Are pain and pleasure equally energy-efficient?

Abstract

The energy efficiency of pain and pleasure is discussed in the context of ultra-efficient computing substrates that can run emulations of animal nervous systems at much lower energy cost, leading to the concepts of “hedonium” and “dolorium” as optimized energy-efficient units of pleasure and pain. The question of whether these units are equally efficient is explored, considering factors such as symmetry of demands for pain and pleasure, evolutionary arguments, and the possibility of much more intense pleasures. The need to distinguish between empirical and structural properties, and normative valuation is also highlighted. – AI-generated abstract.