Switch from a BA to a BS and you'll have those answers... ;) On Wed, May 13, 2009 at 11:07 AM, pol.science kid <[email protected]>wrote:
> > Do planets have life.... and volcanoes... why are the laws of physics > so absolute.. why doesnt a planet ever stray from its orbit.... > > On May 13, 7:50 pm, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > 'Life' has definitely become a tricky word to define these days. A rock > is inert, passive, possesses no active systems, is incapable of > reproduction, is inorganic, and thus my scientist's brain rules it out. > Questioning what is sentient has become a whole new conundrum, as both many > species of animals (long thought insentient by many schools of thought), and > some complex AI systems are capable of displaying traits of self awareness > and subjective perception. Combined with the long running argument of 'What > is consciousness?', it tends to make it difficult for a rationalist to come > to an easy answer. > > > > > > > > [ Attached Message ]From:gruff <[email protected]>To:"\"Minds Eye\"" < > [email protected]>Date:Wed, 13 May 2009 07:09:51 -0700 > (PDT)Local:Wed, May 13 2009 7:09 pmSubject:[Mind's Eye] Re: Is the Dream > Dead? > > > > "... On May 12, 7:30 am, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> > > wrote: ..." > > > > > I believe the question could be rephrased as, 'Why do you think a rock > has life?' > > > > Life as we know it to be is not infused in a rock. I think the only > > way a rock -- or any other such matter -- could be considered to have > > anything even remotely considered to be life would be the forces that > > imbue that rock at the atomic or sub-atomic level. To my thinking, > > life implies sentience which is the ability to feel or perceive > > subjectively. Of course it could also be argued whether or not a > > single celled creature -- which we do define as possessing life -- can > > actually feel or perceive subjectively. However, I seriously doubt > > whether a rock or any other such matter, could be considered to have > > life as such. I've never known a rock that could feel anything. > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" 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/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
