Re: answers I'd like from an SI

From: Bryan Bishop (kanzure@gmail.com)
Date: Sat Nov 10 2007 - 09:19:16 MST


On Saturday 10 November 2007 08:26, Wei Dai wrote:
> How does qualia work? Why do certain patterns of neuron firings
> translate into sensations of pain, and other patterns into pleasure?

Pain is challenging. There are many subcultures built up around the
worship of pain, those who enjoy pain, those who can ignore pain
(tolerance), and even those that feel no pain when others would. The
philosophy of pain seems to be built into our primitive brains, maybe
as ancient columns of neurons etc.

At the moment I can only offer this: perhaps qualia is the build-up of
so many billions of neurons (or just millions at a time) being as they
are per the second-by-second stimulation.

But since nothing productive comes from these questions, and framing the
problem in such a way, perhaps such line of questioning should be
dropped?

- Bryan



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