On 3/3/2020 3:32 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:
On 2 Mar 2020, at 14:02, Alan Grayson <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
On Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 3:57:58 AM UTC-7, Bruno Marchal wrote:
On 28 Feb 2020, at 23:03, Alan Grayson <[email protected]
<javascript:>> wrote:
Among the infinite possibilities for the gravitational force,
why, in the context of your theory, do we live in the world that
apparently obeys the one consistent with Newton and Einstein?
TIA, AG
I will answer this tomorrow.
Bruno
I might have missed it. Please answer the above question here,
keeping in mind that the gravity formula in our world must have zero
probability, given the infinity of hypothetical equations. TIA, AG
I suggest we do this little step by little step. OK? It might help
others too.
The 0th step is the definition I gave of Mechanism (aka Indexical
Digital Mechanism). It is, as I think you have understood, the
assumption that the brain/body works like a digital, or digitalisable
machine, and that we can survive, at some relevant level of
description, with an artificial digital body/brain. At this stage, the
artificial brain is still physically implemented.
That is what I will call step 0. You are not asked if you personally
believe or not, in this. It is my basic assumption, from which, by
reasoning, I will explain what you ask.
More precisely, Mechanism is
1) the Church Turing thesis (but this is used only in step seven, so
don’t worry too much about it, before we get there). It is needed to
obtain the purely mathematical definition of digital machine. Note
that the Church-Turing thesis requires elementary arithmetic to make
sense. I hope that you have no problem with 2+2=4, nor with deriving
from "2+2=4" that "it exists a number x such that x + 2 = 4", OK?
2) it exists a level of description of my body such that I can survive
with a digital artificial brain/body. I will just say brain, but if
someone claim that the neural network in the belly plays a key role in
his consciousness, the “artificial brain” will have to emulate that
neural net too. The thought experiments are simpler when assuming a
high level of description (like the neuronal level), but in step
seven, this suppelemtary hypothesis will be discharged. The
consequences will not depend on the choice of the substitution level.
The brain might be the entire cluster of galaxies around us, described
by superstring theory, with 10^34 decimals, and the reasoning will
still go through, even if the shout experiment becomes unfeasible.
But this is wrong. First, when you suggest that you can survive with a
digital artificial brain/body everyone understands you are thinking of
something like a robot, which exists within an environment. The
environment is essential for you survival...not just physically so that
the robot can function, but also for the informational flow to and from
your artificial brain. A brain with no input/output cannot function
(except maybe as a mathematician. :-) )
Second, you attempt to anticipate this criticism by saying you can
include the whole galaxy, or even the universe, in your robotic
emulation. But then later you renege on this and claim that you've
shown physics to be derivative rather than necessary.
Brent
Any question up to here?
Bruno
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