X-Message-Number: 26123
Date: Mon, 02 May 2005 22:16:09 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Re: Information Paradigm
References: <>

Robert Ettinger writes:

>In broader terms, the "information paradigm" is only a
>conjecture--entertained
>by some very bright people, but in my opinion pretty low on the  plausibility
>scale. After all, it not only fails to answer the ontological  questions, but
>does
>not even address them.

Some interesting writings based on quantum mechanics have a bearing on this 
issue. As one example, David Deutsch in *The Fabric of Reality* devotes 
considerable space to arguing that a universal reality generator (as he 
calls it) is possible, that is to say, physically realizable. This would be 
essentially a type of quantum computer but capable of simulating a human 
brain and giving it the experience of any given, physically realizable 
environment, when suitably programmed. I won't try to get into any deep 
ontological discussions here, but just note that the discrete nature of 
happenings at the quantum level lends itself to computational 
(information-based) interpretations--or so it appears.

Mike Perry

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