From: Jacob Costello (abbot@alecto.physics.uiuc.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 12 1996 - 12:42:45 MST
hat we can not be run on a
> > Turing Machine then I would abandon my interest in Science and Mathematics
> > and become a Holly Roller. It would be the only logical thing to do.
>
> If somebody proved that consciousness required temporal or physical
> continuity as opposed to a discrete binary architecture, why would this
> have any religious implications?
>
I'm not sure if this is a formal result or not, but it seems like
any continuous system can be simulated to arbitrary accuracy by a Turing
machine with adequate memory (in theory.)
Of course it not possible in practice, but that's not relevant to the
question here. If there were some sort of difference as far as consciousness
goes between a continuous system and an arbitrarily accurate simulation of that
system, then one has reason to question one's computational view of mind.
> --
> sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
> http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/singularity.html
> http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/algernon.html
> Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
> everything I think I know.
>
>
jake costello
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