-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Badger <wbadger@psyberlink.net>
To: extropians@extropy.com <extropians@extropy.com>
Date: 08 January 1999 01:29
Subject: Re: Major Technologies
>Samael wrote:
>
>>>Bryan Moss [bryan.moss@dial.pipex.com] wrote:
>>>>Several months ago I tried to explain my views on Artificial
Intelligence
>>>>without much success, but I shall persist: We all agree that alien
>>>>intelligence would be very different to human intelligence,
>>>
>>>I don't. If there are any sentient aliens of a similar technological
level
>>>to us, I think there's probably enough commonality of experience that
>there
>>>would be less difference between the average human and average alien than
>>>between the average human and the average resident of a mental hospital.
>>>
>>>I may be wrong, but we don't all agree on this.
>>
>>
>>I agree with you. Out intelligence would almost certianly be similar, our
>>emotions, on the other hand, may well be very, very different.
>>
>>Samael
>
>
>Maybe. But why do you presume that cognitive elements are likely to be
>similar while emotional elements are likely to be dissimilar? In the
book,
>Descarte's Error (D'amasio, Antonio, R. (1992) Descarte's Error; Emotion,
>Reason, and the Human), a neuroscientist discusses the pivotal and critical
>role of emotions in effective decision-making. I guess it's possible for
>aliens to have unheard of emotions, but I would expect them to experience
>anger, fear, sadness, joy, and the other basic emotions . . . pretty much
>the same way we do.
More what they would be emotional about. A more pack orientated animal would likely be more socialist, a more independent animal would likely be more libertarian. They may well attach value to different things (At the risk of sounding facetious, take Klingons as an example, a race which believes that honour is the most important part of life) in differentr ways.
Samael