Re: “If you believe in accelerating change, then the number of important events in a given time interval increases exponentially, or, equivalently, the time intervals that should be considered equivalent opportunities for important events shorten exponentially.”
Uh—that doesn’t go on forever. Any more than rats with a grain pile allows growth forever. Your statement takes the idea of exponential change into an utterly ridiculous realm.
“More important is that our compression of subjective time can be exponential, while our ability to escape from ever-broader swaths of destruction is limited by lightspeed.”
Eventually, compression in subjective time stops, while expansion continues.
Re: “If you believe in accelerating change, then the number of important events in a given time interval increases exponentially, or, equivalently, the time intervals that should be considered equivalent opportunities for important events shorten exponentially.”
Uh—that doesn’t go on forever. Any more than rats with a grain pile allows growth forever. Your statement takes the idea of exponential change into an utterly ridiculous realm.
You’re right. It still has a large impact, though. Even if we get only 3 more doublings, it reduces the time available by a factor of 8.
The nearest other galaxy is 2 million light years away. If we get 6 doublings, that’s 128 million subjective light years. That’s a worrisome amount.
The nearest other star is 4.24 light years away. If we get 20 doublings, that’s over 4 million subjective light years away. Also a worrisome amount.
The observation bears on this statement:
“More important is that our compression of subjective time can be exponential, while our ability to escape from ever-broader swaths of destruction is limited by lightspeed.”
Eventually, compression in subjective time stops, while expansion continues.
Yes, that’s right. If you can survive long enough to get to that point.