Could one really really smart person eventually recreate all technological advancements granted immortality? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by 6mementomori@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Let's say we left one single very smart guy (not necessarily with the knowledge: they may be able to understand hard stuff when taught it, but not know it already) alone on a copy of the earth. That person is also immortal. Could that person, by themselves, gain back all knowledge, maybe also experimental, or even surpass that is already available to us right now, before the planet gets inevitably engulfed by a sun turning red giant?

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[-] the_dopamine_fiend@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

Relevant XKCD: https://xkcd.com/505/

[-] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

What transmits the information, I don't understand. The rocks just sit there. Don't get it. The guy maybe?

[-] the_dopamine_fiend@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/505:_A_Bunch_of_Rocks

It can be hard to explain, but basically each row of rocks is a line of input/computation/output not unlike the binary code that flows through the circuits of a processor. It's a different representation of the same kind of work your device is doing right now. And, as you might think, waaaaaay slower.

[-] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, what is slower though. Presumably they mean the rate at which the guy lays the stones, otherwise there's nothing changing over time. It would just be a record.

[-] the_dopamine_fiend@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Right. Think of Cueball laying stones as a CPU, and the rate at which he can finish laying a row and return to the beginning as his clock speed.

[-] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Very long lines, then.

[-] the_dopamine_fiend@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Mind-bogglingly long!

[-] 6mementomori@lemmy.world -3 points 1 year ago

ah, so I see the guy has started resorting to the pens that fall

this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2023

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