--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "coulsong2001" <ge...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "PaliGap" <compost1uk@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "coulsong2001" <geoff@> wrote: > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "PaliGap" <compost1uk@> wrote: > > > ... > > > > > > > I don't think the Turing test helps. Barry may look > > > > and act in a way that is indistinguishable from a > > > > regular human being - but the question of whether > > > > there IS such a thing as "being Barry" is a fact about > > > > the world (either true or false) regardless of whether > > > > or not anyone can possibly tell. > > > > > > This is often referred to as the 'zombie' problem. I've just read a book > > > by Susan Blackmore called 'Conversations on Consciousness' (just google > > > it) in which Blackmore interviews a whole bunch of top consciousness > > > researchers. She asks all of them if they think zombies could exist - > > > i.e. she asks if there were a robot that could behave indistinguishably > > > from a person do they think the robot would necessarily be conscious, or > > > would there be "nothing that it was like to be it". > > > > > > The interviewees give a fascinating range of answers to this question (+ > > > other ones). I'd strongly recommend the book. > > > > > > Geoff > > > > > > > Sounds good Geoff. > > > > Am currently reading her "10 Zen Questions". Brilliant in > > some ways. > > > > OTH I can't quite *get* some of the ways she sees some > > things. > > > > Early on she discusses trying to ask yourself the question > > "Am I conscious now?". When you ask yourself that question, > > she says, it feels as though you just suddenly "wake up". > > > > Mmm... is that right? > > > > Seems to me you're lost in something (e.g. typing a post), > > then you ask her magic question, and... > > > > You're just focussed on something else! > > > > (The crazy coot describes how she has all sorts of > > post-it notes with the magic question stuck everywhere > > - on her fridge, in the car, whatever). > > > > "Am I conscious now?" > > > > "Am I conscious now?" > > Ah, I've just bought that book! Looking forward to reading it. > > On the "Am I conscious now?" question, I came across that on Blackmore's > website, and when I try it I have pretty much the same reaction as you. I ask > myself "Am I conscious now?" and I find myself looking around, a bit like > Michael Palin doing the shifty eyes thing, but no particular experience of > "waking up". > > Geoff
;-) Well that's you and me both then - still asleep!
