Stathis Papaioannou wrote: > Brent Meeker writes: > > >>Stathis Papaioannou wrote: >> >>>Peter Jones writes (quoting SP): >>> >>> >>> >>>>>The constraints (a) and (b) you mention are ad hoc and an >>>>>unnecessary complication. Suppose Klingon computers change their >>>>>internal code every clock cycle according to the well-documented >>>>>radioactive decay pattern of a sacred stone 2000 years ago. If we >>>>>got our hands on one of these computers and monitored its >>>>>internal states it would seem completely random; but if we had >>>>>the Klingon manual, we would see that the computer was actually >>>>>multiplying two numbers, or implementing a Klingon AI, or >>>>>whatever. Would you say that these computations were not valid >>>>>because it's a dumb way to design a computer? >>>> >>>>I'd say that a defintion of "computer" that applies to everything >>>>is useless. >>> >>> >>>I agree, it's completely useless to *us* because we couldn't interact >>>with it. That would be the end of the matter unless we say that >>>computation can lead to consciousness, creating as it were its own >>>observer. Are you prepared to argue that the aforementioned Klingon >>>AI suddenly stops being conscious when the last copy of the manual >>>which would allow us to interact with it is destroyed? >> >>If it's intelligent we should be able to interact with it without a manual. > > > I should have specified, there is no input or output device connected. With > a "normal" computer we might look for patterns in its internal states and > design drivers for a keyboard and monitor, but with this computer its > internal states are apparently completely random unless you have the > original design specifications. > > Stathis Papaioannou
I don't think "intelligence" is meaningful without an environment with which it can interact. The same for computation: what distinguishes computation and noise is a context in which it interacts with its environment. Brent Meeker --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
