"the (actually explicit) assumption underlying the whole scientific method is that the same causes produces the same results."
That's determinism/inevitabilism and it's only one philosophy of science, if arguably still the major one. [One set of causes produces one set of effects]. There's an alternative philosophy - which is the de facto philosophy of technology - of which AI is a part. That says there are *infinite* sets of causes which can produce any one set of effects. You want to knock over a block of wood on a table? Infinite ways of doing it. You want to program a computer to knock over a block...? Infinite ways of doing it. You want to use your brain to think about knocking over a block....? Infinite ways of doing it.
This philosophy is implicit in the butterfly effect. If a hurricane can be caused by a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil, it can/could equally be caused this time or another time by a humming bird flapping its wings in Africa, or a programmer scratching his balls in Maryland, or a....
Both philosophies are mechanistic. ------------------------------------------- agi Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=8660244&id_secret=117534816-b15a34 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
