X-Message-Number: 8159
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 11:35:23 +0100
From: John de Rivaz <>
Subject: Re: simulation overload

In article: <>  
writes:
(Ettinger)
> > 3. He denies the simulation overload problem. Of course you can
> > have computer simulations within simulations, and you can run a
> > simulation of one computer on another computer; but if you have
> > just one, finite set of hardware (the "original" or "real" world),
> > and if simulated worlds breed sub-simulations (all a bit different)
> > ad infinitum, then the system will soon, for all practical
> > purposes, grind to a halt, if it doesn't crash altogether.
(Metzner)
> 
> Your ignorance of simulations is showing.
> 
> A simulated computer in that universe is going to be pretty much like
> any other simulated object. My simulator isn't going to care what its
> simulating. You are attributing magical properties to computers.

I am wondering whether I am ignorant as well.

Surely if you have 32 MB free RAM in your computer and a simulation (of 
another computer) requires 8MB of overhead, if you run it once then you have 
24MB to play with. If within the first simulation you run another which also 
requires 8MB then you have only 16 MB left. You can repeat the process until 
you have zero left and the computer will cease to function. It may close down 
in an orderly manner or crash depending on how well Windows95 or whatever 
operating system you are using has been installed, but it will still cease to 
accept any further simulations.

Therefore you could not have an infinite number of artificial universes in a 
computer with the inhabitants of each one simulating another one. 

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