--- Hank Conn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On 12/1/06, Matt Mahoney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > The "goals of humanity", like all other species, was determined by > > evolution. > > It is to propagate the species. > > > That's not the goal of humanity. That's the goal of the evolution of > humanity, which has been defunct for a while.
We have slowed evolution through medical advances, birth control and genetic engineering, but I don't think we have stopped it completely yet. > You are confusing this abstract idea of an optimization target with the > actual motivation system. You can change your motivation system all you > want, but you woulnd't (intentionally) change the fundamental specification > of the optimization target which is maintained by the motivation system as a > whole. I guess we are arguing terminology. I mean that the part of the brain which generates the reward/punishment signal for operant conditioning is not trainable. It is programmed only through evolution. > To some extent you can do this. When rats can > > electrically stimulate their nucleus accumbens by pressing a lever, they > > do so > > nonstop in preference to food and water until they die. > > > > I suppose the alternative is to not scan brains, but then you still have > > death, disease and suffering. I'm sorry it is not a happy picture either > > way. > > > Or you have no death, disease, or suffering, but not wireheading. How do you propose to reduce the human mortality rate from 100%? -- Matt Mahoney, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?list_id=303
