

Ye cannae change the laws of physics -- or can you? - gojomo
http://www.economist.com/node/16930866

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gojomo
That a universal 'constant' may vary not just over the age of the universe,
but in different directions from 'here', is also an idea in Vernor Vinge's
'Deepness in the Sky'/'Fire Upon the Deep' universe. There, faster-than-light
travel and more rapid computation become possible further from each galactic
core.

If some physical laws are subject to graduated variation across the universe,
the migration of intelligence might be biased in the direction of more-
favorable conditions. Perhaps any matrioshka brains with a choice wouldn't be
caught dead in our neighborhood.

~~~
arethuza
Have you read Greg Egan's _Diaspora_? The "direction" of migration described
there is quite interesting:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaspora_%28novel%29>

~~~
gojomo
I've read a bunch of Egan but not _Diaspora_ \-- I'll get to it eventually!

In both _Permutation City_ and _Schild's Ladder_ there are also situations
where physical laws are in flux, and characters have to get out of the way of
change.

