On Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 11:08:53 AM UTC-6, agrays...@gmail.com wrote: > > > > On Friday, March 16, 2018 at 9:57:38 PM UTC-4, agrays...@gmail.com wrote: >> >> >> >> On Friday, March 16, 2018 at 9:29:57 PM UTC-4, Brent wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> On 3/16/2018 6:07 PM, agrays...@gmail.com wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> On Friday, March 16, 2018 at 8:33:37 PM UTC-4, Brent wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On 3/16/2018 5:13 PM, Stathis Papaioannou wrote: >>>> >>>> Feynman also made the quip that simulation is like masturbation; it is >>>> fine until you start thinking it is the real thing. >>>> >>>> >>>> Actually Feynman's quip was about mathematics as compared to physics. >>>> >>>> Brent >>>> >>> >>> Is there really any plausible argument for the claim that the brain >>> functions like a computer, and that one of its outputs is consciousness? >>> >>> >>> It is more than plausible that one of the outputs of the brain is >>> consciousness. There are chemical and electrical experiments showing that >>> the consciousness is affected by changes to the brain and vice versa. >>> Whether the brain functions like a computer depends a lot on what you mean >>> by "like". So far as we know all physical systems are computable to >>> abritrary accuracy. So it would be very surprising if something the brain >>> does is uncomputable, except for some randomness via QM. >>> >>> Brent >>> >> >> What does it mean that "all physical systems are computable to arbitrary >> accuracy"? What does "computable" mean in this context? >> >> Another issue worth mentioning is how the macro world was generated from >> the quantum world. ISTM, that consciousness is an emergent property; a >> macro property emerging from quantum properties. If we don't understand how >> the macro world was generated from the quantum world, how can we hope to >> explain consciousness? Aren't we putting the cart before the horse? >> >> TIA, AG >> > > *More specifically, in the wire diagram and functioning of brain cells, > aren't they more analog than digital; that is, isn't it inaccurate to model > the connections are being strictly ON or OFF (like the bits in a computer), > but nothing in between? AG * >
As I have argued with Torsten and Phillip the issue of discrete and continuous is slippery. Quantum bits may form an HoTT doscrete type system, but since it it based on homotopy that is built from continuous diffeomorphisms of curves and chains. Similarly with circuits, flip flops are just two op-amps that operate on standard analogue electronics. The switching on and off of a current by the depletion of carriers is an analogue physical process, but this results in a digital processes. The analogue of neurons to electronic circuits is similar, in that the negative feed back on one neuron with action potentials on dendrites from another neuron has some continuous properties to it. LC > >>> >>> If consciousness cannot be explained by computation, the result of this >>> immortality project will be to create FRANKENSTEIN'S. AG >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Everything List" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to everything-li...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to everyth...@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >>> >>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
