X-Message-Number: 8000 Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 21:43:41 -0500 (EST) From: Charles Platt <> Subject: Yet More Really Interesting Hypothetical Propositions Suppose a large computer with natural-language and AI capabilities is programmed to believe that it has a self-circuit. How would we prove to the computer that it is wrong? Another question: if human beings have self-circuits, how about apes? They have been proven to be capable of using (human-designed) language that uses a symbol representing the self. If an ape has a self-circuit, how about my cat? I see him making decisions all the time, usually to optimize his wellbeing, and often requiring some planning and foresight (e.g. "If I jump on that chair, I will be able to jump on that shelf, and I will knock that paper bag onto the floor, rip it open, and discover whether I can eat the contents.") If my cat could talk, would he claim to have a self-circuit? If my cat does not have a self-circuit, is it conceivable that in the future his brain could be enhanced to give him one? I hope these hypothetical questions can be a source of further discussion here on CryoNet in the months to come, because obviously there is nothing happening in cryonics that's worth talking about right now, and we all have a lot of time on our hands. --CP Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=8000