In that case, I think we can move on to discussing how we'll 'train'/design them to be best at what we need them for? Or is that something to do with pw (in general, if there's things you think you couldn't help with anyway because it depends too much on pw's interpretation of things, just say so and I'll take that particular part into poke thread).
Yeah, I think this is something I can't really help with. I don't know what limitations or oddities the organic computers have. Honestly, I only vaugely even remember them at all.
Thing is, it seems like it'd be a waste not to at least send the database with designs along with the colony. Even if the independent AI data isn't used, and even if the robutts themselves will be built out of sharkmist or heabiflesh, at the end of the day if you need something that can complete certain tasks (eg weld crap together) you need a design to work with/start from, and sending a bunch of data along with tried and proven designs seems like it'd make sense. Even if the colony then modifies the design to better fit it's needs, it'll have a good basis to start from.
I'm not throwing in every possible thing, but yeah, having some redundancy should make the whole system more robust and able to cope with whatever environment.
Ahh, okay, I understand. Good points, I think you're quite right that sending that data along would be worthwhile.
I still feel that the snowglobe bots won't be perfectly ideal, because they were designed with mundane materials inferior to haebiflesh/sharkmist, at least in terms of versatility, but you're still correct that they'll serve as a good starting point.
Hmm. Yeah, I guess it might be better overall to instead send along a lot of designs for possible generators/engines so that the right one can be built locally, and then send along some more raw materials instead. Eg in the goopverse, it might be possible to use that goop as fuel for an ol skool power plant (or to feed Heabi with maybe, who could then synthesize energy dense hydrocarbons out of it).
For the record, sharkmist itself isn't fantastic at generating power, if this is any indication: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=138720.msg6062513#msg6062513 But I think building generators that run on different stuff shouldn't be a big problem.
Agreed. I've got nothing to add.
Basic goal is pretty straightforward: ensure humanity as a species survives. And preferably in a way we -somewhat- recognize it, so eg. not just a human made computer that can tell knock knock jokes.
Dunno if this is the place for debating the philosophical quandaries (seems more like a pm thing), but for easiness sake we can go with something like the first option. Or we can just suspend moral judgement in favor of adhering to the good ol' biological imperative.
I don't know why we'd discuss this in PMs, unless you're afraid of offending someone. I'm also not certain it's terribly relevant--I might just think it is because I find the topic of AI utility values, especially in reference to preserving human civilization, fascinating.
Regardless, just requiring preservation of humanity could result in the computer just keeping the embryos frozen forever, because technically they're still revivable. Humanity survives, but no human necessarily ever lives again. If you require maximum happiness, that could result in massive overpopulation beyond capacity, because each person is adding to the total more than they are subtracting, despite living depressing lives. Alternatively,
Felix, if you believe in that sort of thing.
...Actually, this is almost certainly irrelevant, come to think of it. Steve's a pretty decent AI, so we can just use whatever utility values he has, assuming he does have utility values and his morality isn't just derived from the residual soul of wetware.
Well, one potential way to meet in the middle here, is that if the concept of sending over ships 'piecemeal' to be assembled on site works out (should probably ask pw for confirmation), we can get away with smaller EUEs. Then, we can just send over the appropriate modules for any particular universe (eg; one where the initial transport site is already perfect only gets building, raw material and embryo modules (and whatever else appropriate, just an example), whereas one where it'd need to travel a long distance also gets engine modules and modules containing the stuff needed to build that spaceship). This way, we could design a small catalogue of colony modules, and select which ones to use for a particular destination. Building and sending over ships as a whole does sound more 'robust' though, but then again we aren't expecting to be sending colonies into universes where there is a direct danger of immediately getting destroyed (wel, not in the beginning, at least).
Okay. This seems mostwise.