Dear Colin, I just LOVE your crystal ball. Call it "phlogiston" or whatever. Your article http://www.theconversation.edu.au/the-modern-phlogiston-why-thinking-machines-dont-need-computers-7881
is a beauty and I enjoyed your exchange with Ben Goertzel. My questions, however, remained untouched from my earlier *agnostic* remarks: "Who told you that whatever *"brain"* does is *physically * (and I mean the quantitative figment-science we learn at school) described as of yesterday? That it is * A L L* that counts? Your choice of name sounds a bit correct: Becher in 1667 thought everything is known to deduce his phlogiston and the AI thinks everything is known to 'model' thinking. Not too much of an advancement in "leading" sciences. It is more than likely that "WE" (whoever that may be) use something we identify with our "brain" as a practical tool for thinking, but we have no justification how much more is to it to make it work than what we already know (in our so far achieved mini-solipsism). I do not argue against using computers to mimic thinking I just question if the process is sufficiently *known* to make a workable computer-model (especially using up the ZERO $ funds available and using our present embryonic- binary - digital computer models). If all fits, it still may be an anthropocentric/morphic logic to imitate, while nature is not restricted to such. But this point goes too far maybe. Agnostically yours John Mikes Ph.D., D.Sc. ret. polymer scientist On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 9:22 PM, Colin Geoffrey Hales < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi,**** > > ** ** > > Hales, C. G. 2012 The modern phlogiston: why ‘thinking machines’ don’t > need computers TheConversation. The Conversation media Group.**** > > ** ** > > > http://www.theconversation.edu.au/the-modern-phlogiston-why-thinking-machines-dont-need-computers-7881 > **** > > ** ** > > Cheers**** > > Colin**** > > P.S. I am done with this issue. I'll just 'Lavoisier' my way through the > phlogiston.**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > -- > 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. > -- 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.
