[Wittrs] Re: How mind works
- From: "SWM" <SWMirsky@xxxxxxx>
- To: wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:56:31 -0000
--- In Wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Sean Wilson <whoooo26505@...> wrote:
>
>
>How does Data in Star Trek really know he is an artificial intelligence? Is it
>only because of his programming? For it seems that he cannot ever truly know
>that; he can only recite whatever the programming says. I mean, imagine two
>Datas. One is programmed to believe it is an artificial intelligence and one
>is programmed to believe he is "real." How would the set-real data ever come
>to know that it was not "real?" That seems to require more than mirrored
>co-processing. I mean, you'd have to have an existential moment. Or you'd have
>to have a logical flaw (my programming is wrong?).
>
> Of course, in these stupid shows, the scifi isn't done well. So you really
> can't even consider the matter.
>
>
How do we ever really know we are what we are? Would a synthetic consciousness
contraption need to have more reason to feel certain about the answers to such
questions than we do? Would it matter if he/she/it did?
Actually I think Star Trek: The Next Generation did rather a good job of it
with the Data character. On the other hand I never thought they had it right on
transporters, the idea of universal translators converting everyone's speech to
English, alien body forms or the implications of space travel. But then you
can't have everything and the philosophical depth of some of their stories
(especially in the later episodes) was quite good.
SWM
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