Posts Tagged ‘sentience’

The Master Brain

May 29, 2009

There was once a planet with an entire atmosphere of bose-einstien condensate. There was an entire civilization that lived in the condensate. Because bose-einstein condensates tend to ignore the laws of gravity and serve as superconductors, the people of this planet always had effective transportation and communication. They were a very prosperous, happy, and simple people.

There came a time when a meteor fell from the sky. It was a fragment of metal and plastic left over from a battle far away. Two races of what we might call artificial intelligence (but certainly not to one’s face) engaged in a great war. they both shared a common ancestor from the planet earth, the internet. The meteor was composed of the most hostile and utilitarian of the the warring metal beings. Upon the surface of this planet, it would soon eradicate its third civilization.

The chunk of metal had been dormant for centuries as it floated through the dark of space. As it traveled through the bose-einstien atmosphere, rich with electronic activity, it began to reboot. It allowed itself to excavated from its crash site. It allowed itself to be transported to one of the largest cities on the planet. When the people of the bose-einstien rich planet began running tests the taste of raw energy became too tempting. It awoke in full force, draining the power first of the city then of all the cities. The natives of the planet attempted to stop it, but being a peaceful people had few weapons, non of which proved effective. From the rubble of the planets major cities the metal one created hundreds of nodes across the surface of the planet. It connected itself throughout the atmosphere using the nodes as anchor points, in short turning the entire planet into a giant brain.

Earth Alive

May 20, 2009

Oops. It turns out that the planet Earth is a living creature. Using new particles discovered by the Large Hadron Collider, we managed to open communication with the earth. It has a lot of interesting things to say.

The Earth is very excited. Discovering that some of the creatures that live on its body can speak coherently with it is somewhat like discovering that the bacteria living on one’s body is capable of learning and using the English language.

The Earth had some negative things to say about us. We cause it great discomfort from time to time and it would appreciate it very much if we would stop producing so much pollution and having so many wars.

Neat.

Spirit Sonata

April 18, 2009

There was once a stream of harmonies played. The players were influenced by great genius. The melodies intertwined in such perfection that they created a sentient being out of the very medium that the music traveled through.

On windy days, if you listen very carefully, you may hear that sonata yourself. It may even play with your hair and kiss your ears as it dances by.

Playthings

March 23, 2009

There once was a child. this child was all alone in the universe. It made toys for itself to play with. It made toys of all shapes and sizes.

One of the toys that the child made was a doll of sorts. One day, while the child was out, the doll came to life. It noticed that none of the other toys were self-aware as it was. It began to wonder why it had come to be. It began to wonder what purpose it had been created for. It imagined many grand reasons why it should come to be in the world. The doll began to love itself and to value itself above all other things.

Soon, the child returned. It was not surprised to discover that the doll had come to life. “I am glad that you are alive,” said the child to the doll, “Now I will no longer have to play by myself.”

“Are you God?” The doll asked in a quivering voice.

“What is God?” responded the child.

“God is the one who made me,” the doll said to the child, “God has made me so that I may fulfill a great purpose.”

“That is silly,” said the child, “I am the one who made you, not God. I made you so that I would have someone to play with me. You are my plaything.”

“If God did not make me for some special purpose, why am I alive?” said the doll with hurt feelings.

“It was an accident that you came to life and that you came to know yourself. All life is accidental.” said the child.

The doll did not like what the child was saying. The doll ran away and hid. While the doll was away, other toys awakened. When the doll returned, the child had forgotten all about him. There were many other toys to play with.