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Do you think it's possible for us to be living in a matrix?

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ok this goes back longer than most of you have been alive, but I seem to remember a sci fi story where someone was able to examine the future, and found that humanity put their bodies in containers where they were kept alive for eternity Their minds were free to associate in what was in effect a matrix. These beings forgot that they even had physical bodies. There was a parasite that started breaking into the containers and killing people, and the others had no idea what was happening to them and eventually everyone died out. Turns out that this fellow who looked into the future was an inventor and developed a self tending lawn that mutated over millenia, became the killer of humanity. As I recall he never developed the grass any further and mankind was saved.

I must have read this at least 35 years ago. I think it was Asimov, but not sure. Any Sci Fi buffs know what this story was and who wrote it?
 
Hayabusarider - You read that 35 years ago, eh? I have a feeling that 35 years ago you were at a farm in upstate New York sucking on sugar cubes and making this up while Hendrix played the national anthem 😉
 


<< Hayabusarider - You read that 35 years ago, eh? I have a feeling that 35 years ago you were at a farm in upstate New York sucking on sugar cubes and making this up while Hendrix played the national anthem 😉 >>



LOL- I would have been just a tot (not ATOT 😀 )

I was 9 or 10 when I read it. My wife was a kid near Yasgurs (sp?) farm. Oh man what she saw! 😱
 
of course it is

epistemology at its finest 🙂

ever heard of Descarte?

he proposed the same question (not a matrix but very similar)
 


<< "ignorance is bliss". >>

"If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face." - Rage Against The Machine
 


<<

<<

<< Quantum computers have been in development for quite some time at IBM and other places. >>

We still don't know exactly what Quantum computers can be used for. Their functionality will likely be limited compared to our current computers. >>




A quantum computer takes advantage of the Qubit, which is a represenation of an electron in three phase shifts. The electron sits within a "well", and can be in the well, just neutral of the well, or out of the well. Calculations based on this method of logic can result in instantaneous results, taking full advantage of the laws of physics. Last time I checked, a university was able to build a 4 qubit prototype.

It's going to be awhile before that get's used for anything too fancy... >>

Well, the main issues with Quantum computers are preserving the internal state (the qubits) despite external interference and reading the outcome.

Because of the use of qubits, any attempt to read the outcome of a calculation directly would destroy the calculation, thanks to Heisenberg 🙂

There are some methods in development which would allow us to read at least parts of the result of a calculation, but it's still far from ideal.

But at least we're trying =)
 


<<

<< "ignorance is bliss". >>

"If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face." - Rage Against The Machine >>


"Ignorance is a short-term strategy." - Elledan
 
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