On Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 05:07:30PM -0700, Jason wrote:
>
> To expand on Günther's question: If we equate computational states
> with mind states as COMP assumes, and if this universe is computable,
> would that imply the universe itself can be considered a singular
> mind? I think this is a consistent viewpoint not contradicted by
> experience. Of course I don't know what you, or anyone else is
> experiencing right now but that is only due to a lack of communication
> and accessibility. If you take a normal brain and cut the link
> between hemispheres you create two separate minds, but are they not
> the same mind only limited in transfer of information? What if we
> grafted nerve fibers between two individual's brains so they could
> share thoughts and experiences, two minds can become one via
> communication. Since all particles in this universe are interacting,
> the computational history of a mind must include the whole universe,
> or at least what is in its light cone for a given extent of time. If
> this universe is one mind, then the universal dovetailer would be a
> maximally conscious omega point, conscious of everything that can be
> perceived.
>
> Jason
The situation is surely more subtle. To recognise a physical process
as a computation requires an observer to interpret it as such. One of
the key features of conscious is the ability to recognise a certain
process as self, so that (assuming comp) we can objectively say that
some processes are conscious, because they recognise themselves as
computations. Otherwise computation is just in the eye of the
beholder, and so would consciousness be, which is absurd.
I think it unlikely that the entire universe is conscious.
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile)
Mathematics
UNSW SYDNEY 2052 hpcoder.domain.name.hidden
Australia http://www.hpcoders.com.au
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group.
To post to this group, send email to everything-list.domain.name.hidden
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to everything-list-unsubscribe.domain.name.hidden
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Received on Thu Mar 27 2008 - 21:16:53 PDT