What, Why & How do we Know ?
[HOLD – Stub only …] Yesterday Philip Ball posted this quip: And today’s demonstration that cells are not machines is… https://t.co/KZLbGKhE6B — Philip Ball (@philipcball) February 16, 2023 And then this was liked by Kevin Mitchell: all talk of “AI becoming conscious” is either based on a complete misunderstanding of AI (and consciousness) or pure … Continue reading “Computing Machines?”
Another informal chat from Michael Levin. (These are very good and this is a good one.) Chirality (asymmetry / handedness) from individual biochemistry and cells scaled-up to organs and anatomy- bio-electrical gradients – but sounds very bottom-up mechanistic / reductivist? Yes, much more, part of the “space” in which development happens. Palpation – in slime-moulds … Continue reading “McGilchrist-Levin Dialogue”
Mentioned very recently – this Solms / Fields / Levin discussion – that Chris Fields is someone I don’t really know much about, but keeps cropping-up in significant references. (Particularly with Levenchuk and AII.) [Note: this post is a stub to which I’m adding thoughts as I read and listen …] This paper … :- … Continue reading “Chris Fields et al”
[UPDATED 21-Dec-2022] I’ve often referred to Dan Dennett as my “hero” when it comes to philosophy and as a consequence I find myself defending his ideas against those that quote the errors of his (1991) “Consciousness Explained”. Even I have dubbed that work “Consciousness (Not) Explained”. As it happens I’m always looking towards – seeking … Continue reading “Under No Illusion”
I’m reading this recent (2021) paper by Dan Dennett -“The User Illusion of Consciousness” because it’s the one where he makes very positive reference to the work of Mark Solms. Or rather, I’m reading it today because I have again been struggling elsewhere with arguments from people who dismiss Dennett as a determinist/compatibilist who sees … Continue reading “Information Processing Illusion?”
Iain McGilchrist gave a keynote speech to the “AI (Artificial Intelligence) World Summit 2022” in the full plenary session on October 12th in Amsterdam. The Video is available here and the full transcript here for members of Channel McGilchrist. [Can’t embed the Vimeo here.] I thought it significant that Iain chose to redefine “AI” for … Continue reading “McGilchrist & Natural Information Processing”
One of my main agenda items is the demystification of consciousness, in order to make progress on more important and pressing issues for humanity. In fact, the meme “(Unlocking) The Mystery / Secrets of xxxx” is a pet hate – a click-bait meme to sell books, but not to enlighten or solve any problem. Consciousness … Continue reading “The Mystery of Physical / Materialism?”
In a break from writing, one or two pieces in need of reading and listening caught my attention. It’s all related. In an ISSS context there has been some debate between two schools, between many different aspects of systems definition, complex detail for systems of different types in different real-world applications versus abstraction of systems … Continue reading “Systems Connections”