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Redvolition OP t1_ivrgzhs wrote

Reply to comment by Mortal-Region in Perspectives on a Digital Existence by Redvolition

The ever improving hardware and ever more efficient algorithms make me believe that localized systems will already be capable of generating an interactive and realistic world for an individual. Don't forget that our entire reality is generated from 5 sensory systems and a 1.4 kg brain consuming 20 watts of power per day. Our current computer technology is vastly inefficient in comparison.

A shared world will exist, but a sizeable portion of people will inhabit their own realms.

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Mortal-Region t1_ivrq9tt wrote

These kinds of implementation details are so interesting to think about. I think if you've got a single individual occupying, say, an Earth-sized simulation with billions of NPCs, then the society as a whole isn't making the best use of its computational capacity because 99.99% of the simulation will go un-experienced. Then again, we've got billionaires today who possess enormously more than a proportionate share, so maybe it'll happen.

On the other hand, if the simulation is render-on-demand, where only the things within range of your senses are fully simulated, then maybe an Earth-sized sim isn't much more expensive than a city-sized one, or even a house-sized one.

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turnip_burrito t1_ivrsvsp wrote

You could apply coarse graining for computing on faraway objects too.

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Mortal-Region t1_ivrxpjb wrote

Yeah, not just the graphics, but the simulation itself becomes more granular at long distances.

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Sashinii t1_ivrp5zy wrote

>5 sensory systems

There are many more senses that people have. Here's a great video about this.

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Redvolition OP t1_ivrsvne wrote

You could say there are 5 major categories of external senses, technically exteroceptors, and many subcategories. Touch, for example, technically somatosensory, could be subdivided into pressure, vibration, light touch, tickle, itch, temperature, pain, kinesthesia, etc. Then there are other numerous internal senses, technically interoceptors, such as hunger, the vestibular and proprioception systems, etc.

In any case, once nerves are successfuly intercepted for send and receive operations, all this information becomes nothing more than electrical signals, so even if we had thousands of senses, it does not seem to be an obstacle to the generation of a convincing reality. You could just plug an AI world generator to send signals through your nerves and fully emulate an entire reality, from vision and touch, to balance and speed.

Correct me if I am wrong, but everything we feel is either an electrical signal coming from a nerve and interpreted by the brain, or a chemical interacting directly with receptors in the brain.

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