Agreed, and computers are being constantly programmed to make choices. I
would consider any computer that can play a game of chess a computer capable
of choosing. Especially if I make the computer play white. Better yet, make
the computer play itself.
As neural networks become better understood, we'll have computers capable of
'simulated thinking'. As the brain and its complexities are explored, we
find that building a computer capable of producing a similar network as the
brain is not that far off. See
http://access.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Briefs/00Briefs/000215.DIMACS.html
-Steve
Wombat McClain
Wombat@sinewave.com
People will do anything to better themselves other than work at it.
----- Original Message -----
From: Horse <horse@wasted.demon.nl>
To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2000 4:36 PM
Subject: MD Computer Choice
> Salutations MoQers and heretics alike :)
>
> COMPUTERS DON'T MAKE CHOICES!!!!!!
>
> Hmm! Really? That's news to me. Especially as I spent several hours today
(and the last
> several weeks) writing and debugging a program to enable a computer to do
exactly that.
>
> It's true that computers don't make choices in the same way that humans
make choices or
> cats make choices. But there's a damned good reason for that.
> A computer isn't a cat or a human.
>
> You have to consider the notion of computer choice in the context of
computer environment.
> A programmer creates a piece of code in order to enable a computer to
branch to a
> particular action given certain stimuli. Sure, the outcome is
"deterministic" in one sense but
> not necessarily predictable.The future state of the world is not known nor
is it knowable until
> it has become the past state of the world.
> You also have to consider the software as separate and radically different
from the hardware
> (Chapter 12 Lila) and a number of other relevant details such as when you
refer to a
> "computer" do you mean a PC or a Mac, an embedded system, the firmware,
the software
> or what?????
>
> Probably the best (IMO) examples of the type of computer code that make
human-like
> choices are to be found in the field of Artificial Life (AL). Have a look
at work of Rodney
> Brookes at MIT.
>
> One other thing to remember in denying that computers can choose is that
it is a basic
> principle of the MoQ that even a lowly atom can choose and experience the
world.
>
> Horse
>
>
>
>
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>
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