ozero

I would think that any auxiliary thinking device we might come up with  would not have that feature.

Careful, careful.  If you invent thinking machines with no sense of humor, they'll all become fundamentalists.

ozero

I stand corrected.

But I'm still unhappy.

Feb 25, 2010 -- 6:21PM, ozero wrote:

Blu, BINGO!  You win.  That is the major problem that I have with the whole concept.  But I don't think it rules it out.  You're right.  That which makes us human is the fact that we can't think straight - our thoughts are screwed up with dozens of chemicals in an infinite variety of dosages.  I would think that any auxiliary thinking device we might come up with would not have that feature.  We would rather be Spock than McCoy.  But we'd have a drink with and be friends with McCoy and engage Spock for his thoughts.  But I think that if we do develop an auxiliary thinking device and actually use it so much that we can't tell the difference between it and the biological brain, especially if our bio brain was failing us or seemed to fail us more and more, then, when the bio brain died, we probably would want to keep on going.  Maybe not, because it's possible that our desire to live long and prosper is just the mixture of certain chemicals.

As to whether we can duplicate the brain's way of thought - for computation and reasoning, I think yes.  A lot of computer scientists say that virtually anything that can be described, especially mathematically, can be modeled in a computer.  We could have an adrenaline subroutine that would activate certain processes in the presence of the right conditions.  Most other chemicals have causal factors that could be identified and "virtual chemicals" could be released.  I'm not sure it would be enough to keep people wanting to live, but I think so.

You can't fight it, Blu.  You will be absorbed.  You will be electrical.  It is useless to be a resistor.  Maybe a capacitor...

 

... an "electron" ... ??? ( What-EVER an "electron" REALLY Is ... !!! ) ...

"It is only our doubts as to the omnipotence of matter which could lead us to examine in a critical way this verdict of science upon the human psyche."

Carl G. Jung 

Feb 17, 2010 -- 1:12PM, Wendyness wrote:

"Soul" is not a thing, but a quality or a dimension of experiencing life and ourselves.  It has to do with depth, value, relatedness, heart, and personal substance........Care of the soul begins with observance of how the soul manifests itself and how it operates.  We can't care for the soul unless we are familiar with its ways.  Observance is a word from ritual and religion.  It means to watch out for but also to keep and honor, as in the observance of a holiday.  The-serv-in  observance originally referred to tending sheep.  Observing the soul, we keep an eye on its sheep, on whatever is wandering and grazing---"

CARE of the SOUL by Thomas Moore

... yes ...