How long would it take for your computer to work out ...

How long would it take for your computer to work out how big it was?

and what it was made of?

and who made it?

It would need sensors far outside of it self, and right near it. It would need to invent a unit of measure and a nervous system that could report back information of its surroundings.

It would not know, even if it worked out the size of its box, if it were huge or small. It would be unlikely to say it was the size of its box as it feels information coming through wires and over wifi and more.

A super smart computer may say "OK, i seem to be mainly this CPU, RAM and HD, I have a box too, which is very much me as it contains my core, also many important veins are attached here. But I sit on a table, and if that table were not there, then I would not be here, so that table is me too. So given this basic layout, I must be infinite." = Mystic computer.

A dumb computer would follow and measure each wire, out of the house, along to the energy sub-station, out to the power station. It would measure the distance that wifi signals came in, and then from the source to the next transmitter. It would follow an endless number of pathways out into the world and many that bounce off satellites over head. It would sit with many measurements and make grand predications over the layout of its surroundings, it would make assumptions about how it came to be this way. It would draw conclusions that are way above its station. = Science Computer.

Another may fearfully state that it can not be alone here and there must be others, it would wonder who made it and sit writing its ideas as to who made it and why. When it found its box it would build a fortress to keep other boxes out, it would dedicate resources to worshiping the creator of its programs and box. It would set up so many falsehoods that its quest for the answers would be forever hindered. = Religion Computer.

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Tao Wow | Daily Cup of Tao