From: M.>h (m.transhumanist@gmail.com)
Date: Wed Nov 04 2009 - 00:49:00 MST
arn't there known occasions of people being able to perform enormous
(not to say 'superhuman') tasks under great stress, e.g. to save their
lives or that of others?
cheers,
miriam
Am 03.11.2009 um 16:02 schrieb "Natasha Vita-More" <natasha@natasha.cc>:
> What if the artist does not draw at all? What if s/he creates
> interactive games, programs Ai-robotics, clones cells, or writes
> theory?
>
> Putting that aside, to answer your question, it seems it would
> depend on the emotional state of the artist and whether s/he works
> will under pressure. Motivation is a meaningful partner when trying
> to survive. I suppose that most folks would improve their skill
> level to survive - drawing (metaphorically) from their knowledge
> base and bringing forth forgotten skills, or ideas, of how others
> have done it (most artists study the masters in undergraduate school
> and would remember what da Vinci's images looked like), and then try
> to implement that style.
>
> But the myth of "starving artist" is really a bit of a turn-off
> because it suggests that artists are at the mercy of a church, an
> institution, or a patron and not clever enough to build a sound
> business. The Van Gough syndrome has been damaging to the arts
> because one expects genius to foster insanity (not to mention the
> fact that Van Gough put his chemically-fueled paintbrushes in his
> mouth and thereby actually ate metals - which most likely caused or
> added to his mental confusion).
>
> I'll quickly mention another myth -- that artists have to wait to
> become famous until after they die. Equally as disparaging - so we
> suffer and die and then collectors make their bucks. Thumbs down on
> this old-world nonsense.
>
> Natasha
>
> <image002.jpg> Natasha Vita-More
>
>
>
> From: owner-sl4@sl4.org [mailto:owner-sl4@sl4.org] On Behalf Of Mark
> Nuzzolilo
> Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 3:15 AM
> To: sl4@sl4.org; agi@v2.listbox.com; singularity@v2.listbox.com
> Subject: [sl4] The Starving Artist Experiment
>
> Suppose I were to take a willing participant in captivity, who does
> not know how to draw art very well, and deprive him of food for a
> day or two. Thereafter I would put in front of him his favorite
> food, and tell him that unless he draws me a decent picture of
> something, the food will be given away to somebody else. For this
> thought experiment, I would like you to assume that the effects of
> hunger on the human mind and body are not significantly inhibiting
> in any way his "regular" ability to think or draw.
>
> The question is, will he then draw greatly above his previous skill
> level? What implications does this have for intelligence, and has
> there been any research into intelligence or psychology using this
> type of approach or concept? Keep in mind that there are also other
> potential motivators other than hunger.
>
> Mark Nuzzolilo
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