The notion of "cause" is not part of any major scientific theory, actually. It's a folk-psychology concept that humans use to help them intuitively understand science and other things. There is no formal notion of causation in physics, chemistry, biology, etc.
On Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 5:20 AM, Mike Tintner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > "the (actually explicit) assumption underlying the whole > scientific method is that the same causes produces the same results." > > That's determinism/inevitabilism and it's only one philosophy of science, > if arguably still the major one. [One set of causes produces one set of > effects]. There's an alternative philosophy - which is the de facto > philosophy of technology - of which AI is a part. That says there are > *infinite* sets of causes which can produce any one set of effects. You want > to knock over a block of wood on a table? Infinite ways of doing it. You > want to program a computer to knock over a block...? Infinite ways of doing > it. You want to use your brain to think about knocking over a block....? > Infinite ways of doing it. > > This philosophy is implicit in the butterfly effect. If a hurricane can be > caused by a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil, it can/could equally be > caused this time or another time by a humming bird flapping its wings in > Africa, or a programmer scratching his balls in Maryland, or a.... > > Both philosophies are mechanistic. > > > > > > ------------------------------------------- > agi > Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now > RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ > Modify Your Subscription: > https://www.listbox.com/member/?&; > Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com > -- Ben Goertzel, PhD CEO, Novamente LLC and Biomind LLC Director of Research, SIAI [EMAIL PROTECTED] "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -- Robert Heinlein ------------------------------------------- agi Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=8660244&id_secret=117534816-b15a34 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
