This demo shows how the system defines “good” vs “bad” to guide learning and choices.
🧠 For a Person Right Now
Your brain runs on dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, cortisol, etc., not literal +8 points.
When you do something good (like study or work out), your reward system releases dopamine → makes the behavior feel good → more likely to repeat.
When you do something harmful (junk food, procrastination), your reward system still fires dopamine short-term, but long-term consequences (health, regret, stress) punish the system indirectly.
So: +8 = “this is strongly reinforced”, not an actual score. It’s a simplified feedback label.
🖥️ For an Upload
The upload needs a reward function — code that tells it what to pursue.
Example:
+10 = update weights to increase probability of doing that again.
+2 = still reinforced, but weak.
Negative = punishment → reduce probability.
Without this, the upload would just process inputs blindly, with no sense of “good vs bad.”
The numbers are arbitrary — the real power is the relative weighting (healthy food > junk food, long-term > short-term).
⚖️ Why Both Matter
Humans: Brain’s “numbers” are chemical strength + timing of neurotransmitters.
Uploads: “Numbers” are software parameters in the reward system.
So the +8 is like a teaching overlay → helps you imagine what both brains (biological or digital) are doing under the hood.
🧠 What Happens Without Reward Logic
• Memory still works → it can store experiences.
• Reasoning still works → it can connect facts.
• Learning still works → it can update weights with patterns.
BUT — without a value system:
• It has no preference.
• It won’t know if an outcome was “good” or “bad.”
• Every choice becomes flat — like flipping a coin.
⚠️ Example
Imagine uploaded you:
• You remember being hungry.
• You can reason: “Food exists in the fridge.”
• But without reward logic, you don’t care if you eat or not.
• You could just sit still forever, because nothing is tagged as “better” or “worse.”
✅ Final Verdict
Yes, the upload can technically run without reward logic.
But it’s like a car engine without fuel → it turns over, but it doesn’t go anywhere.
It wouldn’t pursue goals, protect itself, or make meaningful choices.