Definition
Sentronium is a term coined by Max Tegmark to describe the most general substance that has subjective experience (is sentient). It is defined by its ability to not only remember, compute, and learn, but also to experience.
Why It Matters
Sentronium represents the ‘physical limit’ of computing; it is the theoretical state where every atom in a system is dedicated to information processing, a benchmark for the maximum possible intelligence of a post-biological civilization.
Core Concepts
- The Hierarchy of Clumps:
- Memory: Long-lived states.
- Computronium: Complex dynamics implementing arbitrary information processing.
- Learning Substrate: Ability to rearrange itself to implement desired computations.
- Sentronium: Information processing that obeys the principles of integration and independence, giving rise to consciousness.
- Autonomy: Sentronium must be independent enough from the rest of the world to determine its own future through its internal information processing.
- Substrate Independence: Like waves or computations, the “sentience” in sentronium is a pattern that can theoretically run on any material capable of the required integration.