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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: Perplex City » PXC: General/Updates
[UPDATE] May 13 - Sentinel - New Article View From Earth
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Mima
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Joined: 17 Feb 2005
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 		[UPDATE] May 13 - Sentinel - New Article View From Earth
Quote:
View from Earth: Currency Speculation
By DAVID ALBIES-ALBA

Having read Sente's recent letter to the local rabble of Cube seekers, offering a prize of PCL2,000,000 for finding the Cube, I have a few observations about the nature of currency exchange which I feel obligated to share.

The notion of 'exchange' is a particularly tricky issue if there is in fact no expedient (or even protracted) way to transfer between Perplex City and Earth. The economics of trading with an entity that is totally physically removed from oneself and all conceivable intermediate trading partners is something that needs careful consideration. The only good or service of any value that it seems feasible to transfer between Perplex City and Earth is information. This brings up the rather complex notion of how information can be objectively valued such that equivalent amounts can be traded. (Perhaps I'll apply to study the economics of an Earth-Perplex City trading relationship at the Academy ... the idea of this fascinates me.)

A further thought and its implications: Given the issue described above, this calls into question how the Perplex City Leck could ever be reasonably valued against Earth currencies and vice-versa. Again, since the only currently transferable good or service is information, the equivalencies suggested in Sente's letter must have been arrived at upon that basis.

There is the potential for basing an exchange rate on the tentative notion that some means of transferring matter to/from Perplex City will be found at some point. But, such a valuation would be very dependent on progress in scientific studies to achieve such a transfer of matter, and the valuation of the Leck against Earth currencies could be extremely volatile when considering the highs and lows encountered in the progress of research. Presumably, Earth corporations or banks may extend to Perplex City a line of credit based purely on the notion that a means of transfer will eventually be found, and Perplex City will eventually be able to pay back the liability. Alternatively, a very progressive corporation might accept payment in information ... such as Mind Candy.


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This actually is a somewhat ingenious notion that makes the card business make some sense. If Perplex City's only commodity that can be traded with Earth is information (specifically puzzles, a good which the Cube-seeking rabble does value), then they provide puzzles to Mind Candy (who in turn extend to Perplex City a certain amount of credit in incurring production costs, etc. for the distribution of the puzzles). Mind Candy then sells the information/puzzles for Earth currency to the Cube-seekers, and splits the proceeds with Perplex City by retaining some portion of the profit for themselves, and using some of it to advance Sente's cause of locating the Cube, which will hopefully lead to the Cube being located ... and then, this most precious piece of information (the location of the Cube) can then be traded back to Perplex City, resulting in a fruitful two-way exchange of information, with some middleman-type profit accruing to Mind Candy, and widespread enjoyment for puzzle solvers occurring along the way.

In any case, whether the valuation of the Leck is based on the relative value of information flowing between Perplex City and Earth, or the speculative notion that at some point matter will move back and forth as well, it's worth remembering that changes in circumstances that impact the information market or the likelihood of a matter-transfer scientific breakthrough could result in tremendous volatility in the exchange rates. For that reason, I suspect that valuing the prize for locating the Cube at PCL2,000,000 (rather than in terms of some quantity of an Earth currency) is not good practice. While Perplex City might be willing to place a fixed value on information about the location of the Cube, the other factors described above could conceivably change the exchange rate substantially (in either direction ... possibly to the great benefit or detriment of their partners, Mind Candy, who will pay the prize out of funds collected from the sale of puzzle cards, a quantity valued in Earth currency).


And David has had his picture done, does it look anything like you???

PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2005 9:53 am
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cassandra
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Joined: 25 Mar 2005
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 		They've reprinted his name as Abies-Alba. Anyone out there to verify the accuracy of this correction?

PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2005 3:21 pm
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toongoon
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 		Deleted Embarassed

PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2005 3:26 pm
Last edited by toongoon on Fri May 13, 2005 6:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
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xnbomb
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 		Re: [UPDATE] May 13 - Sentinel - New Article View From Earth
Mima wrote:
And David has had his picture done, does it look anything like you???

Yes, it's a reasonable likeness. The artist's rendition of the double-chin is disturbing for me to see, but upon sober reflection, it is accurate Wink . Let me explain: I submitted an article for publication in the View from Earth column a little while back (which is essentially another version of this post). Some time later, I was informed that it was accepted for publication. The editor (Michiko Clark) requested that I provide a photograph of myself suitable for the production of an illustration, and a name to which the article should be credited. xnbomb was deemed to not be a suitable nom de plume for a reputable paper like the Sentinel, so I came up with something that would fit a little better in that context.

cassandra wrote:
They've reprinted his name as Abies-Alba. Anyone out there to verify the accuracy of this correction?

I can indeed. They had my 'surname' wrong the first time. It is now correct, and I applaud the speed with which the correction was made.
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PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2005 4:11 pm
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tanner
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 		great article Smile

theyve drawn you with pointed ears -- ooooh

well done
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tanner³ -- Join the PXC team on SETI@home
"And the princess and the prince discuss what's real and what is not,
But it doesn't matter inside the Gates of Eden" - BD

PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2005 4:31 pm
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Mima
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Joined: 17 Feb 2005
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 		Seeding Reefs
Quote:
New Alchemy Reef Seeded

One of the "More Headlines"

I'm really glad to see that they are taking an active interest in preserving their marine life as well as the land based stuff. I would love to know what they are seeding it with. Is is possible that they are actually able to grow coral at will? If so I think this shows again how far ahead their biotech is compared to ours. We sink structures (eg aeroplanes or ships) that coral can grow on, and hope that this then attracts corals and a community of fish. As far as I know we have no way of actually farming coral in the wild.

PostPosted: Sun May 15, 2005 10:14 am
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tanner
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 		as a member of a race at the top of the food chain i think all of nature should be controlled so that its sole purpose is providing us with food and raw materials and a good breathable atmosphere Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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tanner³ -- Join the PXC team on SETI@home
"And the princess and the prince discuss what's real and what is not,
But it doesn't matter inside the Gates of Eden" - BD

PostPosted: Sun May 15, 2005 10:59 am
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 		As a member of a race preyed on by bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasitic nematodes, fluke, flat worm, that funny oojami that's carried by snails and burrows into your foot and the occasional man-eating bengal tiger, I'm quite happy to hide under a rock and hope everything stays OK until my next cup of tea. Smile

...and wear sandals when paddling

PostPosted: Sun May 15, 2005 7:38 pm
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Mikeyj
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 		Errm...sorry Tanner...that was me...hello *waves*, somehow got logged out between posts!
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PostPosted: Sun May 15, 2005 7:40 pm
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cassandra
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 		Re: Seeding Reefs
Mima wrote:
Quote:
New Alchemy Reef Seeded

One of the "More Headlines"

I'm really glad to see that they are taking an active interest in preserving their marine life as well as the land based stuff. I would love to know what they are seeding it with....


I've been wondering whether they aren't so much preserving their environment as (re)creating it. The April 25 sentinel also mentions the opening of Alchemy Beach, and Rain Forest tours starting up - I know they could just have tamed and cleaned up the areas, but I wonder if they're actually making or 'regenerating' them instead. (Perhaps digitally. Who knows.)

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2005 3:20 pm
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