Difference between revisions of "Computers"
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This process seems to be as inevitable as stellar evolution. Cultures who survive this come out the other end with a strong aversion to automation and to electronics in particular. Our multi-species society, held in loose alliance within the Co-operative, has managed to develop organic computation: it's slower and squishier, but every computer-node has a short and finite lifespan, and is guaranteed not to gallop away over the eschatological horizon. | This process seems to be as inevitable as stellar evolution. Cultures who survive this come out the other end with a strong aversion to automation and to electronics in particular. Our multi-species society, held in loose alliance within the Co-operative, has managed to develop organic computation: it's slower and squishier, but every computer-node has a short and finite lifespan, and is guaranteed not to gallop away over the eschatological horizon. | ||
| − | These organic brainlets are what we call "computers". They are vat-grown on an industrial scale, and all have the exact same properties. Because they are mortal, there's a constant demand for them, and because they're identical there's not a whit of difference between a computer from a TL-15 world and a computer from a TL-5 world. A Rich Industrial planet can grow them in bulk, making them a little cheaper: price is the only difference.|Source=([https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?p=273533#p273533 Disembodied])}} | + | These organic brainlets are what we call "computers". They are vat-grown on an industrial scale, and all have the exact same properties. Because they are mortal, there's a constant demand for them, and because they're identical there's not a whit of difference between a computer from a TL-15 world and a computer from a TL-5 world. A Rich Industrial planet can grow them in bulk, making them a little cheaper: price is the only difference.|Source=([https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?p=273533#p273533 Disembodied (2020)])}} |
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| + | {{QuoteText|Text= I think AI in the Oolite universe is massively dangerous, and viewed with some horror. Hence the almost complete absence of automation, and what there is - docking computers, homing missiles - is very simplistic. Hence, also, the lack of robots and the presence of slaves. | ||
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| + | We also have the question of "Computers". Why is there no difference in description or price between low-tech and high-tech Computers? What are these basic trade goods, sold by the tonne, and why is there such consistent demand? My theory: this is a society which is very wary of automation, and of networked machine intelligence in particular. Any yet, some degree of automation is handy, even necessary, especially in making complex calculations. I think Oolite-universe "Computers" are small, possibly biomechanical, Babbage engines (cabbage engines, for short). They can compute but are physically limited in complexity by how small the moving parts are - even if these are based on proteins - and also limited in speed by their biochemical nature. They also, thanks to apoptosis, have a limited lifespan. In short, they grow old and die, and have to be replaced - resulting in a constant demand for fresh components. | ||
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| + | Cabbage-engine technology has pretty much hit the buffers set by physics: they can't be made any more complex than they already are. So Computers from a TL5 world are just as good as those from a TL15 world; any advantage would come from improvements in the manufacturing or harvesting process, or possibly in the area of lifespan or resistance to bugs (debugging a cabbage engine probably involves a spraygun). | ||
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| + | Hence, too, the fear of the Thargoids and their robot Tharglets. We have these wild stories about the Thargoids, and how they've had their "fear glands" removed - and then there's the strange Navy interest in "Alien Items", and the fact that the one piece of electronic warfare we have is based on Thargoid technology. Maybe the Thargoids - with their incomprehensible babble, and their strange physics, and their bizarre tactics - are some hideous fusion of biology and AI … |Source=([https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?p=262535#p262535 Disembodied (2018)])}} | ||
== New Cargoes OXP == | == New Cargoes OXP == | ||
Latest revision as of 09:20, 11 March 2025
A commodity found on the F8 markets screen.
Intelligent machinery, positronic AI's, NavCon electronics.
Traded in TCs & stored in the Cargo Hold for trade.
Cheaper on industrial worlds, and more expensive at agricultural worlds. A premium-priced product.
Contents
[hide]Lore
More specifically, Disembodied's lore:
That's the great thing about fiction: it's very stretchy.
This process seems to be as inevitable as stellar evolution. Cultures who survive this come out the other end with a strong aversion to automation and to electronics in particular. Our multi-species society, held in loose alliance within the Co-operative, has managed to develop organic computation: it's slower and squishier, but every computer-node has a short and finite lifespan, and is guaranteed not to gallop away over the eschatological horizon. These organic brainlets are what we call "computers". They are vat-grown on an industrial scale, and all have the exact same properties. Because they are mortal, there's a constant demand for them, and because they're identical there's not a whit of difference between a computer from a TL-15 world and a computer from a TL-5 world. A Rich Industrial planet can grow them in bulk, making them a little cheaper: price is the only difference. |
| (Disembodied (2020)) |
| I think AI in the Oolite universe is massively dangerous, and viewed with some horror. Hence the almost complete absence of automation, and what there is - docking computers, homing missiles - is very simplistic. Hence, also, the lack of robots and the presence of slaves.
We also have the question of "Computers". Why is there no difference in description or price between low-tech and high-tech Computers? What are these basic trade goods, sold by the tonne, and why is there such consistent demand? My theory: this is a society which is very wary of automation, and of networked machine intelligence in particular. Any yet, some degree of automation is handy, even necessary, especially in making complex calculations. I think Oolite-universe "Computers" are small, possibly biomechanical, Babbage engines (cabbage engines, for short). They can compute but are physically limited in complexity by how small the moving parts are - even if these are based on proteins - and also limited in speed by their biochemical nature. They also, thanks to apoptosis, have a limited lifespan. In short, they grow old and die, and have to be replaced - resulting in a constant demand for fresh components. Cabbage-engine technology has pretty much hit the buffers set by physics: they can't be made any more complex than they already are. So Computers from a TL5 world are just as good as those from a TL15 world; any advantage would come from improvements in the manufacturing or harvesting process, or possibly in the area of lifespan or resistance to bugs (debugging a cabbage engine probably involves a spraygun). Hence, too, the fear of the Thargoids and their robot Tharglets. We have these wild stories about the Thargoids, and how they've had their "fear glands" removed - and then there's the strange Navy interest in "Alien Items", and the fact that the one piece of electronic warfare we have is based on Thargoid technology. Maybe the Thargoids - with their incomprehensible babble, and their strange physics, and their bizarre tactics - are some hideous fusion of biology and AI … |
| (Disembodied (2018)) |
New Cargoes OXP
New Cargoes is an OXP which allows trade specifically in such items as Earthquake predictors, Remote presence systems and Weather control processors.
The major specific variants of the computers commodity are:
- AIs: State-of-the-art hardware and software for automation of ship systems.
- Earthquake predictors: The Diso Digital OO32000 processor and sensor array, or a similar product from a less well-known manufacturer
- NavCon electronics: Computers and databases for in-system and witchspace navigation.
- Remote presence systems: A variety of televisual and robotic remote presence systems, for those with an ingrained aversion to physical company.
- Weather control processors: Sophisticated weather forecast and control computers used to coordinate planet-wide weather adjustments
