von Neumann probes are also relevant to the clicker game "Universal Paperclips": https://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/ https://www.decisionproblem.com/pap

von Neumann probes are also relevant to the clicker game "Universal Paperclips": https://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/ https://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/ Universal Paperclips is a strange game that I found intriguing. Its premise is that you are an AI created to create paperclips (a "paperclip maximizer"); this is a thought experiment described by philosopher Nick Bostrom in 2003. At first Universal Paperclips looks like a normal silly clicker game, but eventually it starts making you think about things you probably hadn't before: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Paperclips https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Paperclips>. What I particularly appreciate is that it has several stages; each at first seems like a surprise, and yet within its context is 100% logical (if horrifying). A nice video about the feeling it can give you is here (Universal Paperclips is about 1/2 way through): "The Horror of Universal Paperclips and Space Engine" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oca8BnDMin4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oca8BnDMin4 If you don't want to actually play it, you can watch others doing so, e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnhWc_kRzVE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnhWc_kRzVE