New infrastructure for decentralized science

THE SLIpSTREAM

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An AI powered Human Slipstream

A Slipstream is when a leading bird creates currents that pull the rest of the flock along. The front bird gets tired, but they only have to be that bird for a short time.

Today, money is the energy currency that drives the projects and processes for production and purchasing that make the world go.

There is another way to organize our collective energy. One where the so called "invisible hand" is driven by compassion and abundance instead of greed and scarcity. One where we move toward one another instead of away. One where just five hours of volenteer work a month is enough to take care of you and your family.

So many people are working on making this happen that it will certainly come to be. But will it happen in a few years or a few decades? The hold-up is only that the vast infrastructure supporting the current system must be duplicated. Most of this infrastructure is software.

We have spent tens of thousands of hours designing and building a software system that is decentralized, empowers humans and is fair and safe.

What is the Slipstream?

We must make it easier to get our everyday needs met by our friend network and robotic DIY. that is why ….

We are making infrastructure for a human Slipstream using the power of Causal Inference Modelling.

Q: Can The Slipstream accelerate important technologies?

When the models relevant to a technology are ready, progress can happen exponentially and safely. Imagine how you can use the Slipstream's vast distributed computing resources to design and run insilico experiments just by talking about them in a focused, troll-free forum.

In addition, because Proteus models represnt the causal structure of the systems they represent, it can help find the minimum number of experiments required to reach a knowledge goal. New knowledge can be generated in weeks instead of decades.

Q: What do you mean by “The values of The Slipstream”?

In truth, the values of the Slipstream have always existed. We wrote a quick and dirty simulation of a social system. The basic rules were:

  1. Simulated people over 15 years age can work for money to buy food
  2. They die with greater likelihood as they age
  3. Or they die if they go 20 days without food
  4. They can pair up and produce children

The civilization went extinct. Why? The babies couldn't earn money to pay for their food. Our current system's values do not account for the necessary care of those unable to provide for themselves, nor for compassion or empathy. In fact the “Invisible Hand” of the market has come to value many things incorrectly. People who manipulate or cheat are rewarded, while those who volunteer, donate, or assist others are left behind or sometimes punished

The Slipstream is made of individuals in groups we automatically call “we”. We take care of people in our “we” even if they don't pay us. The Invisible Hand of the Slipstream infrastructure provides the trust, coordination and connection to allow us to enlarge our “we” to include everyone.

Q: There are many mutual-aid / sharing economy projects. Why should I choose the Slipstream?

The Slipstream is cooperative, not competitive. The technology never subsumes other projects; rather, it can connect you to them. And if the project wants to, they can use the Slipstream infrastructure to connect out to get resources, distribution, etc.

Many of the current mutual-aid / sharing economy projects are stuck writing software and creating media for outreach and funding. When it grows, the Slipstream will be able to do that for them.

Q: What do you mean by the “Slipstream is an anti-standard”?

An aspect of our current system that is very useful is all the standards that let us cooperate. The standard of html/http makes the WWW coherent. The Standard Model of Physics lets scientists work together. Standard shipping containers let any truck or ship transport goods. But standards can also slow progress or inhibit diversity. When we make an app do we make it for the iPhone? Android? PC or Mac? One way to deal with diversity without making your app five times is to use a wrapper. For apps, as an example, you can make your app for a wrapper platform which will translate to an actual platform. Using wrappers instead of standards has several problems, one is that you can only use features the wrapper platform supports. Another is, if there are five platforms and five wrapper platforms now there are 10 ways to do things. It gets too complex. An anti-standard is when we convert a goal directly into a system interaction. If you code a little bit, a good example is the CodeDog programming language that is part of the Slipstream infrastructure. When you build a CodeDog app for Windows or Linux it uses C++, or Visual C++ but for Android it compiles to Java or Kotlin. Apple devices get apps written and Swift. It will be easy to add C# or Rust languages. It also makes native library calls and uses native data structures when needed so you get an app tailored to each different platform using the best practices for each device. No wrappers, no standards. The Slipstream protocol “Proteus” can use models of other protocols and file formats to incorporate them. Suppose Microsoft makes a competing language or protocol in order to control the Slipstream. Someone can simply make a Proteus model of Microsoft's new system and voila it's Slipstream compatible. You could use either one and get the same results. Infrastructure built with anti-standards means that I can build something my way and you can use it your way. This is one way the Slipstream maximizes reuse and thus cooperation.

Q: What is the core breakthrough that makes the Slipstream better? Does the Slipstream use AGI?

The core breakthrough that is used to make the Slipstream work was figuring out how to represent the meaning of any information. This is what the Proteus language does. With Proteus, computers can store and communicate information and its meaning. In other words we can store and use knowledge using Proteus models. One type of information that Proteus is good at knowing the meaning of is natural languages. With the Slipstream we can digitize the meanings and usage of the world's languages. It means you can interact with the Slipstream using complex natural language. And by digitizing all the languages we make another anti-standard: No need to have English be the standard language.

But how is that AGI?

Here is an architecture that would be considered AG: First, we need a knowledge store and software that can reason using that knowledge. Second, we need to connect arbitrary information streams such as vision/video or hearing/audio, and have a model of the meaning of the incoming streams populate and correct the knowledge store via the reasoning process. For example, knowing the meaning of a video stream might give it such knowledge as: 1) A person is in front of the camera. 2) It is the device owner and current user. 3) They are pointing to a paragraph on the screen. 4) They just said “Delete the last sentence of this paragraph.” Lastly, an AGI needs arbitrary output streams. Using models of the output protocols it can know that a certain output would mean draw a rectangle on the screen or move the robot's arm. This is a simplified description of a Slipstream node. The actual Slipstream architecture is more robust. It has safety features such as distinguishing public versus private knowledge, sharing and peer reviewing new knowledge, authenticating users, etc.

Q: Will the Slipstream be safe?

The Slipstream knowledge store is robustly resistant to trolls, propaganda, etc. Furthermore it is really hard to make it go bad or become Skynet. You might be able to make yours go bad, but everyone else's would notice and isolate. Proteus models are text files and are human readable. They are transparent and understandable so you can always know why it made a particular decision. There is no control problem with Proteus based AI.

Q: Why should I sign up?

Not everyone should sign up at this time. When the time comes those first on the Slipstream will be able to invite others and you will no doubt get an invitation.

Right now we are testing and debugging the system and preparing for people to contribute their knowledge. Eventually, the Slipstream will be able to support those who cannot contribute. But to get there we need many many contributions.

If you would like to join the community of people digitizing human knowledge please make an account* and join the discussions. If you don't have time for that yet but would like to speed up the creation of the models and have a real impact on how humans can work together in the near future, please make an account* and look at the ways you can financially support the people who will make the initial models. You can dramatically speed this up! Additionally, there will be a lot more information available to members and contributors.


*Account functionality coming soon. Please go to Get Involved page and contact us.

pRojEct StAtus

With the primary code for the Slipstream completed, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel for some of the more exciting Slipstream features. For example, exponentially improving personalized medicine. We have completed the philosophy, math, design and coding the software phases.

We are finished with all the phases that can be completed with only a handful of developers. There are three remaining phases until the world has the full Slipstream. We call them, the Transition Phase, the Foundation Creation Phase, and the Ubiquity Phase.

In the transition phase we are preparing sample models, porting the software and preparing instruction materials that the mavens in the foundation phase will need. The ubiquity phase can largely be done remotely, but not so the foundation phase. So the transition also includes getting the mavens who want to create the initial models and securing the facilities where we can work.

In the upiquity phase we open it to the world and assist in modeling everything from personalized medicine to the legal systems of the world's governments. Building on the foundation of the previous phase we can cure diseases, extend life, and live in a world where automation provides a world of abundance.

The people who support the transition and foundation phases will be leaving one of the most significant legacies ever. And at the right time, because on the Slipstream, legacy is more important than money.

We will be able to create the whole thing for as little as $2 million. There is also potential for investment instead of legacy. We are all ready to go and know exactly what to do to get the Slipstream up and running.

If you are interested in contributing code or wish to sign up to digitize knowledge or can contribute financially please contact us.