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Catherine Halsey: Difference between revisions
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By [[2533#November|November 10, 2533]] Catherine had developed a new theoretical architecture which involved three [[artificial intelligence]]s arranged in parallel.<ref name="HJ111033">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''November 10, 2533''</ref> She did this in order to palliate the preemptive severing of neural linkages and ultimate self-termination which characterized third-generation A.I.s, hoping that by leaving all choices to be decided by majority vote the frenzied cutting behavior would be avoided. In her design, ties which arose when one of the A.I.s abstained would resolve at random. Though Halsey knew this could slow overall processing, she was confident such a theoretical trio would deconvolute and divide algorithms to compensate for the loss, and in doing so perhaps even ''accelerate'' processing. Consensus-based decision-making would also be applied to linkage creation in order to forge a superior initial neural linkage. Unfortunately, Halsey could not know how the theoretical trio's overall lifespan might be increased under such circumstances because simulations could not create ''[[Wikipedia:In vivo|in vivo]]'' A.I.s. Writing in her journal on that November [[2533]] date, the doctor wondered what other characteristics could emerge from an A.I. triumvirate. She only had three at her disposal at the time and as such had moved them to the [[Sanderson Private Hospital|Sanderson private hospital]] on [[Beta Hydri VI]] as a precautionary measure. In addition, she kept all knowledge of this from other A.I.s she interacted with. A note from Halsey to herself on November 10 served as a reminder to follow up on reports of [[Mack|nes]][[Loki|ted]] A.I. personalities that were present on [[Harvest]] before it was [[First Battle of Harvest|lost]].<ref name="HJ111033"/> A little over a year later, on [[2534#December|December 25, 2534]], Halsey recorded her thoughts concerning an interaction she'd had with a colleague, Doctor [[Forester]], in which she had illustrated increasingly complex sketches for him with the intent to visualize conceptions of space with increasing hyperdimensions.<ref name="HJ122534">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''December 25, 2534''</ref> She had been attempting to show him that it was the increased density of cross-linkages which caused wave function collapse, not the creation of the links themselves. If space were not a limiting factor the number of available connections would increase at a geometric rate. Though Halsey considered classic [[Wikipedia:String theory|string theory]] dubious, she thought the eleven (or more) dimensions it predicted could theoretically be accessed by anyone outside the quantum fields which enveloped ships traveling through [[slipspace]]. She was disappointed Doctor Forester apparently failed to grasp that slipspace was open to exploitation within four-dimensional [[Wikipedia:Spacetime|spacetime]]. Writing in her journal following their discussion, Catherine pondered whether remote construction with any exotic matter in the raw slipstream was possible, for at that moment the technology required for that remained at best theoretical. She figured decades or even centuries may pass before the necessary tech and its practical applications arrived. She closed that day's entry wondering whether people were ready for the potentially near-limitless cross-connections and faster-than-light processing speeds A.I.s in slipspace could possess.<ref name="HJ122534"/> | By [[2533#November|November 10, 2533]] Catherine had developed a new theoretical architecture which involved three [[artificial intelligence]]s arranged in parallel.<ref name="HJ111033">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''November 10, 2533''</ref> She did this in order to palliate the preemptive severing of neural linkages and ultimate self-termination which characterized third-generation A.I.s, hoping that by leaving all choices to be decided by majority vote the frenzied cutting behavior would be avoided. In her design, ties which arose when one of the A.I.s abstained would resolve at random. Though Halsey knew this could slow overall processing, she was confident such a theoretical trio would deconvolute and divide algorithms to compensate for the loss, and in doing so perhaps even ''accelerate'' processing. Consensus-based decision-making would also be applied to linkage creation in order to forge a superior initial neural linkage. Unfortunately, Halsey could not know how the theoretical trio's overall lifespan might be increased under such circumstances because simulations could not create ''[[Wikipedia:In vivo|in vivo]]'' A.I.s. Writing in her journal on that November [[2533]] date, the doctor wondered what other characteristics could emerge from an A.I. triumvirate. She only had three at her disposal at the time and as such had moved them to the [[Sanderson Private Hospital|Sanderson private hospital]] on [[Beta Hydri VI]] as a precautionary measure. In addition, she kept all knowledge of this from other A.I.s she interacted with. A note from Halsey to herself on November 10 served as a reminder to follow up on reports of [[Mack|nes]][[Loki|ted]] A.I. personalities that were present on [[Harvest]] before it was [[First Battle of Harvest|lost]].<ref name="HJ111033"/> A little over a year later, on [[2534#December|December 25, 2534]], Halsey recorded her thoughts concerning an interaction she'd had with a colleague, Doctor [[Forester]], in which she had illustrated increasingly complex sketches for him with the intent to visualize conceptions of space with increasing hyperdimensions.<ref name="HJ122534">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''December 25, 2534''</ref> She had been attempting to show him that it was the increased density of cross-linkages which caused wave function collapse, not the creation of the links themselves. If space were not a limiting factor the number of available connections would increase at a geometric rate. Though Halsey considered classic [[Wikipedia:String theory|string theory]] dubious, she thought the eleven (or more) dimensions it predicted could theoretically be accessed by anyone outside the quantum fields which enveloped ships traveling through [[slipspace]]. She was disappointed Doctor Forester apparently failed to grasp that slipspace was open to exploitation within four-dimensional [[Wikipedia:Spacetime|spacetime]]. Writing in her journal following their discussion, Catherine pondered whether remote construction with any exotic matter in the raw slipstream was possible, for at that moment the technology required for that remained at best theoretical. She figured decades or even centuries may pass before the necessary tech and its practical applications arrived. She closed that day's entry wondering whether people were ready for the potentially near-limitless cross-connections and faster-than-light processing speeds A.I.s in slipspace could possess.<ref name="HJ122534"/> | ||
By [[2535#January|January 7, 2535]] Catherine had reminded Admiral Stanforth at a budget meeting that continuous upgrades were integral to the Mjolnir system if they expected it to shatter technological barriers as a pioneering effort (something she'd thought they'd both agreed upon).<ref name="HJ1735">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''January 7, 2535''</ref> To her dismay, she was told this would no longer be possible since the military required a simplified generational system to categorize, prioritize, and serialize the project for fiscal year budgets. Halsey agreed to cooperate with this stipulation but determined she would by no means wait on breakthroughs just to fit accountants' calendars. She understood she was working with systematic impediments, and on January 7 put down in her journal her preliminary modularization of upgrades for MJOLNIR with the expectation that the entries could and likely would be modified or reconfigured as time, budget, and other limitations cropped up. She also considered that a reevaluation may be in order as new technologies and limitations manifested—especially if the Covenant noninstrumentality problem was cracked. In particular she had to wonder whether [[energy shield]]ing would be possible for the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V| | By [[2535#January|January 7, 2535]] Catherine had reminded Admiral Stanforth at a budget meeting that continuous upgrades were integral to the Mjolnir system if they expected it to shatter technological barriers as a pioneering effort (something she'd thought they'd both agreed upon).<ref name="HJ1735">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''January 7, 2535''</ref> To her dismay, she was told this would no longer be possible since the military required a simplified generational system to categorize, prioritize, and serialize the project for fiscal year budgets. Halsey agreed to cooperate with this stipulation but determined she would by no means wait on breakthroughs just to fit accountants' calendars. She understood she was working with systematic impediments, and on January 7 put down in her journal her preliminary modularization of upgrades for MJOLNIR with the expectation that the entries could and likely would be modified or reconfigured as time, budget, and other limitations cropped up. She also considered that a reevaluation may be in order as new technologies and limitations manifested—especially if the Covenant noninstrumentality problem was cracked. In particular she had to wonder whether [[energy shield]]ing would be possible for the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V]] armor, seeing as there was no evidence early prototypes had been useful so far. She made a note to herself that day to reach out to Doctor [[Yin-Finto]] to find out whether she had taken a research position on [[Titus]] and to ask if nanofabrication of Mjolnir components would be possible. Two days later Halsey was scheduled to meet Chief Petty Officer [[J. G. Jimes]] at 1800 hours aboard the {{UNSCShip|Longitude}}, an encounter which at least partly concerned [[Wikipedia:Benin|Beniese]] [[coffee]].<ref name="HJ1735"/> | ||
[[File:Halseys Journal Covenant Language Symbols.png|thumb|left|300px|Doctor Halsey questioned whether the orientation of Covenant symbols such as these mattered, as well as the significance of the slightly elevated triangles in the places they appeared.<ref name="HJ52537"/>]] | [[File:Halseys Journal Covenant Language Symbols.png|thumb|left|300px|Doctor Halsey questioned whether the orientation of Covenant symbols such as these mattered, as well as the significance of the slightly elevated triangles in the places they appeared.<ref name="HJ52537"/>]] | ||
By [[2535#November|November 22, 2535]] Halsey had received what were being referred to as the top secret "Hencheck Findings", named for a Lieutenant [[Hencheck]] who had procured a cache of Covenant weapons and miscellaneous artifacts during a skirmish in the [[Indra Asteroid Cluster|Indra asteroid cluster]]. Much about the enemy's weaponry astonished her and made her ask questions about their construction. No traces of production designs could be found within the weapons' architecture, and much of the technology seemed heavily polarized yet uniformly purposed, leading Halsey to think it might have originally been developed for some other purpose or purposes. Regardless, the immediate conclusion she drew from the findings was that humanity still lacked the ability to replicate the Covenant's technology.<ref name="HJ112235">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''November 22, 2535''</ref> By [[2536#January|January 10, 2536]] Catherine had gotten [[Leonard Gillespie]], a student of Doctor [[Forester]]'s, transferred to Reach so she could watch him closely.<ref name="HJ11036"/> This was due to his recent discovery that a portion of the inner apparatus of a particular [[Kig-Yar]] [[Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet|point defense gauntlet]] in the UNSC's possession had not been sealed. In addition to the gauntlet already being clearly much older than any others encountered, initial testing confirmed that with a massive power input its capacity for creating and sustaining [[energy shield]]ing over a very small surface area could be replicated. The implications such a technological leap could have for MJOLNIR made Halsey determined to get her hands on the artifact.<ref name="HJ11036">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''January 10, 2536''</ref> By [[2537#May|May 25, 2537]] Halsey and [[Kalmiya]] had deciphered what they thought could be a root [[wikipedia:Diction|diction]] to a meta-[[Sangheili (language)|Covenant language]] system.<ref name="HJ52537"/> Elements of this system had been observed manifesting in the (potentially misnamed) "operating system" the aliens used. Curiously, employing their symbolic logic appeared to counter the accelerated cross-linkage effects in A.I.s. Though her progress in understanding this was moving slowly, it was advancing steadily nonetheless, as she wrote in her journal. She also made a note reminding herself to investigate the possibility that what she was working with might represent dimensional slices of a more complex topology.<ref name="HJ52537">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''May 25, 2537''</ref> | By [[2535#November|November 22, 2535]] Halsey had received what were being referred to as the top secret "Hencheck Findings", named for a Lieutenant [[Hencheck]] who had procured a cache of Covenant weapons and miscellaneous artifacts during a skirmish in the [[Indra Asteroid Cluster|Indra asteroid cluster]]. Much about the enemy's weaponry astonished her and made her ask questions about their construction. No traces of production designs could be found within the weapons' architecture, and much of the technology seemed heavily polarized yet uniformly purposed, leading Halsey to think it might have originally been developed for some other purpose or purposes. Regardless, the immediate conclusion she drew from the findings was that humanity still lacked the ability to replicate the Covenant's technology.<ref name="HJ112235">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''November 22, 2535''</ref> By [[2536#January|January 10, 2536]] Catherine had gotten [[Leonard Gillespie]], a student of Doctor [[Forester]]'s, transferred to Reach so she could watch him closely.<ref name="HJ11036"/> This was due to his recent discovery that a portion of the inner apparatus of a particular [[Kig-Yar]] [[Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet|point defense gauntlet]] in the UNSC's possession had not been sealed. In addition to the gauntlet already being clearly much older than any others encountered, initial testing confirmed that with a massive power input its capacity for creating and sustaining [[energy shield]]ing over a very small surface area could be replicated. The implications such a technological leap could have for MJOLNIR made Halsey determined to get her hands on the artifact.<ref name="HJ11036">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''January 10, 2536''</ref> By [[2537#May|May 25, 2537]] Halsey and [[Kalmiya]] had deciphered what they thought could be a root [[wikipedia:Diction|diction]] to a meta-[[Sangheili (language)|Covenant language]] system.<ref name="HJ52537"/> Elements of this system had been observed manifesting in the (potentially misnamed) "operating system" the aliens used. Curiously, employing their symbolic logic appeared to counter the accelerated cross-linkage effects in A.I.s. Though her progress in understanding this was moving slowly, it was advancing steadily nonetheless, as she wrote in her journal. She also made a note reminding herself to investigate the possibility that what she was working with might represent dimensional slices of a more complex topology.<ref name="HJ52537">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''May 25, 2537''</ref> | ||