to state that we will understand it by such-and-such a date, or that we will positively be able to create it through technology, or that such technologically created people (conscious entities, whatever you wish to call them) will outstrip human intelligence exponentially.

There are just too many unknowns. Maybe machines really cannot become conscious. Maybe if they can become conscious, it turns out that being able to find prime numbers really fast and being able to increase one’s intelligence are two very, very different things. Maybe machines that become conscious just want to watch (virtual) reality TV, and that’s why the Singularity never occurs.

Maybe we’ll find out eventually. That’d be fun. In the meantime, keep making those robots!

]]> By: Jack http://notabilia.us/blog/kurzweils-sixth-epoch-waking-up-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-2596 Jack Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:54:31 +0000 http://notabilia.us/blog/?p=84#comment-2596 The implications of self-improving AI were explored by Isaac Asimov in the fifties and probably by others even earlier. It doesn't originate with Kurzweil. Seriously, I can't understand what people see in this guy. The implications of self-improving AI were explored by Isaac Asimov in the fifties and probably by others even earlier. It doesn’t originate with Kurzweil. Seriously, I can’t understand what people see in this guy.

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