Convergence is usually treated as success. This note treats it as a failure mode of exploration. We document the Bench 7 protocol — delete the stopping criterion, keep the log, refuse to help the run finish — and the institutional discipline required to leave a machine adrift on purpose.
Status · PublishedThis note is in the ledger. The full transcript is not yet cleared.
Editorial status · Abstract and research roots published. Full body forthcoming.
Research roots · non-monotonic reasoning; open-endedness; optimization.
Bench 7 protocol: a training run with the stopping criterion deleted. Reviewer 2's verdict: Dangerous precedent, necessary record.
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