Hi Stephen P. King If by "exist" I mean physically exi,sts and by "lives" I mean nonphysically exists, Then
Computers exist. Computer programs live. Roger Clough, [email protected] 9/21/2012 "Forever is a long time, especially near the end." -Woody Allen ----- Receiving the following content ----- From: Stephen P. King Receiver: everything-list Time: 2012-09-20, 20:50:22 Subject: Re: Numbers in Space On 9/20/2012 11:02 AM, Craig Weinberg wrote: > Here's another reductio ad absurdum illustration of comp. > > If the version of comp we are discussing here is independent of > physics, then shouldn't it be possible for us to program universal > machines using only empty space? Length can be quantified, so why > can't we just use millimeters or Planck lengths as the basis for our > enumeration, addition, and multiplication and directly program from > our mind to space? > > Of course, it would be hard to know where it was because we would be > constantly flying away from a space that was anchored to an absolute > position independent of Earth, the solar system, Milky Way, etc, but > that shouldn't matter anyhow since whatever method we use to directly > program in empty space with our minds should also give us access to > the results of the computations. > > What do you think? Just as wafers of silicon glass could in theory be > functionally identical to a living brain, wouldn't it be equally > prejudiced to say that empty space isn't good enough to host the > computations of silicon? > > > Craig Hey Craig, What do you think physical computers actually are? "universal machines using only empty space". But Nature hates a vacuum... -- Onward! Stephen http://webpages.charter.net/stephenk1/Outlaw/Outlaw.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
