Terragen
civilization is inhabited by a vast diversity of
intelligent beings of myriad levels and types of mind. An
ancestral human of pre-Information Age Old
Earth could be confident of being roughly equal in intelligence and
capability
to all of their peers, based simply on the fact of their shared
humanity. A sophont in the modern era faces a
much more
complex set of considerations.
Intelligence in the modern galaxy may be based on
organic or
inorganic substrates. It may be
naturally evolved, genetically engineered, or designed from the atoms
up for a
specific purpose or with specific abilities emplaced either by itself
or its
creator. It may be of any of seven
toposophic levels (S0-S6) or may be of one S-level in most regards
but with
specific, engineered toposophic (or transavant) ‘spikes’ in particular
areas of
intelligence or ability. It may be
concentrated (operating within a single processing node), distributed
(operating across many processing nodes), virtual, or corporeal. And it will almost certainly possess, or
eventually possess, the experience and accumulated knowledge gained
from
centuries or millennia of contact with the titanic and ever-expanding
mass of
information that permeates and inter-connects the Civilized Galaxy.
In considering all the variables that may
characterize a
given intelligence within the known galaxy, the factors that are often
considered are:
- What is the processing substrate of
the entity concerned?
- What is the entities toposophic level?
- What is the origin of the entity?
- If engineered or created, what was the
S-level of the originating entity or entities?
Often known colloquially as The Rule of
3.5, these factors
(if known or accurately determined) can often aid a sophont in gaining
a basic
idea of what sort of being it may be dealing with in a given
interaction. Depending on the situation
and available
information, the order in which each factor is considered, and the
degree to
which it is considered, can often vary widely.
The influence of each of these factors is explained below:
What is the entity’s
processing substrate?
When considering a
given sophont, the material that its
brain is constructed from can often provide insight into the likely
scope and
range of capabilities the being may possess. Substrate type can often
determine
the size, speed, memory storage, waste heat output, and likely
durability of a
sophont’s brain. In addition, certain
substrates can only be created or used by entities at or above a
certain
toposophic level.
What is the entity’s
toposophic level?
A being's toposophic
level can have a very direct impact on
the type and capability of its processing substrate.
The majority of beings of a given S-level operate
their minds on substrates that cannot be duplicated, or even fully
comprehended, by sophonts of lower S-levels. At
the same time, virtually all ‘naturally arising’ sophonts of any
toposophic level have originated using processing substrates that were
far less
capable than what the beings in question eventually develop for
themselves.
When considering a given sophont, the
toposophic level of
that sophont can often provide insight into the likely size and type of
processing substrate that the sophont may employ as well as its likely
range of
capabilities.
What is the entity's
origin?
Sophonts may either evolve naturally or
be created by other
beings of equal or greater toposophic level.
If a sophont has developed naturally or by its own efforts, or
been
engineered by others of equivalent S-level then experience has shown
that the
size and capabilities of the sophonts processing substrate will fall
within well
documented parameters depending on the sophonts S-level. If the sophont
originates as a result of the work of a being or beings of a higher
S-level, its
processing substrate may be based on principles beyond its own
comprehension
and may be far smaller or more capable than anything the sophont could
create
by its own efforts. Nevertheless, if the
toposophic level of the originating entity or entities can be
determined, the
parameters of the sophonts brain and abilities can again be estimated
with a
fairly high level of accuracy.
Storage of
Mind-States:
In addition to the
techniques and technologies employed in
operating a mind of a given toposophic level, many sophonts engage in
the
practice of recording and storing a record of their memories and mental
activity. In the event that the being so
recorded is somehow killed this recording, or Backup, may be used to
‘resurrect’
the sophont in question and re-instantiate them into a replacement
substrate to
continue their existence.
Depending on the toposophic level of
the technology
supporting the process, the recording and storage substrates for a
given
S-level may vary widely in terms of size, fidelity, and environmental
durability.
Related
Pages;
Ultimate Chip
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