At the bottom of
http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks/docs/occam/node2.html
you wrote:
> There may well be some way of resolving this problem
> that leads to an absolute measure over all bitstrings.
> However, it turns out that an absolute measure is not
> required to explain features we observe. A SAS is an
> information processing entity, and may well be capable
> of universal computation (certainly homo sapiens seems
> capable of universal computation). Therefore, the only
> interpreter (UTM) that is relevant to the measure that
> determines which universe a SAS appears in is the SAS
> itself. We should expect to find ourselves in a
> universe with one of the simplest underlying
> structures, according to our own information processing
> abilities.
How do you explain why we find ourselves with the information processing
abilities that we have? It seems to me that the problem with your idea of
observer-relative measures of information content is that it can't explain
this. You can't put an absolute measure on information processing
abilities, since that would lead to an absolute measure over all bit
strings.
How do you respond to this?
Received on Fri Nov 02 2001 - 17:23:21 PST