From: Gregory Houston (vertigo@triberian.com)
Date: Mon Mar 31 1997 - 18:05:30 MST
Michael Lorrey wrote:
> With all due respect Greg, I think that you have a bit of denial here as
> to what Alife feels. Since we are simulating creatures of instinct,
> which react to stimuli, then, Alife has really no distinction from
> biolife.
A computer cannot say something feels good in the way I can say such. It
can analyze data inputted to it and come to the purely abstract
conclusion that according to all its data this incoming data should be
considered a "good" feeling. But it is not feeling the data. It is just
running subroutines and more subroutines. All the computer has done is
label the data. It has given the data a name and that is it. The
computer can then be programmed to blow bells and whistles but the
computer will in no way ENJOY blowing bells and whistles. It just does
it. There is no way I could scare my computer, there is no way I could
anger my computer, there is no way I could embarass my computer, there
is no way I can give my computer pleasure or pain, no matter what data I
send it or in what fashion I handle it. How is this so difficult to
understand?
> Animals merely react to input via sensory nerves as pre
> programmed by evolved instincts.
This is not true. There is this thing called training or learning which
allows us to modify our programming.
> A-Greg will debate with Greg over who is real
> and who is not real......
Sure, we will be able to debate all day long. I will be emotively
affected by the debate and A-Greg will not be.
--
Gregory Houston Triberian Institute of Emotive Education
vertigo@triberian.com http://www.triberian.com
phone: 816.561.1524 info@triberian.com
cellular: 816.807.6660 snail: PO Box 32046 Kansas City MO 64171
"Empowered, impassioned, we have a lust for life insatiable!"
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