On: Redis new data structure: the HyperLogLog

[sitkack]

The future of computation is probabilistically inexact numbers over an interval.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_arithmetic

We currently have a huge over tolerancing problem. We don't need exact math most of the time.

http://web.media.mit.edu/~bates/Summary_files/BatesTalk.pdf

[malanj → sitkack]

Hypothesis: inexact computations will be required to make strong AI work in the medium term.

You can't simulate a brain accurately (and you probably don't need to). Neurons aren't very accurate themselves, and it does the job fine.

[sitkack → malanj]

Top of the line supercomputers consume ~10 megawatts of power, a human brain uses 20. Different problems yes, but the magnitude is staggering.