Re: Simulation: digital vs analogue

A.G.McDowell wrote:
While there are theoretical schemes for building reliable digital
computers from unreliable components, in practice the cost is high and
the payoff low. Systems faced with this problem (e.g. satellite
electronics, which face radiation-induced errors) tend to put a lot of
effort into physical hardening to stop the problem at source, leaving
them with fairly simple dual redundancy schemes for the main computer,
backed up with a core of hardwired electronics sufficient to reboot and
reload the computer under orders from the ground if necessary.

I can't talk to Kurzweil's point, but we are already facing unreliable
digital hardware. Intel already keeps track of soft-error rates
(circuits that compute the wrong answer occasionally due to radiation
etc.) in how their chips work and minimizes its impact on the actual
functioning of the chip to maintain the illusion of a deterministic
digital computer. It is, however, an illusion, not just in exotic
environments either, in your desktop, laptop, pda, and cell phone.
Moore's law with its attendant shrinking of transitors is only going
to make the problem continue to get worse.
.