There is a whole field of mathematics built around proving something is not computable. The paper is saying that a simulation of the universe is non-computable problem.
It’s not worth considering as a real possibility until a plausible pathway by which it could be done is presented. Not even like, a practical pathway, just something that could theoretically accomplish the task.
This paper is just saying that computers could not even theoretically do the task. There is no possible sequences of arithmetic or logical operations that could do it. And a computer is definitionally a machine that carries out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations.
Ok, but we have no observations that would lead us to believe it is possible to do, let alone lead us believe it is likely the case. So it stays a thought experiment, not a plausible explanation.
Saying that the universe could be a simulation, when we have no evidence for that assertion is the same as saying “god could have made the universe”
Like, we can’t prove that isn’t true, but why they hell would I believe it’s a reasonable possibility if there is no evidence suggesting it as a possibility.
we have no reason to believe that a universe could be simulated. No proven plausible pathway by which that could be accomplished.
That doesn’t prove it is not possible, you cannot prove a negative. It just means that we have no reason to believe it could be true.
If you find it an interesting thought experiment, then no reason not to think about it, but it should have no baring on anyone’s decision making or assumptions about the world.
It’s a disproval of a specific theory, that if it was possible to simulate a universe that in turn could do the same, then there is probably an infinite series of simulations. And since it would be very unlikely that we’d be the first in the series, then we’re probably a simulation as well.
It’s also equally unlikely that we’d be the last simulation in an infinite chain, so if we can’t simulate a universe, we’re probably not a simulation ether.
If we can’t do it here, then the main point of the simulated universe thought experiment is void.
The argument being roughly that, if we could simulate a universe, and it could do the same, it would likely lead to an infinite chain of universe simulating other universes. In such a case, it would be highly unlikely that we just happened to be the first one in the chain, thus it would be likely we are a simulation in turn.
But it’s equally unlikely that we happen to be the last simulation in an infinite chain. So we’re probably not a simulation
Computers are defined as machines that preform a series of arithmetic and logic operations.
The point being that this kind of math is not capable of simulating a universe. If it did something else, it wouldn’t be a computer. It would be something else.
We’ve already seen a long term decline in egg consumption. The spikes in price break habits by temporarily getting people to seek alternatives, and then some people stick with the alternatives even when prices go down. The prices are also base line 3 times what they were 7 years ago, well outpacing inflation.
There is a solution, and it’s to move away from the current model.
We’ve seen that smaller, more distributed, and less confined operations have been much less susceptible to this strain, and have had much less impact on the supply chain when they do get hit. They are less efficient when everything is going well, but if you account for outbreaks they end up being cheaper.
It’s a simple solution, but one that would require that a bunch of multinational agri-businesses to abandon the infrastructure they’ve built up to serve the existing model, so they’re going to fight the sensible choice, and kick the cost on to the consumers.
That’s a super interesting read, like, there have been a few services I used that were inexplicably awful in the exact ways described and I was bewildered by how bad it was.
As has been made very clear, it is not actually possible to prevent these models from regurgitating any information they’ve been trained on, no matter how fancy the system prompt. So, if there is NSFW content In the training data, users will always be able to access it, not matter how “compliant” the company is with restrictions on NSWF content by way of system prompts.
They can have their cake and eat it to, many users will prefer the models because of their ability to do porn stuff, and they will not be held legally liable for that since they’ve done everything they possible could.
So long as no one proves that they did in fact intentionally train the models on a shit ton of porn …
I think some department or team lead was told by higher ups that they needed to “implement AI” and are just trying to find places to shove it so they can tell the boss they hit the metrics.
The reason they turn stuff like this on by default without asking creators or users is probably because previous things that were implemented and made optional all got turned off and not used, meaning it didn’t help the department or team hit their metrics for usage of the systems.
this guy was able to make a silicon chip with 1200 transistors on it in a garage, far from a modern CPU, but spitting distance from the 3500 transistors of the intel 8008 CPU. Projects in flight also has a series working on DIY semi conductor fabrication he’s not quite to the stage of fabricating a full chip, but he’s covered a lot of the more difficult parts already. And this is all stuff being done as hobby projects.
Something like an early pentium chip like the P5 would not be a particularly difficult task for a well resourced team. The questions are how much could they rely on the currently available off the shelf supplies and tools and how much do they need to scale production.
LDP, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades.
I think this actually undersells how unprecedented the LDP not being in power is. The LDP has been the ruling party in Japan since the end of US occupation in 1954, over half a century. The only interruptions being between 1994 and 1995 and between 2009 and 2011.
Japan’s modern poltical history is super interesting and less monolithic than that would make it sound, but it’s a big deal when the LDP isn’t in charge.
He put out a video a few weeks back basically endorsing Mamdani.