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Artificial Intelligence

Good4Nothin

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Back in the 17th century they were building clever clockwork mechanisms. The people and animals in these mechanisms were sometimes very lifelike.

So what was the difference between a mechanical duck, for example, and a real duck. The philosopher Descartes, for one, thought there was no real difference.

Artificial intelligence (AI) research began in the mid 20th century. AI researchers had a saying which you may have heard: "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck."

Creating real AI was not going to be much of a challenge, according to the early researchers. They thought the ability to converse in a natural language would be programmed by a graduate student in one semester.

More than half a century later, the graduate student still has not completed his project.

Could it be that the saying "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck" is mistaken?

Cognitive science is a collection of fields, including computer science, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and philosophy. Most cognitive scientists today are still thinking like Descartes thought hundreds of years ago. The only difference is that Descartes thought humans have souls, while the other animals don't. Cognitive scientists today think humans, like all animals, are soulless.

It's true that computers can do some of the things that require what we call intelligence. Calculating, sorting and organizing data, for example.

However, filing cabinets can also do some things that require intelligence. They can remember large amounts of information, much more than a human being could. Same with books.

Computers have gone beyond filing cabinets and books, in their abilities to organize and process data. But, like paper files and books, computers are just extensions of human intelligence. They have NO intelligence of their own.

Descartes philosophy was called "dualism," because he thought spirit and matter are two separate things, and that the human soul connects with the physical body. This was similar to the philosophy of materialism, because he thought the physical bodies of other animals can function on their own, without a spirit, or soul.

Modern cognitive scientists have thrown away the soul or spirit, and have kept the rest of Descartes' philosophy. After all, if other animals are entirely physical mechanisms, so are we.

Makes sense, is logical, IF the premise is correct.

But if other animals are not simply mechanisms, like the old 17th century clockworks, then maybe someone should rethink materialism. And some philosophers and scientists are doing that.

Materialism had a big revival in the 20th century, when DNA was discovered. It was assumed that the "blueprint of life" had been found. In reality, DNA is an important molecule for living organisms, but so much more than DNA is required for life. Some biologists have been starting to point that out.

Summary: Life is so much more complicated than materialists assume it is. Simplistic ideas about the nature of life are what makes AI seem possible.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then maybe it's just a simple mechanism made to look like a duck and quack like a duck.

AI researchers will find that out eventually.
 
Back in the 17th century they were building clever clockwork mechanisms. The people and animals in these mechanisms were sometimes very lifelike.

So what was the difference between a mechanical duck, for example, and a real duck. The philosopher Descartes, for one, thought there was no real difference.

Artificial intelligence (AI) research began in the mid 20th century. AI researchers had a saying which you may have heard: "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck."

Creating real AI was not going to be much of a challenge, according to the early researchers. They thought the ability to converse in a natural language would be programmed by a graduate student in one semester.

More than half a century later, the graduate student still has not completed his project.

Could it be that the saying "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck" is mistaken?

Cognitive science is a collection of fields, including computer science, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and philosophy. Most cognitive scientists today are still thinking like Descartes thought hundreds of years ago. The only difference is that Descartes thought humans have souls, while the other animals don't. Cognitive scientists today think humans, like all animals, are soulless.

It's true that computers can do some of the things that require what we call intelligence. Calculating, sorting and organizing data, for example.

However, filing cabinets can also do some things that require intelligence. They can remember large amounts of information, much more than a human being could. Same with books.

Computers have gone beyond filing cabinets and books, in their abilities to organize and process data. But, like paper files and books, computers are just extensions of human intelligence. They have NO intelligence of their own.

Descartes philosophy was called "dualism," because he thought spirit and matter are two separate things, and that the human soul connects with the physical body. This was similar to the philosophy of materialism, because he thought the physical bodies of other animals can function on their own, without a spirit, or soul.

Modern cognitive scientists have thrown away the soul or spirit, and have kept the rest of Descartes' philosophy. After all, if other animals are entirely physical mechanisms, so are we.

Makes sense, is logical, IF the premise is correct.

But if other animals are not simply mechanisms, like the old 17th century clockworks, then maybe someone should rethink materialism. And some philosophers and scientists are doing that.

Materialism had a big revival in the 20th century, when DNA was discovered. It was assumed that the "blueprint of life" had been found. In reality, DNA is an important molecule for living organisms, but so much more than DNA is required for life. Some biologists have been starting to point that out.

Summary: Life is so much more complicated than materialists assume it is. Simplistic ideas about the nature of life are what makes AI seem possible.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then maybe it's just a simple mechanism made to look like a duck and quack like a duck.

AI researchers will find that out eventually.

If it looks like cow dung, if it smells like cow dung, if it tastes like cow dung, then it is an ungodly immoral perverted human plank from the atheist political party platform which stands in open opposition to God and Christianity in God bless America. No intelligence involved or required.
 
If it looks like cow dung, if it smells like cow dung, if it tastes like cow dung, then it is an ungodly immoral perverted human plank from the atheist political party platform which stands in open opposition to God and Christianity in God bless America. No intelligence involved or required.

That does seem to describe the arguments of people promoting a 'world wide flood' , and a young earth.
 
That does seem to describe the arguments of people promoting a 'world wide flood' , and a young earth.

And ignoring the fact that the myth of Noah is a retelling of an older myth.
 
And ignoring the fact that the myth of Noah is a retelling of an older myth.

Well,I am not sure it's a retelling of the sumarian myth.. since there were so many various ones. However, early cities tended to be on rivers , and rivers flood.
 
The OP is artificial intelligence. A central myth of the transhumanist religion. This thread should have nothing to do with other organized dogmatic religions.
 
The OP is artificial intelligence. A central myth of the transhumanist religion. This thread should have nothing to do with other organized dogmatic religions.
I Good4Nothin
 
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