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    <div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
      Hi James,<br>
      <br>
      This is just amazing.  Let me try putting it yet another way.  Can
      you at least try, for a minute, and think that there may be some
      other way to think about it, than the way you are?  You seem to be
      unable or unwilling to think in any way, other than a redness
      quality must arise from some function, and that it is the function
      that is prior to the quality.  But just for a second, try to
      imaging that there could be a different theoretical possibility,
      where it is the quale, that is prior, and that things are behaving
      or functioning the way they are, because of the phenomenal
      qualities.  Instead of trying to find some way to impose your view
      on what I'm saying.  Try to find some other way, in what I'm
      saying that has what is fundamental, inverted from the way you are
      used to demanding it must be.  For a moment, have some hope that
      there could be a real solution to the 'hard problem' you are so
      instantiate exists.<br>
      <br>
      On multiple occasions, you accused me of "assuming [my]
      conclusion", and I understand what you are saying, but all I'm
      doing is defining (not assuming) a theoretical possibility that is
      making testable predictions that could possibly be demonstrated,
      or falsified by science.  And that if science behaves as the
      theory predicts, it wall falsify the definitions, or assumptions
      you are making, which are required before your so called 'proof'
      that there is a hard problem.<br>
      <br>
      It seems to me, you are assuming, or defining, that it isn't
      possible for anything which has causal properties, to have
      qualitative properties responsible for those qualities, and it
      can't be behaving the way it is, because of these qualities, by
      definition.  Can you tell me what the causal properties of a
      redness quality are?  And if those causal properties of redness,
      whatever they are, are reflecting white light, and you thereby
      'interpret' them as if they have a whiteness quality (or worse
      assume the causal properties have nothing to do with the redness
      quality explaining them) are you not just miss interpreting what
      the white light is detecting?<br>
      <br>
      <div><<<<<br>
      </div>
      <div style="">How do you demonstrate that? How do you KNOW that it
        is not JUST the causal properties of glutamate that has the
        redness quality?<br>
      </div>
      >>>><br>
      <br>
      I see a very clear answer to this How question, and this entire
      conversation has been an attempt to answer exactly this.  The fact
      that you are asking this is proving you have no understanding
      about anything I've been saying.<br>
      <br>
      To me, it is you who are assuming your conclusion, and basically
      saying no causal properties can be behaving the way they are,
      because of a redness quality.  You think it isn't possible,
      because you assume the transmigration argument is valid, when it
      is swapping out the binding system and not understanding it's
      effing capabilities to detect not just causal properties, but the
      qualitative reason for why they are behaving the way they do,  and
      you don't understand what you are giving up, when you swap this
      out for something that is very different.   Again, all this is
      assuming your conclusion, which can be demonstrated to be false,
      if reality behaves differently than you are assuming/predicting.<br>
      <br>
      As I've said many times, when we have something with a redness
      quality, in the right hemisphere of our brain, and something with
      greenness qualities in our left hemisphere, there necessarily is
      some kind of 'binding system' that enables us to be aware of the
      qualitative nature responsible for whatever the correlated causal
      properties of each are.<br>
      <br>
      And when we swap out this binding system, for something inverted
      like white light, reflecting off of whatever it is that is
      behaving the way it is, because of it's redness quality, and then
      if we thereby assume that this thing with a redness quality, is
      behaving the way it is, because of it's whitness qualities, or
      worse, think of it in a fading way (because of some thought
      experiement that leaves out the very mechanism that can compare
      something and the way it is behaving, because of it's phenomenal
      qualities) and there by insist that those redness qualities, can't
      be behaving the way they are, because of any qualitative property
      - you are just describing a model, and making a bunch of
      predictions that predict there is a 'hard problem' that could all
      be blown out of the water by real effing demonstrably science that
      proves the problem isn't that hard after all.<br>
      <br>
      Brent Allsop<br>
      <br>
      <br>
      <br>
      <br>
      <br>
      On 5/1/2013 4:13 PM, James Carroll wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote
cite="mid:CALbjWnf=NonoW8Vz7JE3sV1sVzKZjJZ8ABw78of+Gp1s4ARh_A@mail.gmail.com"
      type="cite">
      <div dir="ltr">On Wed, May 1, 2013 at 2:07 PM, Brent Allsop <span
          dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="mailto:brent.allsop@canonizer.com" target="_blank">brent.allsop@canonizer.com</a>></span>
        wrote:<br>
        <div class="gmail_extra">
          <div class="gmail_quote">
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">I tried to point out that it was likely
                much more than just one neuron, but this seemed to be
                completely missed, so how about we call it a "binding
                system", instead of "binding neuron"?  </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">Fine, but it makes no difference whatsoever.
              So long as the "interpretation" layer is placed between
              those neurons that are simulated, and those that are not,
              you can work your way across these many neurons of the
              binding system, and you have the same problem. In fact,
              things are worse for your case if there are more than one
              neuron in the binding layer, because now I can slowly FADE
              my way across these many neurons. And any qualia that
              actually fades is epiphenomenal. Since MPD predicts that
              something will fade, MPD predicts epiphenomenal qualia,
              even though you swear that it does not. <br>
              <br>
              QED. It's that simple Brent. You are making it harder than
              it needs to be, and missing this rather obvious
              conclusion. </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">So let's just limit this binding systems
                mechanistic functionality to be indicating whether the
                reference knowledge is qualitatively the same as the
                sample knowledge.  An additional requirement is that it
                make this determination only when the knowledge being
                compared both have qualitative properties AND that the
                qualitative properties (or causal or informational
                properties of the qualities) are the same.  </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">What do you mean by "have qualitative
              properties"? Do you mean "have phenomenal properties", and
              if so, how do you detect that, since ALL you can detect
              are the causal properties. </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">I fully admit, and agree with you, that
                once the entire binding system is replaced with an
                abstracted version that it can be thought of as acting
                like the "1" is real glutamate, and the redness
                quality.  But the conclusion you are drawing from this
                is entirely missing the point of what I'm talking about.<br>
              </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">is it, or are YOU entirely missing the point
              of what I am talking about Brent?</div>
            <div style=""><br>
            </div>
            <div style=""> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">By definition, a "1", and a "0", do not
                have qualities (Why I didn't color them red and green
                like you did).  </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">You are assuming your conclusion here. That is
              the very question that is in dispute here. I don't think
              that an isolated 1 or a 0 has phenomenal qualities either,
              but they do when they are embedded within a functional
              pattern that produces behavior... as illustrated by this
              thought experiment. You can't just assume your conclusion
              in order to make your point. Part of the problem here is
              that you appear to think that phenomenal qualities happen
              in individual neurons, interacting with certain chemicals,
              in some magical way. While I think that phenomenal
              qualities happen over larger systems of interacting
              functional patterns. So, naturally, when I use your few
              neurons example, I end up with something mind numbingly
              simply, like a 1 or a 0. But that is a function of your
              messed up initial setup of a reference neuron, and a
              sample neuron, and a single binding system/neuron. But if
              you expand the binding system to multiple neurons, you end
              up with a complex and large functional pattern of 1's and
              0's floating around in the binding system. That would be
              closer to how I think that qualia happen. </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">By definition, they are not glutamate, nor
                are they any kind of "functional isomorphs" or any other
                theoretical thing that anyone may propose could
                theoretically have the quality we are trying to test
                for.  </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">True, but we take one side of the causal
              chain, convert it to a 1 or a 0 that represents whether or
              not glutamate was detected in the synapse, and then we
              have a simulation of the binding neuron that does the
              right complex thing with this 1 or 0, namely, a simulation
              of what the binding neuron (or system) would do if it were
              to come in contact with real glutamate, thus INTERPRETING
              the 1 or 0 as glutamate, as part of its simulation.</div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">So, by definition, the virtualized
                replacement of the binding system, is not doing what we
                want it to do, </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">Again, you are assuming your conclusion here.
              I think that it IS doing what we want it to do, as
              evidenced by the fact that it produces the right BEHAVIOR
              (the system claims to have real qualia), and if any qualia
              faded during our replacement with the simulation, those
              qualia that faded MUST be epiphenomenal. </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">and is only being thought of as doing it. 
              </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">No, it is not just being THOUGHT of as doing
              it... it is DOING it, as evidenced by the behavior of the
              system when it claims to have real qualia. Any abstraction
              in the information inside of it, is interpreted by the
              translation layers that rap around the inputs and the
              outputs of the system. </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">All it is, is some configuration of some
                arbitrary matter, which, by design, doesn't matter if it
                has qualities or not, but is only being thought of,
                whatever arbitrary thing it is, as being a comparator of
                a "1" and "0", which by definition do not have a redness
                or greenness quality. </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">Only by YOUR definition. Again, you are
              assuming your conclusion to prove your conclusion. Because
              *I* think that it DOES have a redness or a greenness
              quality, and that is the HEART of our disagreement! </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr"> You could invert or replace the abstract
                machinery, in an infinitely many different ways that can
                be thought of as behaving the same way, which were all
                very different, and regardless of what you were using,
                and regardless of how inverted the fundamental stuff
                was, as long as you thought of its current particular
                arbitrary configuration, as a comparator between a "1"
                and a "0", that is all it would be, is something you are
                thinking of as if it were something qualitatively, very
                different from what it really is.<br>
              </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">Any internal inversion in the simulated
              section would have to be met by an equivalent inversion in
              the translation layer that would undo the inversion in
              order for the system to maintain the same behavior, and
              thus, in order to maintain the same functional pattern. In
              fact, what you are claiming here is EXACTLY what those of
              us who believe in functional equivalence believe, namely,
              that you can change HOW you do the calculation all you
              want, and, so long as it produces the same results, it has
              the same qualia. <br>
              <br>
              All your internal changing of how it works, all your
              inversions, is met with an equivalent change in the
              translation layer, providing the same behavior, and THUS,
              the same qualia. Otherwise you believe in dancing qualia,
              where your qualia change from red to green, but you still
              say "I see red" the entire time... aka. if you don't
              believe this, you believe in a property of qualia that
              leads to qualia being epiphenomenal. <br>
              <br>
              <br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">In other words, the fallacy in the
                substitution argument is, when you, in one single step,
                replace the very thing that is dong the detection,
                binding, and comparison of the phenomenal qualities;
                (i.e. the binding system) with something that by
                definition and design has nothing to do with qualities,
              </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">You assumed the conclusion again. I think that
              it DOES have to do with qualities, when properly
              interpreted by the translation layer. </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">even though you can think of the resulting
                abstracted behavior as the behavior you want, you are
                completely bypassing and ignoring what is important.<br>
              </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">IF there is something "important" in there
              that I am ignoring, I can PROVE that this "important"
              thing is epiphenomenal, by the fading and dancing qualia
              thought experiment. </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div> <br>
            </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">
                <br>
                Also, as you've pointed out, it might be possible for
                some religious person to theorize about the state of
                things, once you are way passed any of the
                fading/dancing quale partially replaced states, and the
                entire binding system has been replaced with something
                that has none of that and is only being thought of as
                having it.  It might then be possible to theorize that a
                qualitative experience is still occurring.  The problem
                is, as you correctly point out, this could never be
                validated, or proven, since there is, by definition, no
                causal evidence for any such 'epiphenomena'.  Your
                conclusion is true, but only about this kind of non
                causal epiphenomena, and has nothing to do with what
                this theory is predicting.<br>
              </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">True. But, as I already pointed out, your
              theory is predicting non-epiphenomenal qualia together
              with some beliefs that REQUIRE epiphenomenal qualia, as
              can be shown with the fading and dancing qualia thought
              experiments. Thus, your theory contains an internal
              contradiction. </div>
            <div style=""><br>
            </div>
            <div style=""><br>
            </div>
            <div style=""><br>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
              .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div dir="ltr">This theory is predicting that real
                glutamate (or some real functionally active pattern, or
                whatever) which, if it is demonstrated to be what has a
                redness quality, </div>
            </blockquote>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">How do you demonstrate that? How do you KNOW
              that it is not JUST the causal properties of glutamate
              that has the redness quality? Because if it is JUST the
              causal properties of glutamate, then I can simulate those
              properties, and my simulation will have qualia without the
              real glutamate. Furthermore, I can show that if there is
              anything ELSE in there, that this extra thing is
              epiphenomenal.... which you don't believe in... therefore,
              you need to accept the principle of functional
              equivalence. It is the only way to escape believing in
              epiphenomenal qualia. </div>
            <div style=""><br>
            </div>
            <div style="">James</div>
            <div style=""><br>
            </div>
            <div style=""><br>
            </div>
            <div style=""><br>
            </div>
            <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
              <div style=""><span style="color:rgb(80,0,80)">On Tue, Apr
                  30, 2013 at 12:29 PM, James Carroll </span><span
                  dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(80,0,80)"><<a
                    moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:jlcarroll@gmail.com" target="_blank">jlcarroll@gmail.com</a>></span><span
                  style="color:rgb(80,0,80)"> wrote:</span><br>
              </div>
              <div class="gmail_extra">
                <div class="gmail_quote">
                  <div>
                    <div class="h5">
                      <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0
                        0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc
                        solid;padding-left:1ex">
                        <div dir="ltr">
                          <div>On Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 11:37 AM, Brent
                            Allsop <span dir="ltr"><<a
                                moz-do-not-send="true"
                                href="mailto:brent.allsop@canonizer.com"
                                target="_blank">brent.allsop@canonizer.com</a>></span>
                            wrote:<br>
                          </div>
                          <div class="gmail_extra">
                            <div class="gmail_quote">
                              <div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">But
                                        Stathis and James are still
                                        providing no evidence that
                                        they are getting it at all.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>Obviously, I think that it is clearly
                                you who aren't getting it at all. </div>
                              <div><br>
                              </div>
                              <div>
                                <br>
                              </div>
                              <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                <div dir="ltr">
                                  <p><span style="font-size:12pt">...For
                                      you guys that still aren’t getting
                                      it, let’s make this so
                                      elementary it is impossible to
                                      miss.<span>  </span>Let’s
                                      make an even more simplified
                                      theoretical model, and hand hold
                                      you through every
                                      single step of the transmigration
                                      process, including a final
                                      resulting
                                      simulated system that can behave
                                      the same.<span> 
                                      </span></span></p>
                                </div>
                              </blockquote>
                              <div><br>
                              </div>
                              <div>Which is funny, since you clearly
                                didn't get it, even in this simplified
                                handheld case. </div>
                              <div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div> </div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">All
                                        of these millions of voxel
                                        neurons are sending their
                                        color neurotransmitters to the
                                        single large ‘binding’ neuron.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">This
                                        single large binding neuron is a
                                        very complicated
                                        system, as it enables all these
                                        isolated color voxel elements to
                                        be bound
                                        together into one unified
                                        phenomenal experience.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">In other
                                        words, it is doing lots more
                                        than
                                        just sending the signal that
                                        this red thing is the one we
                                        want.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">It is
                                        also aware </span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>HOW is it "aware" of anything. It is
                                just one neuron. How does it "represent"
                                this awareness internally? Yes it GETs
                                one transmitter or another as input, but
                                how does it INTERNALLY represent all
                                these things that you claim that this
                                one neuron is "aware" of?</div>
                              <div>
                                <div> </div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">of
                                        the qualitative nature of
                                        this knowledge and all of their
                                        differences and qualitative
                                        diversity, and enables the
                                        system to talk about and think
                                        about all this phenomenal
                                        diversity.</span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>
                                How does it experience phenomenal
                                anything, when its internal state is
                                ONLY impacted by the CAUSAL properties
                                of <font color="#ff0000">glutamate </font>or
                                <font color="#00ff00">dopamine</font>? </div>
                              <div>
                                <div>
                                  <br>
                                </div>
                                <div> </div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">So,
                                        the first neuron we want to
                                        transmigrate is of course
                                        the sample pixel neuron.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">Obviously,
since
                                        the binding neuron is like a
                                        high fidelity </span><b
                                        style="font-size:12pt"><span
                                          style="color:red">glutamate</span></b><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">
                                        detector, nothing but real
                                      </span><b style="font-size:12pt"><span
                                          style="color:red">glutamate</span></b><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">
                                        will make it say, “yes that is
                                        qualitatively the same as the
                                        reference pixel”,
                                        because of the fact that it has
                                        the causal properties of
                                        redness.</span><br>
                                    </p>
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt"></span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>With you so far....</div>
                              <div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div> </div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">The
                                        dancing quale case is quite
                                        simple, because we want to
                                        replace a pixel neuron firing
                                        with </span><b
                                        style="font-size:12pt"><span
                                          style="color:red">glutamate</span></b><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">, with
                                        one that is firing with </span><b
                                        style="font-size:12pt"><span
                                          style="color:rgb(0,176,80)">dopamine</span></b><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">.
                                      </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt"> </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">Or, if
                                        you are a functionalist, you
                                        will
                                        be replacing the “functional
                                        isomorph” or “functionally
                                        active patter” that has
                                        the causal properties of redness
                                        with a “functional isomorph”
                                        that has the causal
                                        properties of a greenness
                                        quality.</span><br>
                                    </p>
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt"> </span></p>
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">The
                                        transmigration process describes
                                        providing a transducer,
                                        which when it detects something
                                        with a greenness property, sends
                                        real <b><span style="color:red">glutamate</span></b>
                                        to the binding neuron, so the
                                        binding neuron can say: yes that
                                        has a redness
                                        quality.</span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>Yes. Again, with you so far. You now
                                have a neuron with dopamine, that causes
                                your binding neuron to think it is
                                seeing glutamate, through a translation
                                (intperpretation) layer, that replaces
                                the dopamine with glutamate for the
                                binding neuron... excellent. </div>
                              <div><br>
                              </div>
                              <div><br>
                              </div>
                              <div>But where you fail to take the leap,
                                is when you replace the proposed binding
                                neuron itself. Then, the middleware
                                translation layer can disappear, and you
                                can invert the outputs of the binding
                                neuron itself instead. That is where
                                your example falls down. You don't think
                                carefully enough about what happens when
                                you replace your theoretical "binding"
                                neuron itself with a simulation, or with
                                an inverted system. If you do that, then
                                you have a binding neuron, that is
                                experiencing <font color="#00ff00">dopamine</font>,
                                but that causes you to ACT as if the
                                original binding neuron had seen <font
                                  color="#ff0000">glutamate</font>. </div>
                              <div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div> </div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt"> I</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">n the
                                        fading quale case, we are going
                                        to use a binary “1”
                                        to represent </span><b
                                        style="font-size:12pt"><span
                                          style="color:red">glutamate</span></b><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">,
                                        and a “0” to represent </span><b
                                        style="font-size:12pt"><span
                                          style="color:rgb(0,176,80)">dopamine</span></b><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt"> 
                                      </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">Functionalists
                                        tend to miss a particular fact
                                        that they must pay close
                                        attention
                                        to here.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">You must
                                        be very clear about
                                        the fact that this “1” which is
                                        representing something that is a
                                        “functional
                                        isomorph” by definition does not
                                        have the same quality the
                                        “functional isomorh”
                                        has.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">The “1”
                                        is only something being
                                        interpreted as abstracted
                                        information, which in turn can
                                        be interpreted as
                                        representing the </span><b
                                        style="font-size:12pt"><span
                                          style="color:red">glutamate</span></b><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">, or the
                                        functionally isomorphic pattern
                                        or whatever
                                        it is that actually has the
                                        redness quality.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt"> 
                                      </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">Obviously,
                                        the transduction layer in this
                                        case, must be something for
                                        which no matter what it is that
                                        is representing the one as
                                        input, when it sees
                                        this “1” it produces real
                                        glutamate, so the binding neuron
                                        will give the signal:
                                        “yes that has a redness
                                        quality”.</span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>Again, correct when you simulate (and
                                appropriately translate) the behavior of
                                the sample neuron. You do this part
                                right. </div>
                              <div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div> </div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">OK,
                                        so now that the sample neuron
                                        has been replaced, and we
                                        can switch back and forth
                                        between them with no change, we
                                        can now move on to
                                        the binding neuron.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">But keep
                                        in mind
                                        that this one sample neuron
                                        could be expanded to include
                                        millions of 3D voxel
                                        elements.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">All of
                                        them are firing with
                                        diverse sets of
                                        neurotransmitters which can be
                                        mapped to every possible color
                                        we can experience.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">And keep
                                        in mind the
                                        big job this binding neuron has
                                        to do, to bind all this, so it
                                        call all be
                                        experienced, qualitatively, at
                                        the same time.</span><br>
                                    </p>
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt"> </span></p>
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">In
                                        the dancing quale case, we now
                                        have to provide the transduction
                                        between the reference neuron,
                                        which is still firing with <b><span
                                            style="color:red">glutamate</span></b>,
                                        with something that
                                        converts this to <b><span
                                            style="color:rgb(0,176,80)">dopamine</span></b>.<span> 
                                        </span>So, when
                                        the system sees <b><span
                                            style="color:rgb(0,176,80)">dopamine</span></b>
                                        on both sample, and the
                                        reference, it is going to
                                        finally say: “Yes, these are
                                        qualitatively the same” and it
                                        should finally be blatantly
                                        obvious to everyone,
                                        how different this system is
                                        when we switch them back and
                                        forth, and even
                                        though some naive person may be
                                        tempted to believe both of the
                                        “yes they are the
                                        same”, before and after the
                                        switch, are talking about ‘red’
                                        knowledge.</span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>No Brent, it's not obvious at all,
                                and this is where you make your most
                                obvious mistake. </div>
                              <div><br>
                              </div>
                              <div>Let me see if I can break this down
                                for you. Here are the neurons you have:<br>
                                <br>
                                Sample<br>
                                Reference<br>
                                Binding<br>
                                Downsream (where downstream refers to
                                the neurons that the binding neuron
                                talks to, and tells about its
                                experiences). <br>
                                <br>
                                The connections between these neurons
                                are as follows:<br>
                                <br>
                                S:B sample to binding<br>
                                R:B reference to binding<br>
                                B:D binding to downstream...<br>
                                <br>
                                Ok, so, you started inverting things,
                                and you inverted the sample. You had to
                                then translate between S:B, obviously,
                                so that B still got glutamate instead of
                                dopamine. The pattern here, is that you
                                must translate between every inverted
                                neuron, and every neuron it talks to.<br>
                                <br>
                                Next, you propose inverting the binding
                                neuron. But what you seem to have missed
                                is that when you do that, you have to
                                translate between the inverted parts,
                                and the non inverted parts.<br>
                                <br>
                                Sample (inverted)<br>
                                Reference (inverted)<br>
                                Binding<br>
                                Downsream (where downstream refers to
                                the neurons that the binding neuron
                                talks to, and tells about its
                                experiences). <br>
                              </div>
                              <div><br>
                              </div>
                              <div>S:B sample to binding (must be
                                translated)<br>
                                R:B reference to binding (can be left
                                alone)<br>
                                B:D binding to downstream... (must be
                                translated)<br>
                              </div>
                              <div><br>
                              </div>
                              <div>NOW, it's not at ALL obvious that the
                                individual actually experiences anything
                                different, after all, because of the
                                translation between the binding neuron
                                and the downstream neurons, the person
                                SAYS that their experiences haven't
                                changed at all. But you are proposing
                                that their experiences really HAVE
                                changed... thus, you are proposing a
                                theory that results in epiphenomenal
                                qualia, whether you know it or not. </div>
                              <div>
                                <div> </div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">The
                                        fading quale case is similar.</span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">  </span><span
                                        style="font-size:12pt">There is
                                        a “1” present on both the sample
                                        and
                                        now on the reference, thanks to
                                        a new transduction layer between
                                        the pixel
                                        producing real glutamate, which
                                        enables the virtual neuron to
                                        send a signal
                                        that can be thought of as “these
                                        are qualitatively the same” even
                                        though
                                        everyone should be clear that
                                        this is just a lie, or at best
                                        an incorrect interpretation
                                        of what the signal really
                                        qualitatively means.</span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>Ummm, no... let's let blue = natural,
                                and black = simulated/translated.<br>
                                <br>
                                Step 1, no simulation:<br>
                                <br>
                                <div>
                                  <span
                                    style="background-color:rgb(243,243,243)"><font
                                      color="#0000ff">Sample <br>
                                      Reference <br>
                                      Binding<br>
                                      Downsream </font></span><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><font color="#0000ff"><br>
                                  </font></div>
                                <div><font color="#0000ff">S:B sample to
                                    binding<br>
                                    R:B reference to binding <br>
                                    B:D binding to downstream... </font><br>
                                  <br>
                                  Step 2, simulate sample neuron:<br>
                                  <br>
                                  <div>Sample (simulated)<br>
                                    <font color="#0000ff">Reference <br>
                                      Binding<br>
                                      Downsream <br>
                                    </font></div>
                                  <div><font color="#0000ff"><br>
                                    </font></div>
                                  <div><font color="#000000">S:B
                                      (translated)<br>
                                    </font><font color="#0000ff">R:B </font><br>
                                    <font color="#0000ff">B:D </font></div>
                                </div>
                                <br>
                              </div>
                              <div>The translation at this point is
                                simple, when the S sends a <font
                                  color="#ff0000">1</font>, the
                                translation sends <font color="#ff0000">glutamate
                                </font>to B, when S sends a <font
                                  color="#00ff00">0</font>, the
                                translation layer sends <font
                                  color="#00ff00">dopamine </font>to B.
                                So far so good, right? B behaves JUST as
                                it did before, because it is unaware of
                                the simulation happening downstream, so
                                it sends all the same signals
                                upstream... with me so far?<br>
                                <br>
                                Ok, so,now, let's simulate S and B, ok?<br>
                                <br>
                                Step 3, simulate Sample and Binding
                                Neurons.<br>
                                <br>
                                <div>Sample (simulated)<br>
                                  <font color="#0000ff">Reference </font><br>
                                  <font color="#000000">Binding</font><br>
                                  <font color="#0000ff">Downsream </font><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><font color="#0000ff"><br>
                                  </font></div>
                                <div><font color="#000000">S:B (un
                                    translated, but simulated)<br>
                                    R:B (translated)<br>
                                    B:D (translated)</font></div>
                              </div>
                              <div><br>
                              </div>
                              <div>Now, notice, that the S:B link is no
                                longer translated, it is just simulated
                                such that the simulation of B does the
                                right thing depending on what S was. But
                                the R:B link must be translated. This
                                translation goes much like the S:B link
                                did when we simulated S. But now the
                                natural neuron is on the other side of
                                the translation, so it simply goes the
                                other direction. When the R neuron sends
                                <font color="#ff0000">glutamate </font>to
                                B, a detector detects the <font
                                  color="#ff0000">glutamate</font>, and
                                sends a <font color="#ff0000">1</font>
                                to the simulated B, which then behaves
                                (in simulation) just as it would if it
                                had seen real <font color="#ff0000">glutamate</font>.
                                When the R neuron tries to send <font
                                  color="#00ff00">dopamine </font>to B,
                                a detector picks up the <font
                                  color="#00ff00">dopamine</font>, and
                                sends a <font color="#00ff00">0</font>
                                to the simulated B, which then behaves
                                (in simulation) exactly like the natural
                                B would have if it had seen real <font
                                  color="#00ff00">dopamine </font>coming
                                from R. All that is left is to describe
                                the B:D simulation layer, which is hard
                                to do since you didn't describe how B
                                talks downstream, but however it does
                                it, you simulate what it does, and then
                                translate, so all the downstream neurons
                                see the same real neurotransmitters that
                                they saw before. <br>
                                <br>
                                Now, if you simulated R too, you end up
                                with a system with no glutamate or
                                dopamine in this part of the system, but
                                that CLAIMS to still be experiencing
                                qualia, and why? Because the downstream
                                neurons all behave exactly as they did
                                before the swap. <br>
                                <br>
                                Now, if we assume MPD is true, then we
                                have a problem, because this new system
                                should have no real qualia, but it
                                CLAIMS that it is experiencing real
                                qualia the entire time, as its neurons
                                were slowly replaced with simulations.
                                And the result is a theory where the
                                qualia is epiphenomenal.<br>
                                <br>
                                Thus, MPD is dead. </div>
                              <div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <blockquote class="gmail_quote"
                                  style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
                                  <div dir="ltr">
                                    <p><span style="font-size:12pt">So,
                                        please return and report, and
                                        let me know if I can fall
                                        to my knees and weep yet?</span></p>
                                  </div>
                                </blockquote>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                                <div><br>
                                </div>
                              </div>
                              <div>I sincerely hope so. I hope that you
                                have finally got it. </div>
                              <span><font color="#888888">
                                  <div><br>
                                  </div>
                                  <div>
                                    James</div>
                                  <div><br>
                                  </div>
                                </font></span></div>
                            <span><font color="#888888">-- <br>
                                Web: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                                  href="http://james.jlcarroll.net"
                                  target="_blank">http://james.jlcarroll.net</a>
                              </font></span></div>
                        </div>
                      </blockquote>
                    </div>
                  </div>
                </div>
                <br>
              </div>
            </blockquote>
          </div>
          <br>
          <br clear="all">
          <div><br>
          </div>
          -- <br>
          Web: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="http://james.jlcarroll.net" target="_blank">http://james.jlcarroll.net</a>
        </div>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
  </body>
</html>