Re: Time Machines, FTL, and P=NP

Crown-Horned Snorkack <chornedsnorkack@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Right, I was trying to steer clear of that. I had thought of an even
more
>> dangerous variant: have the machine generate routes to work (or any
other
>> destination) along which you drive at top speed. When you arrive, you
>> report back and it knows how long it took. If you don't report back
within
>> a reasonable amount of time, it assumes you died or got arrested and
tries
>> something else. But if the machine were to malfunction in a timeline
where
>> you died, that would be somewhat unfortunate.
>>
> Why?
> 
> If you die, or break the time machine, or lose it, or it is taken away
> from you, then the time machine will not report success to your past.
> You will, therefore, choose a course of action which results in your
> reporting that you survived.
> 
> False positives is the bigger problem here (i. e. the time machine
> reports you will survive, although you did not).

I think you're right. As I said, I didn't think these things all the way 
through. False positives are still something of a scary risk, especially 
if you're running through so many possibilities that you need scientific 
notation to talk about how many zeroes are in the number.

>> I see no reason why this couldn't work anyway.
>>
>> For the simplest solution, just rate your experience on a scale from 1
to
>> 10. The machine picks the one with the highest score, based on your own
>> subjective decision.
>>
>> You can go even better, though. After each try, make a recording of
>> yourself describing the experience. The machine keeps track of the
>> recording you rate as being the best. Each time, you compare your
>> experience with the "best" recording, and tell it which one you prefer.
>>
>> You could even video the whole thing. Your dates may not all appreciate
>> this, but what the heck, you have a magic machine which will help you
find
>> the perfect woman who *will* let you do it.
> 
> Which is a part of the problem here. False negatives.
> 
> If you get invited to a fantastic night out which you will be
> satisfied subjectively - but, since it is incompatible with you
> reporting success in the due time, your failure to report rings a
> warning bell...
> 
> The magic machine will help you find only the best woman who will let
> you do that, not the best woman out of all, including those who will
> not let you do that.
> 
> Would you appreciate your date recording the experience with the goal
> of informing her past?
> 
> If a complete stranger approached you and informed you that she has a
> video recording of your golden wedding, would you want to see it?

The machine may not find you the best possible night out, but it should 
fine you a really good one. To define it better, it will find you the best

possible night out that is compatible with the constraints you put on the 
scenario, such as being alive in the morning to report back, or videoing 
the whole experience. This is still very powerful, even if you do end up 
missing out on something even better because the even better finds you in 
the middle of the Pacific Ocean when it comes time to report in.

-- 
Michael Ash
Rogue Amoeba Software