Re: Simulation Argument

From: Ben Heaton (factitious@gmail.com)
Date: Sun May 21 2006 - 19:09:03 MDT


On 5/21/06, Edward Miller <progressive_1987@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I am pleasantly surprised at how many replies this recieved.
>
> I have not read any convincing refutations, but there was some interesting
> things to think about.
>
> "x unless y" does mean that x is mutually exclusive with y. Thus, his
> conclusion is false.

No, his conclusion is, in his own words, "at least one of the
following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely
to go extinct before reaching the posthuman stage; (2) any posthuman
civilization is extremely unlikely to run significant number of
simulations or (variations) of their evolutionary history; (3) we are
almost certainly living in a computer simulation." This has been
pointed out to you repeatedly.

> Some of you thought Bostrom did take into consideration that some
> post-singularity ET would create simulations, and that others would not.Â
> My point in writing that was that the statement was worded poorly, and
> possibly exposing a Modernist perspective that progress is one path. What
> happens to the argument if exactly 50 percent of post-singularity ET create
> simulations?

It doesn't matter whether post-singularity aliens will create
simulations or not. Neither of those cases implies that his conclusion
is false.

-Ben Heaton

-- 
No sale, honcho!


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