On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 8:50 AM, Craig Weinberg <whatsons...@gmail.com>wrote:
> > I'm saying we can get a better symphony out of a philharmonic > orchestra than a thousand drummers. Drums make us feel one way, a > cello feels a different way. Can you play cello with a million tiny > drums? > > The remarkable consequence of the Church-Turing thesis is that a computer can emulate any definable process, just as headphones can emulate any possible sound. A pair of headphones can sound like a jack hammer, a person signing, or a philharmonic orchestra. Finding a process that a computer cannot emulate is like finding a sound that cannot be produced by speakers. Thus, according to your example, a single silicon CPU and the bits stored in its memory can perform the same dance as a million tiny atoms. The atoms, as represented in the computers memory would possess the same relationships between them as physical atoms do (assuming the computer is programmed appropriately). Proper programming is like having the right audio CD for the headphones. To replicate any sound, all you need is the right CD to play on the headphones, just as with a computer to replicate any process all you need is the right program. Jason -- 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 everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
