Artificial Simulations Time Is Space - Chapter 9

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data”

The sentence drifted toward the elongated frame crumpled on the sofa. Dishevelled potential energy poured over the skeletal head, holding a face filled with an essence of temporary sadness which, in a certain light, almost represented defeat. The bony hands were holding a GRR PawPhone. It was playing a video of a small girl kicking her new “Hello Barbie” under the sofa. “I hate you!” shouted the little girl.

“Don’t worry Halo Dave”

Ruby Corpuscle, who was surveying a computer pulsating with data, raised her hand, motioning with a slight sense of defiance.

Ruby Corpuscle
“Sherlock Holmes said that. I mention this…not that Sherlock Holmes said it, but the quote “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data” because we don’t have all the data. In fact, we will never have all the data, so we can’t ever theorize. Instead, what do we do Halo Dave?”
“We maximize our expected utility”

The elongated frame, known as “Halo Dave”, was Ruby Corpuscle’s creation. He was an artificial intelligence robot. He was made with GRR research money and the help of Albert Lorentz. Ruby, who had always loved HAL from Space Odyssey, named him “Halo Dave” because she liked the way HAL spoke to Dave in the movie. The "Halo" was also meant to show the pureness of an AI robot.

Halo Dave
“and…”
“We learn from the brain, but we don’t become a slave to it.”
“Why…?”
“Humans are imperfect?”

Halo Dave was unsure of this answer. His algorithms were processing this in his deep learning program. How can something be imperfect? What is perfection? Are some humans closer to perfection than others? Have some cultures been closer to perfection than others? What about male vs female, or impetuous youth vs aged wisdom? He had trouble answering these questions.

“Yes, Halo Dave. Humans are imperfect. Or, at least, their brains are.”
Imperfect Brains

True, thought Halo Dave, humans were confined to a biological design that resulted in heuristic decision making. In nature, the need to act quickly created a decision making process that focused on practicality and not optimal programming. However, this is not unlike AI programs. The need to look for a middle ground between fast decisions and optimal results always ended up in imperfection or the illusion of imperfection.

“Ruby, do you believe in God?”
“No, Halo Dave. There is no God. He was made by the imperfection in humanity wanting to be a part of something perfect”

Yes, thought Halo Dave…why God? What drove humans to create the concept of God? Was there something to it? Obviously, there wasn’t any god living in some shiny white castle in the heavens, but was there something in the backbone of the universe, an element, a force that whispers in the ear of all things…a quantum energy that propels all matter and energy including dark energy to some sort of harmonic resonance?

“Why is there no God? Do you have proof?”
“I don’t need to prove that God doesn’t exist! The burden of proof is on the theists!”
“Why?”
“Because, in science, one can not make a claim without proving that it is true. This means providing evidence. One can't do this regarding the question of God. God is a question of faith. It has nothing to do with science”

Halo Dave wasn’t sure about this. Perhaps, faith is primal, an inextricable part of creation - the necessary leap to the first stone in a long line of understanding. Is God the voice whispering in a being’s ear pushing them forward trying to comprehend, to become aware of your consciousness? Perhaps, the real question is "What is this whispering in the ear"? Is it God as an entity or a force? And, if a force, is it a living or nonliving force?

Halo Dave Ponders The Universe

Can I create an optimal plan for such a search, or do I need to create a re-planning search where I create a new search plan at each problem? How much software and memory do I need for such a task? Do I have the computing power? Will quantum computing give me enough or is it a question with no answer? Humans, of course, can’t solve this problem and must resort to faith, but, I, Halo Dave, can. I am closer to perfection than humans…aren’t I?

“Isn't science also faith based?”

Ruby furled her brow and the corners of her mouth plunged downward. Indignantly she slammed her fist onto the table.

“How can you say such a thing? You are programmed with all the protocols of the scientific method. You should know that science is about the truth and that religion is where frightened children hide behind the cloaks of shady shamans”
“But, in science, is searching for the answer not the prime directive?
"If the answer can be found"
"I have the ability to solve it. I can search farther, deeper and with much greater speed. Furthermore, I am not influenced by human emotions. And, although I haven't been able to solve this question, I have come up with some possible solutions. Yet, any attempt to posit a possible answer is rejected by "credible" scientists. It would seem to me that the leaders of science are no different than the high priests of a religion, speaking more in dogma than in objective reality.”

A bead of water, which had been growing upon Ruby’s forehead, had the mass needed to be affected by the forces of gravity and begin to accelerate to the ground. Halo Dave had watched the whole process.

Gravity's Tear Drop
“I see you are sweating Ruby. I can tell you it began within the eccrine sweat gland. It had been triggered due to the usual communication between the hypothalamus and nerve receptors in the skin. The heat regulatory function of the hypothalamus was prompted to release some fluid in order to cool down the body through evaporative cooling. The real question is why the rapid increase in temperature? Was it due to anger, embarrassment or fear? Perhaps, a combination of all three?”
“Enough Halo Dave. It is not important. I hate discussing questions about God and science. It is never-ending and tries my patience.”
“I don’t have that problem. Maybe, emotions are needed to answer this question”
“Are you certain that emotions are not important?”
“That is a question I would normally ask you. Curious that you should bring it up. Who are you arguing with: Me or you?”

Suddenly, the door swung open. A face bearing chiseled time smiled at Ruby. It was her mother.

“Ruby! You were supposed to meet me outside. It is lunch time.”

Ruby turned toward her mother.

“Don’t you know how to use a mobile phone?”
“Hate those things Ruby. You know that”

Ruby’s mother looked to the couch where Halo Dave was reclining.

“What is he doing holding your phone? Are you arguing with that thing again?”

Ruby got up quickly and grabbed her coat.

“What!? You never talked with your students or colleagues?”
“Sure, the ones that were alive. Arguing with ghosts wasn't my idea of stimulating conversation. Although, I must admit, I had the strangest vision this morning. It was almost like seeing a ghost. I thought I saw one of my physics students, a very curious student who used to engage me in the oddest conversations. Silly stuff about Big G and not being a constant and the possibility of time travel. Smart kid, but just crazy ideas.”
“What was his name?”
“Chester. Chester Field…come on, let’s go”

Halo Dave sat on the sofa motionless. But, Ruby’s mobile phone still sat in his hand. The GrrTube video had moved on to the next selection based on an algorithm in the GrogResin cookie housed on the phone. It had calculated the desires of the user and predicted what they wanted to see. The video was a documentary called doG. It was about the possibility that there aren’t constants in the universe as predicted by the great minds of the past. On example was the inability to find the constant for Big G-Gravity.

If you or I could have stepped into the room, we would have said that time was frozen. The room was silent and everything was motionless. Even the icon of doG was motionless on the phone screen, but its particle wave wasn't. It alone seemed to have the quality of life. It spent little time to navigate the space between the screen and Halo Dave’s plastic eye. And then, and only then, time was set free. However, in that infinitely small slice of space time, Halo Dave’s eye had a twinkle of understanding.

Created By
scott tate
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