[ExI] Digital Consciousness .

spike spike at rainier66.com
Wed Apr 24 18:07:29 UTC 2013



-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Gordon


>...mostly with acolytes of Daniel Dennett...

Ja, I don't feel Dennett has reeled in that fish either.  More on that later, gotta make this one fast.

>...I remain convinced that digital simulations can never have consciousness, and that strong (conscious) AI and uploading is impossible on digital computers...

Ja plenty of people feel that way, but I don't understand.  If we can model dynamic systems with finite element models, and we can model every micron of a dendrite with its chemical environment (and I see no absolute reason why not) and we can model a synapse and we can model a neuron, etc, do explain why we cannot in principle model a neuron with a bunch of dentrites connected to it and the interconnect and all that stuff.  I know it is a crazy difficult problem, but in principle, given enough computing horsepower and enough information interchange and enough time, why can we not make a connectome?  Never mind for now modeling a specific brain, why could we not model a generic one?  And if we recognize that a human brain is just too complicated, can we model a mouse brain?  How about an earthworm or a flea?

>...To John Clark's point: yes it is true that nature has built these machines that have consciousness, you and I being among them, but I think these machines that we call humans are not akin to digital computers.  -Gordon

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I agree humans are not akin to digital computers.  What I am asking is if we can take a buttload of digital computers, connect them all together, each running models of brain cells, and create something that is kinda sorta akin to a human brain?  If not, how about some simpler but still conscious brain perhaps?  Or if not conscious, at least reactive to its surroundings?

spike





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