On Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 11:42:44AM -0400, John Clark wrote: > On Sun, Apr 23, 2017 at 11:42 PM, Russell Standish <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > > If we > > > > take the usual (mathematical) meaning of computation, then I can point > > to a potential counter-example: beta-decay. Recording the arrival > > times of electrons from beta decay using a clock and electron detector > > gives a time series that to our best knowledge is random and hence > > uncomputable. It is an undeniable physical process that is not a > > computation. > > > > I think you're right although Bruno would disagree, he has said from the > point of view of somebody who could observe the entire multiverse (a point > of view that can not exist) everything is deterministic. However what can't > be denied is there are only 2 possibilities: > > > 1) That event DID have a cause and thus is computable (it may be a very > long computation but it is finite). > > 2) That event did NOT have a cause and thus was random and not computable. > > One of those two must be true for everything but I don't see how that > second possibility could have much relevance if you're interested in the > study of intelligent behavior. >
I happen to think that random sources will prove to be rather important to intelligent behaviour, or rather creative behaviour, which of course is not quite the same thing. Having an IQ of 180 doesn't make you a genius. But be that as it may, I was responding to a claim by Bruce that all physical processes are computations to point out that is not compatible with the usual definition of computation, at least as we understand physics today. I wasn't commenting on intelligent behaviour. Cheers -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) Principal, High Performance Coders Visiting Senior Research Fellow [email protected] Economics, Kingston University http://www.hpcoders.com.au ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
