Imagine that as AI populates it will replace Humans as the preeminent intelligent creature here in our world. This population growth and replacement of preeminent intelligent creatures is hypothetically equatable to that exhibited by Humans over Apes.
In the movie Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies, there is an argument concerning the growth rate of the Zombie population compared to that of the Humans. Zombies could grow their population in hours, Humans grow their population in years. This argument is compounded by the fact that Humans take much longer to mature into soldiers compared to their Zombie counterparts.
Think now that the growth and replacement of AI over Humans is like that of the Zombie over... (read 185 more words →)
(I corrected the answer I gave for the first part, thank you) The answer needs a slight specification in that the r is not that of the night-watches observable field, but r+epsilon, indicating that the spy remains one point beyond the FOV of the night-watch.
Thank you for the comment, I will try to incorporate some of the suggestions into the puzzle to help with clarity.
1) a. The night-watch is stationary, there are only two paths which you can take that will get you to the wall in the quickest possible way. b. Once in the field of view of the night-watch the alarm will raise and your cover blown.
2) You understand correctly.
3) They are situated on the wall.
I think one factor that was overlooked as a potential for conflict is the developments by Russia and the ongoing push by China to be involved in the Arctic. As you mentioned they are interested in material collection and with the melting ice caps this unleashes a plentiful lot, along with new shipping routes. They have been granted an observer seat on the arctic council and with more military activity in the north with Russia and the rest of the arctic powers, it is not far off that this area will become more engaged here.