On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 3:29 AM, Craig Weinberg <[email protected]> wrote:
>> There are differences between people that do not make a difference to >> their intelligence or (by assumption) their consciousness. > > Definitely. But only certain kinds of differences. Some differences > which might seem insignificant to us, like an extra chromosome or > deficiency of a neurotransmitter can make a huge difference/ If it makes a difference to neurotransmission it may make a difference to cognition. Whether it makes a difference or not is to be empirically determined. It's the same for a car, a heart or a brain. The DNA in the nucleus does not seem to take any direct part in neurotransmission according to the scientific evidence, but you claim to have special knowledge that it does. >> An amputee >> does not behave in the same way as an intact person under all >> circumstances but he can participate in a conversation and solve >> problems, so the fact that he is an amputee does not affect his >> intelligence. > > Right, but an amputated limbic system would affect his intelligence. > As might a lack of cytoplasm in the neurons. I'm not saying that human- > like consciousness can only exist within a human brain, just that the > further from a human brain you get, the less like a human it is likely > to be. If you use another species neurons to make a human-like brain, > that might work. If you use another self-replicating molecule to make > human-like neurons, that might work too. Making a logical schematic of > the brain's assumed functions though it not likely to be successful if > implemented on inorganic, solid state microelectronics though. A claim you make with no empirical evidence. You may as well say that amputees are unconscious despite appearances to the contrary. -- Stathis Papaioannou -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
