Re: Searle

Brent Allsop (allsop@swttools.fc.hp.com)
Fri, 6 Feb 1998 09:12:40 -0700


Dan Clemmensen <Dan@Clemmensen.ShireNet.com> replied to Max:

> What needs to be added?

Phenomenal qualia that can be put together into powerfully
unified spatial conscious representations of knowledge.

> would continuous analog elements of some sort suffice, or do you
> need quantum effects?

We don't yet know what the sensations we use to represent our
conscious knowledge are. We just know what they are introspectively
like. We don't yet know how these sensations are able to be put or
unified together to build or conscious awareness. We just know that
we can be aware of much of it all simultaneously in a unified
conscious world of phenomenal awareness. We don't know whether these
qualia are based on something analog or quantum or something else
entirely. But one thing is very obvious, red (which we use to
represent 700 nm light, and by the way is nothing like 700 nm light
since it is in our brain) is certainly a lot more (and much more rich
in meaning resulting in our greater intelligence) than some mere non
unified abstract set of bits where it doesn't matter if these bits are
represent by a man in a room reading kanji, holes in paper, or quantim
bits in a quantum computer.

Brent Allsop