IRC log for #cyrannus on 20160411

01:05.26*** join/#cyrannus Wormy_ (02184654@gateway/web/freenode/ip.2.24.70.84)
01:07.37Wormy_<PROTECTED>
01:08.12The_Randomnessidk, I don't know enough to argue either way, but I'm leaning more towards drodo
07:45.35*** join/#cyrannus Ghelae (56875e21@gateway/web/freenode/ip.86.135.94.33)
07:45.35*** mode/#Cyrannus [+o Ghelae] by ChanServ
09:01.55*** join/#cyrannus ImpyDroid (~Anders@host-226-156-66-217.spbmts.ru)
09:33.18*** join/#cyrannus Liquid_Ink (79d0cd9d@gateway/web/freenode/ip.121.208.205.157)
09:34.21Liquid_InkHey
09:45.17GhelaeHello.
09:46.12Liquid_InkHow are you?
09:46.28GhelaeI'm okay; how about you?
09:46.39Liquid_InkMeh.
09:46.48Liquid_InkI feel oddly humiliated and vulnerable, but nothing has happened
09:56.17GhelaeWell that is somewhat strange.
10:36.56*** join/#cyrannus Liquid_Ink (79d0cd9d@gateway/web/freenode/ip.121.208.205.157)
11:30.41*** join/#cyrannus Wormy_ (02184654@gateway/web/freenode/ip.2.24.70.84)
12:04.10*** join/#cyrannus Ghelae (56875e21@gateway/web/freenode/ip.86.135.94.33)
12:04.10*** mode/#Cyrannus [+o Ghelae] by ChanServ
15:03.32*** join/#cyrannus ImpyDroid2 (~Anders@host-48-159-66-217.spbmts.ru)
15:07.22*** join/#cyrannus The_Randomness (~The_Rando@nat-portal-160-94-47-18.uofm.wireless.umn.edu)
15:09.33*** join/#cyrannus ImpyDroid (~Anders@host-86-157-66-217.spbmts.ru)
15:15.47The_RandomnessGhelaptop: Saw your discussion thing about species and stuff. While I would have to think about this more, and I can't currently do much since I'm on my phone, the idea of having this start on Earth is interesting
15:16.05The_RandomnessAs for the species stuff, I'd suggest no more than two or three.
15:17.42GhelaptopMost of what we discussed was based on it not being Earth, but that was mainly a result of Imp and I talking about what we might call not!Earth.
15:18.09The_RandomnessRight
15:19.00GhelaptopSo what it needs is for people to express their thoughts on whether it should be Earth or not.
15:19.19GhelaptopOne argument against it being Earth is that we're likely to end up with France being a major superpower again. :P
15:19.27The_RandomnessHeh
15:20.54The_RandomnessI think I'll advocate for having it not be Earth, since I've seen too many botched attempts at extrapolating the future of Earth already in other places
15:30.05The_RandomnessSo, with not!humans being one species, that leaves one or two others
15:31.37*** join/#cyrannus ImpyDroid (~Anders@host-86-157-66-217.spbmts.ru)
15:33.24The_RandomnessOr even just not!humans
15:33.34GhelaptopWormy and Imp discussed uplifted dolphins (or not!dolphins).
15:34.02The_RandomnessIntriguing, but I personally want to stay away from uplifting and such
15:34.03GhelaptopAlso cephalopods and worms.
15:34.55The_RandomnessI would prefer to keep things close to humanoid for some of the reasons you mentioned.
15:36.32GhelaptopBy "uplifting and such", does that also include modification of humans (or not!humans)? That's likely to first be used to adapt people to new environments e.g. low-gravity and hard-to-terraform worlds.
15:37.18The_RandomnessYes, I am also opposed to such significant modifications
15:37.37GhelaptopOkay. Why is that?
15:40.26GhelaptopI suppose if they're adapted to different environments then that would make direct interaction less feasible. Although that's more of an argument in favour of them not playing a major part in stories rather than them not existing.
15:40.47The_RandomnessWhile I am not opposed to the use of genetic engineering in any way to do things like prevent/eliminate things like genetic defects or help treat diseases, I believe that adapting humans to extremely different environments lies outside of its scope, and starts to get into the area of escaping the limits of the human form, which is an area I dislike.
15:41.45GhelaptopAh. So an ethical distaste for the concept, instead of an argument on its plausibility.
15:54.33Wormy_awayRandom doesn't like the many irreational ideas harboured in transhumanism, though it may be possible to make fiction under paradigms of modification while avoiding or criticising those themes.
15:55.13Wormy_away(Despite reading transhumanist fiction I don't like some of those themes either)
15:57.09The_RandomnessYeah, you may be right there
15:57.26The_RandomnessI'll be back in about an hour
17:36.39*** join/#cyrannus The_Randomness (~The_Rando@nat-portal-160-94-47-18.uofm.wireless.umn.edu)
17:39.37The_RandomnessGhelaway: I should have been more explicit earlier. I dislike it since it dips into transhumanist beliefs, which is something I disagree with (to put it mildly), and I question its plausibility as well.
17:43.00Wormy_I think you would like David Deutsch's book, the Beginning of Infinity.  At the end of the book, he argues we are "Universal Constructors" in our quest for knowledge.  Thus, there will be no singularity because we will always have the creative and critical faculties to keep up with machines.  Essentially all Universal Constructors would be Turing Complete.  Unless something or some understanding was denied by the laws of physics, it wo
17:43.45Wormy_That is incredibly more optimistic than anything going through popular transhumanist circles
17:44.03The_RandomnessI think your message got cut off
17:44.18Wormy_Where does it end?
17:44.46The_RandomnessRight after "laws of physics"
17:44.56Wormy_*Unless something or some understanding was denied by the laws of physics, it would be a matter of knowing how.
17:45.12The_RandomnessOk
17:45.20Wormy_to do some physical action or understand some process
17:46.04Wormy_So what do I mean when it comes to transhumasnism?  Superintelligent AI are supernatural, and go against what we understand about knowledge and computing.
17:46.27The_RandomnessYeah, that stuff is definitely silly.
17:47.46Wormy_Also transhumanist is somewhat self-refuting.  It is trying to imagine some way of being beyond human.  But that very curiosity is as human as it gets.
17:48.14Wormy_They are my beefs with transhumanism
17:48.46The_RandomnessAs is the anthropomorphic stuff you showed me yesterday from OA. If we have the ability to significantly modify humans to that extent, I kind of fear that we'll start to veer into "transcending the human form." I want to keep my hands as free of transhumanism as I can.
17:48.58The_Randomnessa bit late, but oh well
17:49.09The_RandomnessTyping on my phone is a little slow
17:49.38Wormy_Speaking of the Super Collab universe though, there's a positive outcome from having modified forms
17:49.55Wormy_Because it gives more users a chance to create things in the tiny setting we are starting out with.
17:50.00The_RandomnessModified forms in what way?
17:50.33Wormy_Genetic or cybernetic modification.
17:51.08The_RandomnessI am fine with both of those to the extent I mentioned.
17:51.52Wormy_Right I see
17:52.25The_RandomnessI don't think that you can ever get a human to breathe unassisted on Mars, for example.
17:52.34Wormy_I wondered if you was opposing all of it.  
17:52.59Wormy_Of course not
17:53.31Wormy_But we could have semi-sentient swarm robots colonising a Mars-like planet
17:53.49The_RandomnessRight, but that's different.
17:54.09GhelawayI've just come back to visit before dinner so I don't have much time to comment...
17:54.28Ghelaway...but yes, a lot of transhumanist ideas seem both unfounded and unlikely, such as OA-style singularities.
17:54.30Wormy_I don't think it is under Ghelae''s broad definition.
17:54.57The_RandomnessI also think that uplifting species is absurd as well, but you probably are right there Wormulon
17:55.28Wormy_I don't believe in singularities, but there are certainly cultural enlightenments that make one more dynamic in their quest for knowledge
17:56.18Wormy_I tyhink uplifting species may be unethical, but not impossible.
17:56.36The_RandomnessTrue, but likely on very large timescales
17:56.39Wormy_And also maybe unnecessary
17:56.45The_RandomnessYeah
17:57.37Wormy_One could use genetically modified organisms that have a tendency to behave in a useful way.  I've already mentioned worms, how about worms that bring traces of mineral deposits to the surface?  Much like certain plants do.
17:58.10The_RandomnessYeah, that's fine
18:00.40Wormy_There's a probably a way we can apply these ideas without encouraging transhumanistic beliefs.
18:02.21The_RandomnessI'd say keep it to the level you just mentioned, and then have genetic modifications and cybernetics be useful, but not so much so that they're inherently better than what you generally have
18:04.04Wormy_Agreed
18:05.20The_RandomnessLike, cybernetics being useful for prosthetics and such, but they're not any better than the organic equivalent
18:05.47The_RandomnessOr for genetic engineering, keeping it restricted to gene therapy and eliminating genetic defects
18:06.03Wormy_Well, sometimes certain things would be superior.  Its as simple as paper being a better record for memory than chinese whispers.
18:06.32The_RandomnessOf course
18:06.33Wormy_But I think in such cases, we could show that these modifications are still fallible
18:06.48Wormy_and have limitations of their own
18:07.27The_RandomnessYeah
18:08.16Wormy_Remember that small nation I have a concept for that sped up their perception of time by slowing their processing power?  Well that brings on their own world of problems, namely that any faster-brained people could easily pirate their planet or any nu,mber of scenarios
18:08.37Wormy_I also thought that given the advent of FTL technology when it comes, their whole goal becomes useless
18:09.03Wormy_And their society is at risk of crumbling (because I imagined a lower slave class that protected them)
18:10.47The_RandomnessPersonally, I'd stay away from things as drastic as slowing down perception of time and stuff
18:11.05Wormy_Maybe for the beginning of the project
18:11.58Wormy_My reasoning for it, is that one could introduce space opera tropes to a small STL civilisation
18:12.13The_RandomnessWhat do you mean by that?
18:12.59Wormy_It would reduce the time delay between interstellar distances
18:13.15The_RandomnessRight, but I'm asking about the tropes
18:13.44Wormy_Because space opera tropes pretty much all involve FTL travel.
18:13.52Wormy_and communications
18:14.16Wormy_Though now I'm starting to think about it, it might have a serious flaw.
18:17.15The_RandomnessWhat's that?
18:17.23Wormy_Slower computation I guess means less computation, so interstellar travel would have to be slower than I imagined.  So it might eventually balance out in a sense that the experience of time waiting for information from other worlds might balance out as the same.
18:19.11Wormy_I'm still trying to work it out
18:19.47Wormy_No I think its fine actually
18:20.25Wormy_nvm that
18:21.55Wormy_I agree this certainly shouldn't be the starting conditions for our society.  Because it implies too many constraints on their culture, society and so on.
18:21.55Wormy_It would need authoritarian measures for a start
18:22.26Wormy_This isn't my job anyway
18:27.37The_RandomnessAlso, why have adapted colonists when you'll have to make specialized colonies anyway?
18:28.24Wormy_Indeed
18:31.11The_RandomnessIt's presumably much, much easier to refine colony designs than it is to make massive modifications to a species to fit the environment
18:32.30Wormy_I'm not sure on that presumption.  It could be that biological or cybernetic adaptation will become,
18:32.40Wormy_posted too soon
18:34.08Wormy_I'm not sure on that presumption, but its true given our present situation.  It could be that biological or cybernetic adaptation will become very easy and efficient to implement (what I'm imagining its not something as extreme as humans breathing the Martian atmosphere, mind)
18:34.27The_RandomnessI suppose
18:34.37Wormy_It would require a society more liberal in the approach
18:36.55The_RandomnessYeah, but then how would you deal with people coming in from other colonies without those specializations?
18:37.58*** join/#cyrannus Wormy__ (02184654@gateway/web/freenode/ip.2.24.70.84)
18:38.06Wormy__It would require a society more liberal in the approach.  But I agree for the most part, its not absolutely necessary, as we humans are pretty good at changing the environment to suite us.
18:38.33Wormy__Sorry if I';m droning on a bit about a subject you probably don't like.
18:39.17The_RandomnessDid you get my last message?
18:39.44Wormy__Could you post it again?
18:40.43The_RandomnessHow do you deal with people from other colonies without those specializations?
18:41.47*** join/#cyrannus The_Randomness (~The_Rando@172.56.21.20)
18:41.48Wormy__If the modifications are extreme in that they are necessary for survival, not comfort of extra abilities, I guess they would need habitation of their own to support them.
18:41.56Wormy__If the modifications are extreme in that they are necessary for survival, not comfort of extra abilities, I guess they would need habitation of their own to support them.
18:42.09Wormy__*not comfort or
18:42.35The_RandomnessThat was strange, hopefully I didn't miss anything from the past minute or so
18:42.44Wormy__Nah I reposted
18:42.49The_RandomnessAh
18:42.55Wormy__The latter of which makes in inefficient I guess
18:43.01The_RandomnessYeah, I got both
18:43.11Wormy__I think we've reached a good idea what "Extent" could mean when it comes to modification
18:43.18The_RandomnessYeah
18:44.18Wormy__We've been talking about this quite a bit, shall I post it as an issue?
18:44.31The_RandomnessMaybe, your call
18:44.41The_RandomnessActually, yes
18:45.01Wormy__I'll do it in a bit, right now I've got some studying and revision to do.
18:45.08The_RandomnessI don't think modifications to colonists are necessary, or very practical
18:45.10The_RandomnessThat's fine
18:45.28Wormy__This Super-Collab is proving very distracting
18:45.38The_Randomnesslol
18:45.40Wormy__(not aiming that you)
18:45.47The_RandomnessI know
18:46.29*** join/#cyrannus ImpyDroid (~Anders@host-86-157-66-217.spbmts.ru)
18:49.00The_RandomnessI don't mind, this is actually giving me a reason to actively participate in the wiki community again
18:49.52Wormy__To summarise for Ghel, bodily modification for the survival of colonists may will be inefficient in the long term for a colony.  But the technology and possibly culture makes such things possible, so biological modification may be useful for comfort, extra abilities, or creating useful behaviours in certain species.
18:50.17The_RandomnessOk
18:50.29The_RandomnessAnd I think here we've outlined the extent of it
18:51.40Wormy__In the long term, if the point is to build an economic hub for the empire, you will want to move lots of people to and from that colony.  And it would better to adapt the environment with habitats or even engineer the planet rather than engineering the people.
18:51.52GhelIn the long term, sure, most planets could be terraformed (and any that can't is in such a bad state, like the Martian atmosphere, that adaptations aren't going to help in the first place).
18:52.24GhelPlanets with different gravities aren't going to be so easily engineerable, however.
18:52.45GhelBut then, you probably aren't going to need to colonise many planets like that in the first place.
18:53.07The_RandomnessI'm personally doubtful of the practicality of terraforming, considering the cost and timescale associated with it
18:53.40Wormy__Well its a desirable long term goal, since an interstellar society is a long lasting thing.
18:53.53The_RandomnessI suppose
18:54.18GhelIf rather than terraforming you're making domed arcologies, then you aren't going to need environmental adaptations in the first place.
18:55.19Wormy__If habitat building becomes popular, I suppose a civilisation could develop that way.  In fact thats how it is with the DCP.  Most DCP citizens live in space habitats, stations and ships.
18:56.13The_RandomnessYeah, and adjusting habitats for their conditions is much easier than adjusting a planet for a species or vice versa
18:58.42Wormy__http://www.bergoiata.org/fe/SciFi2/jw%20Year%20V%20Sci-Fi%20Art%20Wall%20079%20-%20Tim%20White.jpg
19:00.10Wormy__Oh its actually part of a bigger image http://www.graphicine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/tim-white_7.png
19:00.32GhelBut I think my original idea when mentioning genetic engineering was more about cosmetic alterations than anything transhumanist. For example, if people wanted to include cat-people, I'd think it to be more sensible that a group of humans modified themselves to look feline than that there would be feline humanoids and humans coincidentally evolving near to each other in space and time.
19:01.04GhelNot that that's easy, of course.
19:01.26The_RandomnessYeah, I think that sort of thing is silly personally
19:05.32The_RandomnessWormy__: nice little piece of artwork
19:06.10*** join/#cyrannus ImpyDroid2 (~Anders@95.140.92.144)
19:07.29Wormy__Ioe 70's sci-fi art
19:07.43Wormy__*love
19:07.43Wormy__That's Tim White I think
19:08.29Wormy__I think we need a balance of plausibility but also creativity
19:08.54Wormy__Otherwise it won't be fun for non-hard sci-fi users.
19:09.00The_RandomnessI suppose, but I don't think we should have more than two.
19:10.12Wormy__I'm open to there being such modified "races" because it gives more users an opportunity to create things for the starter condition.
19:11.04The_RandomnessUnfortunately I'm a bit more of a hardass than you :P
19:13.44Wormy__Hardass in science fiction?  Or hard-ass on people?  
19:14.03Wormy__I'm less hard-arse on people, yes
19:14.25Wormy__I myself would be happier with everything being hard science fiction
19:15.48The_RandomnessCould you explain my point of view to Imperios? I need to go
19:20.12Wormy__Ghel: https://youtu.be/fKb1ej2HenU?t=13m34s
19:20.34Wormy__More of a magical world trying to understand ours
19:21.55Ghel"They enchant a cylindrical container with explosion magic"
19:23.10Wormy__I suppose that's a start
19:25.20Wormy__I'm reminded actually of this young man who was in an uncontacted tribe
19:25.51Wormy__They had witnessed aircraft and believed it was white people's dead spirits being sent to heaven.
19:27.18Wormy__The thing that disappoints me about this show is that we've had no JDF vs. mage battles yet
19:33.49GhelWormy__: Would it be helpful to put a select few of the things Random said onto #sporewiki so people can get an idea as to his point of view?
19:34.21Wormy__Yeah sorry, I've just finished eating
19:47.38*** join/#cyrannus Imperios (~Imperios@95.140.92.144)
20:27.09*** join/#cyrannus Wormy_ (02184654@gateway/web/freenode/ip.2.24.70.84)
20:59.07*** join/#cyrannus Wormy__ (02184654@gateway/web/freenode/ip.2.24.70.84)
21:22.55*** join/#cyrannus Wormy_ (02184654@gateway/web/freenode/ip.2.24.70.84)
21:33.06*** join/#cyrannus Wormy__ (02184654@gateway/web/freenode/ip.2.24.70.84)
21:48.54*** join/#cyrannus ImpyDroid (~Anders@95.140.92.144)
22:02.50*** join/#cyrannus The_Randomness (~chatzilla@2601:441:0:6:6102:71a6:7ff7:c000)
22:05.28The_RandomnessWormy__: Can you give me a quick summary of what I've missed?
22:05.37Wormy__I can try
22:05.56Wormy__Unfortunately I timed out a few times so I'm working from memory
22:06.52Wormy__We were struggling to reach a consensus about whether we have a small region of space, multiple species in that region, and humans.  We came to realise that quite a few of the users felt like they couldn't have any significant contribution
22:07.24The_RandomnessHow so?
22:08.59Wormy__Just disagreements and lack of interest across our different knowledge bases. Charles has an idea that we instead create a system that fosters our differences.  So we go for multiple species (there is no fair way to decide on a main member species for one empire to start with)
22:09.22Wormy__And that means enlarging the volume of space we are dealing with
22:09.47The_RandomnessHow significantly so?
22:10.55Wormy__Enough for a small pool of sentient species we can share.
22:11.31Wormy__Charles thinks we cam keep things consistent by establishing a space federation, possibly something that existed from the beginning.
22:11.43GhelHow large the space needs to be depends on how many indepdently-evolved species people want to make. For all we know everyone might want to use only two or three.
22:11.56The_RandomnessYeah, that needs to be established first
22:12.06Wormy__Makes sense
22:13.22The_RandomnessI suggest we discuss that first
22:13.27The_RandomnessI'm fine with two or three
22:17.30Wormy__I'd rather we not have too many
22:17.38Wormy__Just a small number like that
22:17.48The_Randomnessyeah
22:26.22The_RandomnessJust from thinking about it a little bit while making this quick graph, I wholly disagree with the idea of a "private space"
22:27.36The_RandomnessLike, what's the point of the collab then if you have this area that's "private?"
22:28.06Wormy__Its private to create, but once its created, I believe everything is shared
22:28.28The_RandomnessOh, alright, that's a little better
22:28.28Wormy__I dunno, I was under the impression nothing was wholly owned by a particular user
22:28.47Wormy__Might want to ask Charles about it
22:29.32GhelI think the idea is that there's freedom to write about the goings-on on individual planets. Of course, it can't contradict the community consensus about the larger setting.
22:57.29*** join/#cyrannus Liquid_Ink (79d0cd9d@gateway/web/freenode/ip.121.208.205.157)
23:06.21Wormy__hi
23:09.54Liquid_InkHey
23:29.02*** join/#cyrannus Wormy_ (02184654@gateway/web/freenode/ip.2.24.70.84)
23:30.16The_RandomnessWormy_: Need a link to the channel we're discussing the collab stuff in?
23:31.35Wormy_I don't thanks

Generated by irclog2html.pl Modified by Tim Riker to work with infobot.