Re: [sl4] Re: goals of AI... non physical components of mind != soul

From: Matt Mahoney (matmahoney@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Nov 25 2009 - 19:50:01 MST


> By non-physical I am trying to label that which is real but cannot currently be measured or detected.

Like, for example, that thing that makes you different from a philosophical zombie? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie

Or if I removed your brain, ground it to a pulp, and then replaced it with a computer that had exactly the same behavior so that nobody could detect any change in the behavior of your body, then you mean that invisible thing that is now missing from you?

Is it the thing you so desperately want to preserve, because like all animals, you have evolved to fear the hundreds of different things that can kill you? If it weren't for those strong emotions, would you even need such a concept?

 -- Matt Mahoney, matmahoney@yahoo.com

----- Original Message ----
From: Matt Paul <lizardblue@gmail.com>
To: "sl4@sl4.org" <sl4@sl4.org>
Sent: Wed, November 25, 2009 6:38:38 PM
Subject: Re: [sl4] Re: goals of AI... non physical components of mind != soul

On Nov 25, 2009, at 3:38 PM, Stathis Papaioannou <stathisp@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>
> How do you figure that quantum phenomena are "non physical" when they
> are the basis of all physics? Also, quantum computers don't actually
> do anything that classical computers don't do, such as computing
> non-computable functions.
>
Ok, I see a problem arising here. I used the term "non-physical" and I think that I should clarify that this is because I struggle to find another term for it. I don't think it is the best term and I hope we don't get too hung up on it. By non-physical I am trying to label that which is real but cannot currently be measured or detected.



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