11-03-2018, 11:38 PM | #21 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
That would be more code bloat than what even Microsoft could accomplish, though I am sure that they will try their best.
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11-04-2018, 01:34 AM | #22 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
Given that Microsoft tries to build the browser into the OS and the ongoing move to writing programs in HTML and JavaScript that level of code bloat is probably obtainable and the system could probably run Crysis in it's browser.
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11-04-2018, 07:09 AM | #23 | |
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
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11-04-2018, 07:42 AM | #24 |
Join Date: May 2007
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
Traditionally, isn't the primary use of such a computer to calculate the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe, and Everything?
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11-04-2018, 08:41 AM | #25 | |
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
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Another possible configuration of such a computer would be a "Dyson shell" surrounding a star. Although maybe that would be several planetary masses. For a solid, spherical planet-mass computer, how much space would need to be taken up by TL12 energy production? Could any portion of the waste heat be recycled into energy?
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I have Confused and Clueless. Sometimes I miss sarcasm and humor, or critically fail my Savoir-Faire roll. None of it is intentional. Published GURPS Settings (as of 4/2013 -- I hope to update it someday...) |
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11-04-2018, 08:59 AM | #26 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
You're about 20 replies too late for that. :)
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11-04-2018, 09:27 AM | #27 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
Just like the computer from the book.
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11-04-2018, 10:31 AM | #28 | |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
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A realistic civilization (or a superscience civilization without every miracle) could spread slowly throughout a galaxy and could convert existing planets into planetary computers (even most gas giants possess solid cores). Within a few hundred thousand years, even an STL civilization could spread throughout a sphere 1,000 ly in radius without difficulty, allowing it to convert millions of planets into computers. If the civilization wanted to preserve the aethetics or the ecosystems of the targeted planets, or wished to hide their existence from potential enemies, they could even appear to be natural worlds. The Earth and Venus would be two potential candidates and, for all we know, they may both be planetary supercomputers. We may expand out into space, unwittingly following the footsteps of a much greater civilization, and would not know it until we started to dismantle planets (even terraforming may go unnoticed). If we were noticed though, they may possess sufficient 'primitive' technology to deal with surface threats, perhaps hidden within the local version of the KBOs. |
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11-04-2018, 10:32 AM | #29 |
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Snoopy's basement
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
Has anyone else ever had the impression that new paradigms in astro-physics might emerge at the pace a giant computer might render them in response to user investigation?
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11-04-2018, 11:25 AM | #30 | |
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.
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Re: Planetary Mass Computers
Quote:
It seems like a plausible possibility.
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