Hi, Dave, 

 

So the same may be said of brains, right?  Brain’s don’t behave.  

 

Where are you going with this?  

 

N

 

Nicholas Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology

Clark University

 <mailto:thompnicks...@gmail.com> thompnicks...@gmail.com

 <https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/> 
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/

 

 

From: Friam <friam-boun...@redfish.com> On Behalf Of Prof David West
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2020 5:27 AM
To: friam@redfish.com
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Warring Darwinians for Glen, Steve

 

Allow Nick to say "a computer behaves as if it is thinking, therefore it is 
thinking."

 

How does a computer behave? Or, what is a computer's behavior? I am looking at 
my computer - actually four of them (iPhone, tablet, laptop, and desktop) and 
the only behavior I see any of them exhibiting is precisely identical to the 
behavior of the glass paperweight that also occupies space on my desk.

 

What is this thinking behavior y'all are ascribing to the computer? Am I the 
only one that cannot see it?

 

davew

 

 

On Mon, May 4, 2020, at 9:34 PM, thompnicks...@gmail.com 
<mailto:thompnicks...@gmail.com>  wrote:

Yup.  That’s what he would say.  What persuades you that a super competent 
computer can’t think?  Can a dog think?  How would a Martian convince you that 
it (he, she) can think? 

 

Nick

 

Nicholas Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology

Clark University

 <mailto:thompnicks...@gmail.com> thompnicks...@gmail.com

 <https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/> 
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/

 

 

 

From: Friam <friam-boun...@redfish.com <mailto:friam-boun...@redfish.com> > On 
Behalf Of Frank Wimberly

Sent: Monday, May 4, 2020 9:08 PM

To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <friam@redfish.com 
<mailto:friam@redfish.com> >

Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Warring Darwinians for Glen, Steve

 

Maybe I missed something that makes this redundant but if a highschool student 
asked me what the hard problem is I would say:  There appears to be no limit to 
how competent computers can be.  They seem to be able to do just about anything 
that people think requires thought.  But I am persuaded that they can't think.  
What makes the difference between thinking people and hypercompetent computers? 

 

Nick would say if it behaves as if it thinks then it thinks.  I think.

 

Frank

 

On Mon, May 4, 2020 at 7:50 PM Steven A Smith <sasm...@swcp.com 
<mailto:sasm...@swcp.com> > wrote:

I thought this was a support group for recovering (or just

self-indulgent) metaphorists... you mean it's not?   Why do I feel like

I'm in a scene from "Fight Club"?   I guess that would make me more of

an allegorist?

 

> Is it? You people can't help yourselves. It's compulsive. You might want to 
> get some help for that.

> 

> On 5/4/20 10:47 AM, Frank Wimberly wrote:

>> Choosing one's rifle is so concrete.  It makes me want to run out and blow 
>> away a few cacti.  Oh, it's a metaphor!

 

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--

Frank Wimberly

140 Calle Ojo Feliz

Santa Fe, NM 87505

505 670-9918

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