Apathy

+-----------[Computational consciousness issue - 04/19/2000]-=-- | I've been in over my head before, and it hasn't stopped me | self yet. This one looks like quicksand, though; grab hold of | reference that branch before you plunge in. Nerd stuff ahead! | | [So you want to be a robot queen]-=-- | Please see this relevant Toadex Hobogrammathon submission: | | "plz to betsy I mean Ignore thirdy wipers, let us be | wipers of pies, schmock schmock!" | | I hereby solemnly swear that I am sober and of clean mind. | Chemically. | | /--/-----[Begin the regression]-=-- | My original intent was to group together links relating | summary: I computational self-reflection, recursion, or duplication | collected to consciousness. As the following addle-brained lumps | some links will convey, I have somewhat succeeded, and somewhat | and here failed. I will come back and read all these books and | they are articles that I do not understand now at some later date, | and perhaps then a narrative will coalesce. But for now, | this is an unfinished pile of rambling. You were warned, | but then that's what you expect by now, right? | | ... + | | Nothing particularly AI-centric, although this formal | reference is a good starting point; I am concentrating | more on what happens when machines become self-aware. It | seems to me that their experience, if the camel's back | breaks, will appear quite different than the "human" | awareness I feel I have. | | Anyway, what pushed me in? This capsule info on operating | systems leads oddly in, as the same site holds a | tremendous computational reflection static log. This has | got nothing to do with mirror trickery. Or does it? | | [First I might need some logic]-=-- | Factasia Logic [frames], my one stop shop for all things | all sites logic, needs little introduction. Logical Revolutions, | should be Past and Future is only one of the interesting papers to | like this be found there. See the AI section for more. | | [Then I will pause to stare at the scenery]-=-- | Machine self-reference page with robot illustration! | | [What is known about the brain?]-=-- | This came up at work recently, and some kind person | reflogs dropped it in my reflog. Shufflebrain: How does a brain | rule store a mind? | | /--/------------[Two web books]-=-- | Around Gödel's Theorem, on online book about -- you | guessed it -- Gödel's theorem. | Best section: Is Mathematics "Creative"? | | Also need to set aside some time to read Peter Suber's The | Paradox of Self-Amendment. Online books are neat! | | | +----------------------------/--/-----------[Ripped, part 1]-=-- | Time is well spent in Doctaaar Chess's archive rummaging | through for the consciousness chunks. Here's one: | | Hard Problem: Can it be argued that consciousness doesn't | even exist or can't be proven? Why, yes it can. Better | commentary on this someday, I swear. | | The main Problems of Consciousness section explores the | basic logistics behind all the raging philosophical | warfare around consciousness. | | | +----------------------------/--/-----------[Ripped, part 2]-=-- | Some amazing things linked in Abuddas Memes lately. | abuddas Usually I cannot grasp most of what happens there, which | is the sign of a quality log. A little while back, the | author romped through much of the same pastures I would | also like to tromp through. | | Quanta and Consciousness has the essential web feel to it. | Truly tons of information here, and I have hit several of | the sub-pages in my queries. | | Can Consciousness Be Approached Scientifically? is a good | question with a fair linklist to back it up. | | Bruce MacLennan's The Elements of Consciousness and Their | Neurodynamical Correlates. Quite the title. This deals | with the aforementioned "hard problem" -- adjusting the | scientific worldview and our views of everyday | consciousness to mesh together. The author puts together | some fantastic analogies, which have really cleared some | corners for me. | | The Origins of Selves traces the path of the individual | self from Descartes through modern-day analysis of | multiple personality disorder. | | +----------------------------/--/--------------[return (0);]-=-- | Perhaps, the likely outcome will turn into a combined | epiphany; organic and machine, carbon and electricity, no | longer at odds. | | Stretch toward the light, my robot friends. | | Grow with the power of reflection. | the end | | +-------------------------[Tangents possible for the future]-=-- | Machine functionalism | Fuzzy logic | | +----------------------------/--/-----[Disconnected chatter]-=-- | "Computers are an extension of my own stupidity." | | "Just imagine you are a dog." | | "Computers are an extension of my admittedly impressive | collection of material goods." | | "pondering the uncomfortable" | | "Computers are an extension of my heart." | | More of that non-conversation here for now. | | | | Last week of log. It was fun, or something. | | +----------------------------/--/----------------------------=-- Back to top +----------------------------/--/-------------[Older things]-=-- | This is the hand/drawn listing. Full pita listing. | | silly queries: How not to find this page | /// useless sky: Staring at old links | / legos and robots: Designing electrical nonsense | / grid puzzles: Waste time with boxes + their brethren | / chip music: Listen to the sound of the FUUUUUTURE | / lewis carroll: Charles dodgson wrote some happy tales | / opinionation: How do you do, capitalism? how do you? | //////// defunct rock: Eventually all things die | // ascii games: To quote salon, @ - you are here | / voicemail: Automated telephone systems | / bach and tone: The endlessly rising canon of links | / eigenspace: Eigen wha? | /// | +----------------------------/--/----------------------------=-- +----------------------------/--/--------[Possible tangents]-=-- | Feel free to suggest or help out. | | occam's razor: computational reflection | vinyl stuffing: the long playing past | bad art: clean up old gallery | demoart: art disks, ansi conversion, zoomscopes | team battles: the packet wars | WFMU hunt: scavenge a radio site | collage: photographic and non-digital | stupid cartoons: sg, c+c, r+s, brak | buddies: personal perception and the net | pita wrapper: perl posting app for pitas | | +----------------------------/--/----------------------------=-- The link section has been disabled until I can come up with something more interesting. Please feel free to try the portal if desperate for escape. Also, the mp3 portion of my babbling is gone. If you hunger for music, please visit mt and let me know. +----------------------------/--/---[Explanation in C minor]-=-- | This is the log of a faceless entity. I wander around the | web, and point out what are most likely completely useless | things for you to visit. If you know me in real life, | then you will probably hate this. Where I have been, what | I learned there, and what I plan to figure out in the | future. Ahh, the healing power of links. | | Technically this is a "web log". You can find many more | of these in the links section, but if none fit your tastes | you can always follow the monkey and get an easily updated | site with Pitas. | | /--/---------------[Disclaimer]-=-- | There are no guarantees. This site is not affiliated with | anything else I do. If you have been linked or mentioned | and would like to be removed, just let me know. Stop | looking at me like that. | | /--/------------------[Contact]-=-- | D Fitch dgfitch@yahoo.com ICQ:363803 AOL:dguyfitch | | +----------------------------/--/----------------------------=-- Back to top