Re: Mike Perry's work on self-improving AI

From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Wed Sep 08 1999 - 13:48:23 MDT


Ken Clements wrote,
> William H. Calvin begins chapter 5 of _The Cerebral Code_ with this quote
>from Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche:
>
>"Some people do not become thinkers simply because their memories are too
>good".

William H. Calvin comes as close to heroic insight as any neuroscientist
should. Great writer too.
As for Nietzsche, well... not bad for a syphilitic misanthrope.
(I loved him from the first time I opened _Beyond Good and Evil_, age 13.)

Anyway, the point made by Calvin (and Neitzsche, even though translation may
have altered the meaning somewhat) deserves our consideration in analyzing
how brains think.

Thank you for mentioning this in the context of how selection pressure may
suppress memory in order to enhance problem solving ability (if I remember
correctly).

Live long and prosper.

PS: In case you don't already have it bookmarked:
William Calvin
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~wcalvin/einmag95.html#top
www.williamcalvin.com



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