Re: White Rabbits, WAND gates and WACOs

From: George Levy <GLevy.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 22:32:01 -0700

More on White Rabbits.


Here is a thought experiment which attempts to prove the non existence of
White Rabbits and of Black Rabbits.

Definitions:
1) White Rabbits: phenomena that we cannot understand. Their existence
indicates that the set of physical phenomena is larger than the set of ideas
2) Black Rabbits: ideas we can think of but which are not simulatable with
computers based on physical laws. i.e., not implementable on a
analog/digital computer. Their existence indicates that the set of physical
phenomena is smaller than the set of ideas.

Goal
Demonstrate that
    Set(White Rabbits) = 0;
    Set(Black Rabbits) = 0
and thus prove that the mental universe is identical in size to the physical
universe

Assumption:
COMP hypothesis: People thoughts can be simulated by a computer
Converse COMP hypothesis: A computer program can be understood by a person.
(hmmmm....)

Reminder:
Church/Turing Thesis: All algorithmic functions can be simulated by a
computer.
Converse Church Thesis: A computer can only simulate algorithmic functions


Proof:
Let's proceed via absurdum.

1) Let's say there are White Rabbits. Let's be a little more precise and say
that there are devices (a kind of transistor that produces White Rabbits
logic operations: WAND gates. Wonderful! I am an engineer and I'll use one of
these WAND gates in the design of a White Rabbit Computer (WACO) just to fool
the hackers, the CIA, the FBI, the KGB and the IRS. However, since a WACO
can incorporate a WAND gate, so can a person (by the COMP hypothesis). Hence
a person should be capable of generating the same outputs as the WACO and
therefore predict a WACO (unless the White Rabbits device generates a totally
random signal as in QM).

Hence no White Rabbits.


2) Now lets say Black Rabbits exist. It means that I can think of a Black
Rabbit but I can't program one on a computer. (I have done that so many
times!!!! :-) )

By the COMP hypothesis all ideas should be programmable.

Hence no Black Rabbits.

Therefore Mental Universe == Physical Universe

I realize the proof is shaky.... kind of like prestigitation with
rabbits???... but it is a starting point....:-)

George
Received on Thu Jun 21 2001 - 22:34:39 PDT