Re: Target: Tegmark Mathematical Universe

smitra-RSh1/+X/PmFmR6Xm/[email protected] Sun, 23 Mar 2014 03:23:43 +0100
Newsgroups gmane.science.physics.fabric-of-reality
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Citeren Lee Corbin <[email protected]>:

> Smitra writes
>
>> [Lee wro=
te]
>> > =E2=80=9Cequivalent=E2=80=9D to an actual small cat undergoing
>> =
> terrible suffering. Then on moral grounds,
>> > wouldn=E2=80=99t we objec=
t to someone using his
>> > computer o run that program? In particular,
>> =
> let=E2=80=99s say that the program executes 10 million
>> > instructions =
per second, and that, say, it takes
>> > 10 seconds to run the program. (Th=
us the
>> > software kitten lives at 1/5 the rate we do.)
>
>> The laws of =
physics put some limits on this thought
>> experiments. The information use=
d in running the
>> simulation of the kitten has to come from somewhere.
>>=
 If we take this into account, the Mathematical
>> Multiverse will become a=
 lot more plausible.
>
> There are many confusing aspects to such
> thought=
 experiments, let me be the first to
> admit. For now, I suggest we leave M=
WI out
> of it, until other aspects become clearer.
>
> Do you consider it =
*possible* for brain science
> to make such tremendous advances in the next=

> centuries that uploading a worm, an insect, or
> a mammal might occur?
>=

> If it does become possible, then this question
> will become pertinent: =
is uploading a pet that
> is painfully dying of cancer moral?
>
> Lee


Yes=
, this should pose no problems. I would agree that you can have a 
virtual =
pet that is suffering. You can even consider a hypothetical 
analogue compu=
ter that operates using wheels and gears. Even such a 
machine can feel pai=
n.  Or you could imagine an ants nest where the 
ants  implement a complica=
ted program. This system can in principle 
also feel pain even though none =
of the ants may feel anything.

Now, we must also be prepared to question a=
ny notions of morality we 
have. If all possible universes exist anyway the=
n the suffering kitten 
should also exist even if we don't simulate it. The=
 only thing that 
changes due to the simulation is that we can see what is =
going on in 
that universe.

Perhaps its better to look at this from the po=
int of view of the 
kitten. The kitten is not necessarily going to find its=
elf in a virtual 
universe where it is being tortured just because we decid=
e to run a 
simulation. It only has a very small probability to find itself=
 in such 
a universe, if you a priori accept Tegmark's mathematical multive=
rse 
idea.


Saibal

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      <p>Citeren Lee Corbin &lt;[email protected]&gt;:<br>
<br>
&gt; Smitra writes<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt; [Lee wrote]<br>
&gt;&gt; &gt; =E2=80=9Cequivalent=E2=80=9D to an actual small cat undergoin=
g<br>
&gt;&gt; &gt; terrible suffering. Then on moral grounds,<br>
&gt;&gt; &gt; wouldn=E2=80=99t we object to someone using his<br>
&gt;&gt; &gt; computer o run that program? In particular,<br>
&gt;&gt; &gt; let=E2=80=99s say that the program executes 10 million<br>
&gt;&gt; &gt; instructions per second, and that, say, it takes<br>
&gt;&gt; &gt; 10 seconds to run the program. (Thus the<br>
&gt;&gt; &gt; software kitten lives at 1/5 the rate we do.)<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt; The laws of physics put some limits on this thought<br>
&gt;&gt; experiments. The information used in running the<br>
&gt;&gt; simulation of the kitten has to come from somewhere.<br>
&gt;&gt; If we take this into account, the Mathematical<br>
&gt;&gt; Multiverse will become a lot more plausible.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; There are many confusing aspects to such<br>
&gt; thought experiments, let me be the first to<br>
&gt; admit. For now, I suggest we leave MWI out<br>
&gt; of it, until other aspects become clearer.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Do you consider it *possible* for brain science<br>
&gt; to make such tremendous advances in the next<br>
&gt; centuries that uploading a worm, an insect, or<br>
&gt; a mammal might occur?<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; If it does become possible, then this question<br>
&gt; will become pertinent: is uploading a pet that<br>
&gt; is painfully dying of cancer moral?<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Lee<br>
<br>
Yes, this should pose no problems. I would agree that you can have a <br>
virtual pet that is suffering. You can even consider a hypothetical <br>
analogue computer that operates using wheels and gears. Even such a <br>
machine can feel pain.  Or you could imagine an ants nest where the <br>
ants  implement a complicated program. This system can in principle <br>
also feel pain even though none of the ants may feel anything.<br>
<br>
Now, we must also be prepared to question any notions of morality we <br>
have. If all possible universes exist anyway then the suffering kitten <br>
should also exist even if we don&#39;t simulate it. The only thing that <br=
>
changes due to the simulation is that we can see what is going on in <br>
that universe.<br>
<br>
Perhaps its better to look at this from the point of view of the <br>
kitten. The kitten is not necessarily going to find itself in a virtual <br=
>
universe where it is being tortured just because we decide to run a <br>
simulation. It only has a very small probability to find itself in such <br=
>
a universe, if you a priori accept Tegmark&#39;s mathematical multiverse <b=
r>
idea.<br>
<br>
Saibal<br>
</p>

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