On Jun 21, 2005, at 1:30 PM, Kevin Street wrote: > Warren Ockrassa wrote: >>>> Suppose every civilization that could communicate becomes a homebody >>>> because it likes gossip that takes less than eight million >>>> subjective >>>> years for a response (the subjective time to talk with someone on >>>> Alpha Centuri)? >>> > Kevin Street wrote: >>> That's a very interesting idea, but it assumes that every >>> civilization >>> eventually becomes AI in nature. What about all the carbon based >>> souls >>> out there? >> >> Robert J. Chassell wrote: >> Quick aside. Alpha Centauri is four lightyears away. Assuming a >> conversation by radio, it would only be eight years' round trip, not >> eight million. Radio waves propagate at lightspeed. Relativistic >> mechanics don't enter the picture at all. > > I believe Mr. Ockrassa was referring to the subjective time > experienced by > artificial intelligences that think one million times faster than we > do. > Hence, eight years becomes eight million subjective years.
>>> This is pretty funny; you appear to have got the attributions inverted. >>> (It was Robert who was at the top, you in the middle, me at the >>> bottom.) Sorry about that. No offence meant, I was just typing too fast. >>> PS: No comments from the Peanut Gallery on that. ;) Wouldn't dream of it. Kevin Street -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.7.10/25 - Release Date: 6/21/2005 _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
