Are we living in a computer simulation

This is a hot topic at the moment with many people having thoughts on the matter. My answer to the question is: of course we are not. The answer is depending on what is meant by a computer simulation, and here I am referring to a situation similar to the Matrix, which is what is usually considered in the current discussion. However, I think the discussion is not very different from what actually Descartes already had when he was discussing his demon and Kant with das Ding an sich.
Anyway, my arguments against the idea that we are living in a computer simulation are:
1. Evolutionary extrapolation. It is often claimed that extrapolating the current pace of technology advance indicate, on an evolutionary time scale, that there should be machines capable to performing these kind of simulations at some point. However, this is a logical error, because current pace of technological advance has not occurred on an evolutionary time scale. Thus, it can not be extrapolated on an evolutionary time scale either. There is no predictable way to tell what will happen with technology over long time scales.
2. Ethics. We know from our own civilization that once we get advanced, we also have ethical ruses. E.g. we do not allow for any type on animal experiments. I am guessing that the kind of simulation referred to in the discussion would be considered highly unethical, and not be allowed to be run.
3. Computing power. If the world is constituted in a way similar to ours. That is, the presumed simulated structure is similar to the world in which the simulation is run, then it seem to follow that it will be very hard to simulate it accurately. It is not easy to simulate it self.
4. Epistemologically. If there is no way to detect that we are in a computer simulation (actually Neo noticed in the Matrix), then the discussion is not a very interesting one at all. Since then we have no way to test the hypothesis. Further, is it not likely that if we are in such a simulation, that just by design, we would not be able to detect the boundaries of the simulation. Any "flaws" in the simulation would appear as how the world is constituted to us (maybe this is the reason behind cancer, chaos theory, the Republican party, ... and other crazy-ness).

Hur svårt kan det vara med en aktiv invandringspolitik?!

Vi ser just nu människor runt om i världen utsättas för något av det grövsta våldet man kan tänka sig. Männisor flyr till Europa och Sverige och hela vår världsdel ska skämmas för den nedriga hantering av detta oerhörda lidande som vi skulle kunnas mildra mycket mer genom att öppna våra armar för dessa människor.

Samtidigt gör Sverige mer än de flesta länder genom att ta emort betydligt fler flyktingar än andra länder med liknande kapacitet. Men snäll och dum är ingen bra långsiktig kombination. Vi kan inte släppa in människor till Sverige och sedan tro att traumatiserade, utblottade och splittrade familjer ska gå ut och börja bidra till det svenska samhället dag ett.

Fredrik Reinfelt vågade till slut säga detta, men vi är ett av världens rikaste länder. Låt det kosta och gör något bra av pengarna. Det är inte svårt. Höj skatten. Sedan kan man t.ex. Starta Samhal2 för invandrare. Detta företaget skulle ha mycket bättre möjligheter än Samhal originalet att slussa ut männisor i "rikiga" arbeten, efter en tid.

Vi kan inte heller låta människor komma till Sverige och sedan bli sittande på en förläggning i ett år. När den tiden har gått har dessa männisor hunnit tappa tron på att man kan åstadkomma något i Sverige, skaffat sig en bekantskapskrets bestående av ladnsmän vilka hindrar inlärning av Svenska språket och missat ett år av produktiv integration.

Sedan betalas helt galna summor för att hyra bostäder då det är sån brist. Varför inte starta ett statligt bolag som bygger bostäder åt dessa människor? Det skulle skapa arbetstillfällen och ordna boende, minska kommunernas kostnaders för hyra. Varför inte låta en sektion inom Samhal2 göra det?

Det är inte svårt att lösa hanteringen av den stora flyktingström vi har in till Sverige nu. Det handlar bara om en sak: Vilja. Var finns den politiska viljan?

Sjuktalen ökar

Nyss lyssnade jag på Försöäkringskassans generaldirektör som ondgjorde sig över att sjuktalen i Sverige ökar. . Det visade sej (VA?!) att det är i yrken med mycket mänsklig kontakt där sjuktalen går upp mest...

Mer om nationella nät

Dom är ganska fräcka mobiloperatörerna. Nu tjänar dom massor på sina kommersiella nät, men det är lite dyrare såklart att bygga nät där det är mindre befolkningstätt. I sina kontrakt med PTS man fått sina licenser i avtal om att täcka Sverige med mobilnät. Men nu när den "tråkiga" utbyggnaden är kvar, tycker man att staten ska göra det. Dåligt!

The plasticity of our brains

I am getting older. And I have recently gotten aware of a new state of mind. I literary feel how the plasticity of my brain is disappearing. It is a very interesting feeling.
As an undergraduate, when I was taking a class in vector calculus for example, learning about the curl operator in 3-space you were given the definition and you were building a conceptual feeling for what that operator was doing with a vector field. You could actually feel the spatial properties being molded to you head.
This does not happen nearly to the same extent any more. And I think this has to do with me getting old. But it is interesting to speculate in how this plasticity manifests it self. Is playfulness a consequence of this plasticity? And if humans manage to significantly extend our lives, lets say to 500 years or so, I think it will be crucial that we also manage to control brain plasticity. If you only develop significantly during the first 50 years or less, a 500 years life will probably be quite painful.

Why is God all mighty?

I just read an intriguing paper which discussed weather the Internet might become conscious. In connection to this it occurred to me that in the discussions about AI developing consciousness (C) and free will (FW) there are many people that point out that this emerging CFW might pose a danger to us humans. Embedded in the reasoning is usually an assumption that the CFW will be superior us, due to many different reasons.
Now. For this CFW, we are the creator. Maybe we could be considered Gods. On the other hand, our creation supersedes us. Can this be the case also with the humans - we supersede our creator. It is an interesting thought and actually compatible, I think, with standard physical models of the universe creation. However not quite compatible with the Christian God I guess.

What comes after innovation?

Over the centuries different things have been valued differently. It has been physical strength, art, religion and science. In our time it is innovation.

It should however be noted that innovation does not have any simple relation to science. Science focuses on what is true in some objective sense and on the method of structured reasoning. But this is not what matters to innovation, which puts sell-ability first.

Now the big question is: What will come next? I have no clear answer, but my bet is on something where the human is even more in the center than now. So it could be some bio-related stuff. For example nerve-connected people, viz artificial telepathy. It could also be something new in the arts. Or something connected to other lifeforms,  animals or AI.