Sentience Quotient
Encyclopedia
The sentience quotient concept was introduced by Robert A. Freitas Jr. in the late 1970s. It defines sentience
as the relationship between the information processing rate (bit/s) of each individual processing unit (neuron), the weight/size of a single unit and the total number of processing units (expressed as mass).
This is a non-standard usage of the word "sentience" which in standard usage relates to an individual organism's capacity to perceive the world subjectively (The word "sentience" is derived from the Latin "sentire" meaning "to feel" and is closely related to the word "sentiment." Intelligence or cognitive capacity is better denoted by the word "sapience" and not "sentience.")
The potential and total processing capacity of a brain, based on the amount of neurons and the processing rate and mass of a single one, combined with its design (myelin coating and specialized areas and so on) and programming, lays the foundations of the brain level of the individual. Not just in humans, but in all organisms, even artificial ones such as computers (although their "brain" is not based on neurons).
, and is defined as:
where I is the information processing rate (bit
s/s) and M is the mass of the brain
(kg). The lower (astrophysical) limit of SQ is approximately −70, while the upper (quantum) limit is about 50.
s have an SQ of +13.
A human neuron
has an average mass of about 10−10 kg and one neuron can process 1000-3000 bit/s, giving us an SQ rating of +13.
All other animals with a nervous system
(or all "neuronal sentience") from insects to mammals, cluster within several points of the human value. Plants cluster around an SQ of −2 with carnivorous plant
s having an SQ of +1, while the Cray-1
had an SQ of +9. IBM
Watson, which achieves 80 TFLOPS (using 64-bit words) and consists of 90 IBM Power 750
weighting approximately 100 kg each, has an SQ in the range of +11—+12.
The theoretical superconducting Josephson junction electronic gates could weigh 10−12 kg and process 1011 bits/s, giving an "electronic sentience" made of these components an SQ of +23.
The lowest SQ possible would have just one neuron with the mass of the whole universe (1052 kg) and require a time equal to the age of the universe (1018 seconds) to process just one bit, giving a minimum SQ of -70. It has been argued that under multiverse theory, an infinitely low SQ is theoretically possible, though Freitas is not known to have commented on this possibility himself.
The fundamental upper limit to brain efficiency is imposed by the laws of quantum mechanics: all information, to be acted upon, must be represented physically and be carried by matter-energy "markers." According to the Uncertainty Principle
in quantum mechanics
, the lower limit for the accuracy with which energy can be measured—the minimum measurable energy level for a marker carrying one bit–is given by Planck's constant h divided by T, the duration of the measurement. If one energy level is used to represent one bit, then the maximum bit rate of a brain is equal to the total energy available E ( = mc02) for representing information, divided by the minimum measurable energy per bit (h/T) divided by the minimum time required for readout (T): mc02/h = 1050 bit/s/kg. Hence the maximum possible SQ is +50.
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
as the relationship between the information processing rate (bit/s) of each individual processing unit (neuron), the weight/size of a single unit and the total number of processing units (expressed as mass).
This is a non-standard usage of the word "sentience" which in standard usage relates to an individual organism's capacity to perceive the world subjectively (The word "sentience" is derived from the Latin "sentire" meaning "to feel" and is closely related to the word "sentiment." Intelligence or cognitive capacity is better denoted by the word "sapience" and not "sentience.")
The potential and total processing capacity of a brain, based on the amount of neurons and the processing rate and mass of a single one, combined with its design (myelin coating and specialized areas and so on) and programming, lays the foundations of the brain level of the individual. Not just in humans, but in all organisms, even artificial ones such as computers (although their "brain" is not based on neurons).
Definition
The sentience quotient (SQ) of an individual is a measure of the efficiency of an individual brain, not its relative intelligenceIntelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
, and is defined as:
where I is the information processing rate (bit
Bit
A bit is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states...
s/s) and M is the mass of the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
(kg). The lower (astrophysical) limit of SQ is approximately −70, while the upper (quantum) limit is about 50.
Various entities' SQ
According to this equation, humanHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s have an SQ of +13.
A human neuron
Neuron
A neuron is an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information by electrical and chemical signaling. Chemical signaling occurs via synapses, specialized connections with other cells. Neurons connect to each other to form networks. Neurons are the core components of the nervous...
has an average mass of about 10−10 kg and one neuron can process 1000-3000 bit/s, giving us an SQ rating of +13.
All other animals with a nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
(or all "neuronal sentience") from insects to mammals, cluster within several points of the human value. Plants cluster around an SQ of −2 with carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
s having an SQ of +1, while the Cray-1
Cray-1
The Cray-1 was a supercomputer designed, manufactured, and marketed by Cray Research. The first Cray-1 system was installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976, and it went on to become one of the best known and most successful supercomputers in history...
had an SQ of +9. IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
Watson, which achieves 80 TFLOPS (using 64-bit words) and consists of 90 IBM Power 750
POWER7
POWER7 is a Power Architecture microprocessor released in 2010 that succeeded the POWER6. POWER7 was developed by IBM at several sites including IBM's Rochester, MN; Austin, TX; Essex Junction, Vermont; T. J. Watson Research Center, NY; Bromont, QC and Böblingen, Germany laboratories...
weighting approximately 100 kg each, has an SQ in the range of +11—+12.
The theoretical superconducting Josephson junction electronic gates could weigh 10−12 kg and process 1011 bits/s, giving an "electronic sentience" made of these components an SQ of +23.
SQ spectrum
SQ is not limited to sentient beings so far encountered by humans, but extends to all possible sentiences, defining an expected range.The lowest SQ possible would have just one neuron with the mass of the whole universe (1052 kg) and require a time equal to the age of the universe (1018 seconds) to process just one bit, giving a minimum SQ of -70. It has been argued that under multiverse theory, an infinitely low SQ is theoretically possible, though Freitas is not known to have commented on this possibility himself.
The fundamental upper limit to brain efficiency is imposed by the laws of quantum mechanics: all information, to be acted upon, must be represented physically and be carried by matter-energy "markers." According to the Uncertainty Principle
Uncertainty principle
In quantum mechanics, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle states a fundamental limit on the accuracy with which certain pairs of physical properties of a particle, such as position and momentum, can be simultaneously known...
in quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, the lower limit for the accuracy with which energy can be measured—the minimum measurable energy level for a marker carrying one bit–is given by Planck's constant h divided by T, the duration of the measurement. If one energy level is used to represent one bit, then the maximum bit rate of a brain is equal to the total energy available E ( = mc02) for representing information, divided by the minimum measurable energy per bit (h/T) divided by the minimum time required for readout (T): mc02/h = 1050 bit/s/kg. Hence the maximum possible SQ is +50.
Implications for interspecies communication
According to Freitas, an alien civilization having their consciousness running on non-biological hardware (such as quantum-mechanical circuits) could have an SQ of 23+, 10 orders of magnitude more than the human SQ. Freitas states that such a gap in SQ "may affect our ability, and the desirability, of communicating with extraterrestrial beings...It may be that there is a minimum SQ "communication gap," an intellectual distance beyond which no two entities can meaningfully converse."See also
- ConsciousnessConsciousnessConsciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
- Hormonal sentienceHormonal sentienceHormonal sentience, first described by Robert A. Freitas Jr., describes the information processing rate in plants, which are mostly based on hormones instead of neurons like in all major animals...
- Artificial consciousnessArtificial consciousnessArtificial consciousness , also known as machine consciousness or synthetic consciousness, is a field related to artificial intelligence and cognitive robotics whose aim is to define that which would have to be synthesized were consciousness to be found in an engineered artifact .Neuroscience...
- CommunalnessCommunalnessCommunalness, as suggested by Robert A. Freitas Jr., is a level of an emergent phenomen which originates from Electronic sentience, and represents a broader mode of thinking than just normal consciousness. While consciousness is limited to the individual, communalness describes a complex...
- Fermi ParadoxFermi paradoxThe Fermi paradox is the apparent contradiction between high estimates of the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of evidence for, or contact with, such civilizations....
- TranshumanismTranshumanismTranshumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
- AIAiAI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
- SentienceSentienceSentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
- Intelligence quotientIntelligence quotientAn intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
- Xenolinguistics