aipdc@castle.ed.ac.uk (Paul D. Crowley) (02/08/90)
>In article <439@unicorn.WWU.EDU> n8445388@unicorn.WWU.EDU (treon verdery) writes: >>In the same paper I also wrote about a possible political dilemma: >>a computer model that could accurately simultate & retroactively >>predict the economy & political reality of the USA. In article <772@geovision.UUCP> gd@geovision.UUCP (Gord Deinstadt) writes: >Such a system would, by its very existence, *change* the economic and >political reality. So its simulation can't be perfectly accurate. (See >Heisenberg.) > >Unless, of course, it's prophecies are self-fulfilling. But then it is >no longer a simulation. Not necessarily. The information on the system could be kept secret by the reader. Or the system could be manufactured by Cassandra Computing. Or there could be a kind of inevitability about the behavior of the e and p reality, such that it would not be greatly changed by being accuratly predicted. Anyone want to write a short story assuming the existance of one of the above such systems? -- This posting contains logical punctuation, for which I make no apology. It may be reproduced freely in part or whole correctly accredited. Paul D Crowley aipdc@uk.ac.ed.castle --- It wasn't me, it was my aardvark.
peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (02/09/90)
In article <2154@castle.ed.ac.uk> aipdc@castle.ed.ac.uk (Paul D. Crowley) writes about expert systems that predict the behaviour of a society. > Anyone want to write a short story assuming the existance of one of the > above such systems? See "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov. -- _--_|\ Peter da Silva. +1 713 274 5180. <peter@ficc.uu.net>. / \ \_.--._/ Xenix Support -- it's not just a job, it's an adventure! v "Have you hugged your wolf today?" `-_-'