A Knowledge Collider

[Skybird]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12012082

Fascinating. But saying it is an "ambitious" project, would be an understatement, I suppose.

And solid chances for abuse there are, too.

[TLAM Strike]

Starting to get in to Hari Seldon territory now...

[Diopos]

You know, I was expecting something like this. It seems that many fundamental questions in politics, economy and sociology will be answered/judged on "mere" simulation runs ... or so they'll tell us ...

" - Mr President, according to our simulation, we must revert to a communist system, in order to avoid global disaster and the end of the human race in the next century!"
" - What?!? Are you crazy?!? Fudge the numbers!!!!!"
"- Alternatively, if we wipe out half the current planet's population within the next 4.7 years there is a 17.8% probability of maintaining our current system for another 137 years"
"- Thank God we still have options! Ok let's go get them terrorists immediately ..."





.

[papa_smurf]

I think the simulation of road congestion in Milton Keynes might just break the whole thing

[Skybird]

I'll wait for the playstation version anyway.

[Stealth Hunter]

If this were a game, I would play it. Even if it weren't, I would treat it as if it were. It would be fun to play God for a day... or a few years.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

If this were a game, I would play it. Even if it weren't, I would treat it as if it were. It would be fun to play God for a day... or a few years.

There was an episode of Stargate Atlantis like that. Sheppard and McKay find an alien computer game (like Civ) but they don't realize that its really giving instructions to two diffrent civilizations on another planet.

[the_tyrant]

how long until the global orgy simulation?

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

There was an episode of Stargate Atlantis like that. Sheppard and McKay find an alien computer game (like Civ) but they don't realize that its really giving instructions to two diffrent civilizations on another planet.

Whoever wrote that episode had clearly played Civ on more than one occasion:

Dr. Rodney McKay: Hey, don't start. I tried to negotiate with you.
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: Making a list of demands and not giving anything in return is not negotiating.
Dr. Rodney McKay: I offered you an entire crop of beans.
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: I don't need beans. I need lumber.
Dr. Rodney McKay: Oh, right - to build defensive fortifications for your army, which he doubled in size, by the way. Surprise, surprise.
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: I only did that after you started cheating.
Dr. Rodney McKay: I did *not* cheat.
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: He's giving his people *way* too much technology for their level of development. I'm not the only one increasing my army, by the way.
Dr. Rodney McKay: I had to do something to protect the people of Geldar from you.
Ronon Dex: Geldar?
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: The name of Rodney's country. He named it after a girl he stalked in college.
Dr. Rodney McKay: I did *not* stalk her. We dated twice. Teresa Geldar - a very cute blonde. I always used to think her name reminded me of some kind of a mythological land: the Kingdom of Geldar.
Teyla Emmagan: [to Sheppard] What did you call *your* country?
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: Well, I just kept the name it already had.

Dr. Rodney McKay: Don't worry about it. They'll work it out. Look, we just happened to catch them at a particularly bad time. Sheppard's guy's been doing a lot of aggressive posturing of late.
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: The only aggression is coming from the people of Gelding.
Dr. Rodney McKay: Geldar.
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: Whatever.
[to Elizabeth]
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: His people are digging a mine across the border into Hallona.
Dr. Rodney McKay: The coal resources straddle the border between my country and his.
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: Barely! They go three miles into my country - which your people are happily tunnelling into.
Dr. Rodney McKay: It has been a point of contention between us, OK, but it is just a difference in cartographic interpretation. Tomayto. Tomahto.
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: No, no, it's pretty clear cut. *You* entered illegally into *my* country.
Dr. Elizabeth Weir: Gentlemen.
Dr. Rodney McKay: [to John] You gave me no choice! You refused to negotiate!
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: You mean give in.
Dr. Rodney McKay: What do you care anyway? It's not like your people were gonna use the coal!
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: Oh, yeah, that's right. You need it to power your medieval steam engines.
Dr. Elizabeth Weir: These are not your lands. This game is over, so you'd better set aside your differences, because if the two of you can't figure out how to forge a truce, how the hell are these people going to?

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

If this were a game, I would play it.

You already do. The only problem is you are just one of those billions of NPCs that don't have much influence on the outcome of the game.

[krashkart]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

You already do. The only problem is you are just one of those billions of NPCs that don't have much influence on the outcome of the game.

Well, at least our pathfinding AI improves over time. I've noticed that I don't walk into walls nearly as much as I used to.

[XabbaRus]

Won't it need its own powerplant? lol