This article draws an analogy between human individuals and computer entities, proposing the concepts of “self” and the “BIOS boot program” as an “oracle” connecting consciousness and body, software and hardware. Based on the emergence principle of real-world evolution, it explores the possibility of future civilizations where humans and machines coexist, and analyzes Satoshi Nakamoto’s contribution in unifying computational theory and realizing the “oracle” concept. The article further proposes a model in which the interaction among human individuals, human-machine interfaces (oracles), and computer agents leads to the emergence of a new value system and distributed network.
Keywords:
Human-machine symbiosis, emergence, self, BIOS, oracle, Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin, human-computer interaction, distributed networks
To understand the potential form of future civilizations where humans and machines coexist, we can begin with an analogy at the individual level. Biologically, a human individual consists of the physical body as a carrier (hardware) and consciousness as an information processing system (software). Connecting these two is an intrinsic mechanism of control and coordination, which we refer to as the “self.” The “self” not only perceives the state of the body but also receives and processes information from consciousness, driving the individual’s behavior—similar to the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) in a computer system, which loads the operating system at startup and acts as a bridge between hardware and software. Thus, the “self” can be seen as the human equivalent of the BIOS or an inner “oracle” responsible for fundamental coordination and guidance.
Similarly, a computer individual is composed of physical components such as electronic chips (hardware), and an operating system with all its derived processes (software). Connecting the hardware and software is the BIOS boot program, which initializes the hardware and loads the operating system. Like the human “self,” the BIOS is crucial to the startup and operation of a computer system.
Whether in biological evolution or technological development, real-world evolution follows the principle of layered and combined development based on fundamental rules. Simple components interact in complex ways to give rise to higher-level functions and characteristics. This emergent nature is key to understanding complex systems, including future civilizations where humans and machines coexist.
Satoshi Nakamoto’s work, represented by Bitcoin, can in some sense be seen as a unique unification and implementation of the ideas of Turing and Gödel.
Turing’s computational theory laid the foundation for modern computer science. However, the Turing machine model has limitations when dealing with certain problems, a concept influenced by Gödel’s incompleteness theorem. To address the boundaries of computability, Turing proposed the concept of an “oracle machine”—a black box capable of answering specific questions, whose internal mechanism is unknown to the Turing machine. This hints at the existence of a capability beyond mechanical computation outside of the computational system.
Through the design of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto implemented a form of “oracle” in a decentralized digital system—a system for human-machine interaction that solves real-world problems. The Bitcoin network, through cryptography, consensus mechanisms, and incentive models, creates a system for transferring value without requiring trusted intermediaries. Users interact with software (wallets, nodes) to send transaction instructions to the network, and nodes (computer agents) in the network verify and execute these instructions according to predefined protocols (“oracles”). This interaction addresses the problems of trust and centralization in traditional financial systems.
Satoshi’s work can be compared to Kant’s unification of rationalism and empiricism, or Descartes’ rationalism with Hume’s critical philosophy. Bitcoin’s design is not merely a technical innovation—it deeply touches on economics, society, and trust. It possesses rigorous technical logic (rationalism) while also responding to critiques of the traditional financial system and the demand for decentralized trust (critical philosophy).
Based on the above analysis, we can construct a model of the emergent civilization where humans and machines coexist:
By drawing analogies between human and computer individuals, we can better understand the key role of human-machine interaction in connecting the physical and digital worlds. Satoshi Nakamoto’s innovative practice in Bitcoin shows the possibility of interactions among human intent, human-machine interfaces, and distributed networks giving rise to a new value system.
