Search found 69 matches

by sanscardinality
Tue Mar 27, 2007 12:44 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Artificial Intelligence / Synthetic Consciousness
Replies: 38
Views: 251805

Just because something acts conscious doesn't make it conscious. How do you distinguish between something that acts conscious and something that "is" conscious? Even philosophically? What is "real" consciousness? How do you know "true" consciousness even exists? How do...
by sanscardinality
Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:31 am
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Artificial Intelligence / Synthetic Consciousness
Replies: 38
Views: 251805

Consciousness as we perceive it may well be illusion -- but it is a real phenomenon, insofar as it arises from electrochemical changes that can be measured and which alter or cease during sleep, coma or death. We can agree on that. And I believe that someday we will, or might, be able to "engi...
by sanscardinality
Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:48 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Artificial Intelligence / Synthetic Consciousness
Replies: 38
Views: 251805

Very glad the quote got such an interesting dialogue going! I'll throw in my $.02. For my part, I don't subscribe to any particular (or vague) theory of mind - there's just not enough evidence to prove any given perspective that I've come across, though I'm open to being shown my ignorance on subjec...
by sanscardinality
Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:13 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Artificial Intelligence / Synthetic Consciousness
Replies: 38
Views: 251805

Some cool papers by a guy doing modular neural net research:

http://julian.togelius.com/

SC
by sanscardinality
Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:03 pm
Forum: Literature and Cinema
Topic: Why no serious sci fi movies?
Replies: 15
Views: 116614

Why no serious sci fi movies?

MSN has a decent article on the ascendancy of space opera and action flicks over more cerebral sci fi. http://movies.msn.com/movies/sci-fi?GT1=7701 Having recently re-watched 2001, Clockwork Orange and (ok - not too serious, but compared to the modern fare) Star Trek the Motion Picture, I've been pi...
by sanscardinality
Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:48 am
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Artificial Intelligence / Synthetic Consciousness
Replies: 38
Views: 251805

Artificial Intelligence / Synthetic Consciousness

We got into this a little in another thread, and while I don't have a ton to say today I thought it deserved a thread for future conversation as well. What inspired me to put this up was a quote I bumped into from Dijkstra: "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting th...
by sanscardinality
Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:44 am
Forum: The Art of Science, Fantasy and Science Fiction
Topic: Tea house Google theme
Replies: 10
Views: 122308

Re: Tea house Google theme

I made a composite file that captures all thirteen frames of the tea house theme. If anyone is interested, I can e-mail it. At the same time, it makes me think that it would be better if people could see the sun and stars for themselves, rather than see them change only on a screen inside a room. I...
by sanscardinality
Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:54 pm
Forum: Literature and Cinema
Topic: Mervyn Peake and Mannerpunk
Replies: 5
Views: 51690

If anyone intends to read Peake, give yourself a clear reading calendar for a couple months. He cannot be read quickly and be appreciated in my opinion. Absinthe in small (or medium) doses is appropriate, and will help with pacing if you normally read rapidly. I highly recommend staring through a di...
by sanscardinality
Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:37 pm
Forum: Literature and Cinema
Topic: Alexander, son of Philip
Replies: 19
Views: 137613

To help your meditations (*grins*), this is probably the most close to life representation of him in his early twenties before he got too mangled: Alexander, by Leochares, Acropolis museum Hmmm - from the statue, he apparently had a large nose and now the end's off it so... Michael Jackson! 8) SC
by sanscardinality
Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:37 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Biocentrism and the Anthropic Principle
Replies: 21
Views: 146601

But it is critical to note that there is something above and beyond philosophy in science--the reliance on reproducible observation and experiment. Otherwise you descend into "naive rhetoricism," the idea that science is merely another discourse like philosophy, politics, ethics, and so o...
by sanscardinality
Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:30 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Biocentrism and the Anthropic Principle
Replies: 21
Views: 146601

I'll preface my reply by saying that I consider myself a rational materialist but also a non-dualist (hence my fondness for grand unified theories and integration across scales). Thanks for the reply! I'm sure these are discussions you've had before (both you and caliban) and I really do appreciate...
by sanscardinality
Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:23 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Biocentrism and the Anthropic Principle
Replies: 21
Views: 146601

OK - meant to keep this short, but I'm a windbag so apologies in advance... While I partially agree with caliban and WW's statements above, I don't think science and philosophy are separable any more than science and human biology are. I do think there are degrees of separation and they are related ...
by sanscardinality
Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:53 pm
Forum: Musings and Chats
Topic: Tell the Spartans...
Replies: 24
Views: 155565

Sounds like you are following Joseph Campbell's advice to "follow your bliss" through the part that's hard to do (when most give up or sell out.) Good for you!!!

- SC
by sanscardinality
Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:39 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Biocentrism and the Anthropic Principle
Replies: 21
Views: 146601

That's quite true. But in the end, you still have to come up with a testable theory. Einstein started relativity from "philosophical" considerations and made concrete predictions. Lanza is just talking gobbledy-gook. He has nothing concrete whatsoever. Agreed about the predictions part. A...
by sanscardinality
Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:48 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Biocentrism and the Anthropic Principle
Replies: 21
Views: 146601

BTW - I was checking on the American Scholar thing because I was confusing "New Scholar" with "New Scientist" that I sometimes read online. I've not seen anything manifesto-like in New Scientist and so was confused about your reaction. Not trying to be a pain. I think Creationism...