Re: qualia

GBurch1@aol.com
Thu, 2 Dec 1999 10:37:36 EST

In a message dated 12/2/99 9:34:54 AM Central Standard Time, rhanson@gmu.edu writes: 

> But it is not that easy to objectively decide

> which things in the universe are "computers," nor to decide
> which programs if run would "feel." Even rocks compute
> something.

Have you read Moravec's "Robot"? The last part of his book trips out into just this very question.

(Somebody stop me! I'm posting in a "qualia" thread!) 

     Greg Burch     <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
      Attorney  :::  Vice President, Extropy Institute  :::  Wilderness Guide
      http://users.aol.com/gburch1   -or-   http://members.aol.com/gburch1
        "We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know 
        enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another    
       question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species."
                                                -- Desmond Morris