This is a follow up of sorts to the note I wrote on Loops.

I’ve been experiencing some kind of mental block recently that has prevented me from getting any serious thinking done. I am in fact, ashamed to say that I have done little more than drink excessively, smoke enough to kill a small elephant, and play on Guitar Hero World Tour (drums FTW – I’m coming for you Jonno). Well it ends today, Tadaima.

Helen,
When you asked me about consciousness a long time ago in your note, I feel I may have vastly underestimated the depth of it. Its been playing on my mind a lot, and whilst reading Excession by Iain M. Banks I came across something rather thought provoking. I’m starting to think you were about 100 steps in front of me. And hopefully the last point I make in this note will illustrate why.

Some background:
The ships (space fairing) in the book are not piloted by humans, they are sentient – and vastly more intelligent than us. So intelligent in fact, that time for them passes far slower than it would to your average ex-cave man. This is due to the sheer speed at which they can process information.
The nice thing about this book is that sometimes you find yourself reading what are effectively MSN conversations between ships. And it was when reading one of these that something interesting came up; Metamathics.

Metamathics: (n) (short form of ‘metamathematics’)
The investigation of the properties of realities intrinsically unknowable by and from our own, but whose general principles can be hazarded at.

I’m a bit of a n00b when it comes to physics, but at a very basic level there are four forces that shape our universe: Gravity, Electromagnetism, and the Strong – and Weak nuclear forces. Gravity is very weak in comparison to Electromagnetism – a small magnet for example, is more than capable of picking up a paper clip from the floor.
If however, the strength of gravity (or any of the forces for the sake of argument) was any different it is possible that the universe would be wildly different.Stars and Galaxies, well – even atoms may not have been able to form. Making it impossible for life as we know it to even exist. Anyway this is veering off topic.

The majority of the machines in the book spend most of their spare ‘clock time’ running simulations. Toying with, and tweaking the universal constants (strength of the forces), and creating virtual universes in their… minds – I suppose this explanation will have to do. Two things spring to mind whilst I ramble aimlessly:

1. The chances of the universal constants establishing themselves the way they did are absolutely astronomical. Which brings to light many questions that mess with my world view.

And if it wasn’t a fluke..

2. Could a being of immense intellectual capacity actually create life in its mind? Spawning – or forking its own consciousness. This is a scary thought indeed.

And thus, the idea of a divine creator – at least as far as our universe is concerned becomes more acceptable to me. Damn you Andy.