Thoughtcrime

Thoughtcrime

Thoughtcrime

Cognition is nothing but computation

Hobbes 1655

Julia and John are talking about the following article:
The Laws of Thought

In this post the dialogue is realised by an interaction of virtual characters, for more information please check the page “Virtual characters

Julia

Hi John, I’m back! 😊                                                                         

Today 17:08

John

Ok, great! What did you find out?😊

Today 17:09   

Julia

On the lowest levels where data comes in and is processed, the material implementation does matter a lot and very directly

Today 17:09

Julia

but on higher levels of abstraction, it matters less, except in a general sense, constraining processing speed and memory size

Today 17:09

John

And what is your conclusion about what to include in the article then?

Today 17:10   

Julia

I think I agree with you that we don’t need to go back all the way to the mythological era

Today 17:11

John

But?

Today 17:11  

Julia

well, I suppose it does make sense to include something about the history of psychology

Today 17:12

John

Aha, and why would that be? 

Today 17:13   

Julia

Both Cho and Sam mentioned “the rules of thinking” and “the laws of thought”, isn’t that what we should be looking at?

Today 17:14

John

Maybe, but the article is about AI, not human psychology …

Today 17:14   

Julia

And yet human intelligence is the only intelligence we really know, more or less

Today 17:15

Julia

So where do we get the “intelligence” part from, if not ourselves?

Today 17:15

John

Hmmm, I see what you mean. So then we need a section on how we discovered our own laws of thought and then put them in a machine?

Today 17:15   

Julia

Exactly! That was what I was getting at! 😅                                  

Today 17:16

John

OK, I do think that makes sense. Then we can’t just talk about computer technology since the 1950s, I guess

Today 17:17   

Julia

No indeed, we should go back at least to the 19th century       

Today 17:18

John

Works for me! But we still have a word limit to observe, so we should be quite selective

Today 17:18 

Julia

I’ll get right on that, no problem! 😉                                              

Today 17:19

John

Thank you so much for your help! 😊

Today 17:20 

… Continue reading our conversations that are posted every Saturday …

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Fire All Neurons!

Mechanical analog computers had their origins in Naval Gunnery in World War I […] mechanical analog computers remained of considerable military importance certainly until well into the 1960s and have only been superseded by digital computing systems in the 1970s.

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Human Intelligence: Copy / Paste

Human Intelligence: Copy / Paste

Human Intelligence: Copy / Paste

Every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it.
An attempt will be made to find how to make machines use language, form abstractions and concepts, solve kinds of problems now reserved for humans, and improve themselves

Dartmouth AI summer research project 1955

Julia and John are talking about the following article:
A Proposal for the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence

In this post the dialogue is realised by an interaction of virtual characters, for more information please check the page “Virtual characters

Julia

So I got the outline, and I’m wondering whether we shouldn’t expand it a bit

Today 17:08

Julia

maybe just for the intro, show how old some this stuff is 😊            

Today 17:08

John

Ok, what did you have in mind? 😊

Today 17:09   

Julia

Well, I do get that actual AI is quite recent, but the idea of making an artificial human isn’t …

Today 17:09

John

Ah, I think I see what you mean …

Today 17:10   

Julia

Remember the stuff about the ancient greek vending machine?      

Today 17:11

John

Sure do, I totally did not know the idea was so old! 😄

Today 17:11  

Julia

There’s a lot of mythology having to do with making humans, like the golem or Brazen Heads

Today 17:12

John

But how would that be relevant to what we’re doing? 🤔

Today 17:13   

Julia

Well, those ideas did get people wondering about what makes them think, and what makes them tick

Today 17:14

John

Sure, sure, but … AI?

Today 17:14   

Julia

AI started out as the idea of copying how a human works, simulating humans, so this seems relevant

Today 17:15

John

Maybe, but shouldn’t we concentrate on the psychological side then?

Today 17:15   

John

like the research of Newell, Shaw, and Simon. I think Sam mentioned them to me.

Today 17:16   

Julia

Maybe, but don’t we also need to know about the thing performing the rules and algorithms?

Today 17:16

John

I see what you’re getting at: if engineers started by copying the human hardware, well, “wetware” …

Today 17:17   

Julia

Yes! But I guess you’re right that we should focus on rules and algorithms

Today 17:18

John

Perhaps it would help if you ask Cho and Sam for feedback on this?

Today 17:18 

Julia

Good one! I’ll do that and then get back to you 😉                              

Today 17:19

… Continue reading our conversations that are posted every Saturday …

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Fire All Neurons!

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Mechanical analog computers had their origins in Naval Gunnery in World War I […] mechanical analog computers remained of considerable military importance certainly until well into the 1960s and have only been superseded by digital computing systems in the 1970s.

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Backward Thinking

Backward Thinking

Backward Thinking

Artificial intelligence belongs in the history of human intelligence

Dick (2019) “Artificial Intelligence”
in Harvard Data Science Review

Julia and John are talking about the following article:
Artificial Intelligence

In this post the images comes from:

  1. Chinmay Singh from Pexels

In this post the dialogue is realised by an interaction of virtual characters, for more information please check the page “Virtual characters

John

Hi Julia! I wanted to ask you about something … 😊

Today 17:08   

Julia

Hello John! Ask away, I hope I can help 😉                                            

Today 17:08

John

Your input on the historical side was really useful for our articles

Today 17:09   

Julia

Oh, I’m happy to hear that! Thanks!  😊                                                 

Today 17:09

John

And the articles did get a lot of good reactions, so …

Today 17:10   

John

We were wondering if you would be willing to collaborate on a new one …?

Today 17:10   

Julia

Yes! Absolutely! What would it be about exactly?                                 

Today 17:11

John

Well, we noticed a lot of people have trouble understanding AI

Today 17:11  

John

What it is, what it can and cannot do, how it ties in to algorithms, and robots

Today 17:11  

Julia

Wouldn’t you rather need someone like Sam for that?                       

Today 17:12

John

Maybe, but we wanted to see if we can clear up some things by looking at the history of AI

Today 17:13   

Julia

Aha, yeah that is a little bit more up my alley indeed 😅                    

Today 17:14

John

That’s what we thought! So, are you in? 😄

Today 17:14   

Julia

Yes, definitely. I still have quite a bit of material left over that didn’t really fit in the previous articles.

Today 17:15

John

That’s very good, but this time it’s not about sci-fi…

Today 17:15   

Julia

Right, but as we were comparing science and sci-fi I came across a lot of interesting ideas.

Today 17:16

Julia

People were trying to mechanize thought for a long time already …

Today 17:16

John

Ideas like that would indeed fit well, I think.

Today 17:17   

Julia

Do you already have an outline for what it should cover exactly?     

Today 17:18

John

Yep, sending it to you now! Let me know what you think. 😉

Today 17:18 

… Continue reading our conversations that are posted every Saturday …

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Mechanical analog computers had their origins in Naval Gunnery in World War I […] mechanical analog computers remained of considerable military importance certainly until well into the 1960s and have only been superseded by digital computing systems in the 1970s.

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Future of Days Past

Future of Days Past

Future of Days Past

Science fiction is often described, and even defined, as extrapolative. The science fiction writer is supposed to take a trend or phenomenon of the here-and-now, purify and intensify it for dramatic effect, and extend it into the future.

Strictly extrapolative works of science fiction generally arrive about where the Club of Rome arrives: somewhere between the gradual extinction of human liberty and the total extinction of terrestrial life

Introduction toThe Left Hand of Darkness

Ursula Le Guin,1969

Manuel and John are talking about the following article:
It’s not about tomorrow, 1: Ursula Le Guin

In this post the dialogue is realised by an interaction of virtual characters, for more information please check the page “Virtual characters

Manuel

Hi there John, everything allright?

Today 11:41   

John

Hi Manuel, yep, I got all kinds of feedback and suggestions 😊        

Today 11:42   

Manuel

That’s great! My editor will be pleased 😊

Today 11:43   

John

A student of Cho also sent me some very interesting material about the history of science fiction linked to the history of science

Today 11:44   

Manuel

Oh, very interesting! Were you thinking of a follow-up for context?

Today 11:45   

John

Indeed, a supplementary article, I’ll forward it to you with my comments.

Today 11:45   

Manuel

I’ll check it out and forward it to my editor then.

Today 11:46  

John

Thanks! I think it does add depth and perspective 😉                        

Today 11:46   

Manuel

So what do you think about the piece as it is?

Today 11:48   

John

Well, we did add a lot of new innovations beyond the “Prophets of Science Fiction” series …

Today 11:48   

Manuel

I sense some hesitation in your words …?

Today 11:49   

John

Yeah, well I just think we should add something about he ethical and societal implications of it all

Today 11:50   

Manuel

That’s a good point actually, not just hyping or criticizing the hype would be nice 😊

Today 11:51   

John

Also a lot of these science fiction authors did precisely that: look at how technology changes society

Today 11:51   

Manuel

Then we should definitely include something more reflective, a more abstract perspective

Today 11:52   

John

Thanks to Julia, Cho’s student, we have some historical perspective, but we’d need ethics of technology

Today 11:52   

Manuel

You’re right, there’s a lot of work being one on that front, which we might include in a follow up

Today 11:53   

John

I’ll check out some of the projects underway to guide responsible innovation

Today 11:53   

Manuel

Good idea! 😊I’ll pitch the need for a follow up article to my editor!

Today 11:54   

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You young badgers imagine that it would be enough to smear a pound of paint on the canvas and you’re already a modern painter. I would be willing to accept this abomination for a bad joke, if there was even the slightest humor behind it. But this here is an abracadabra! A nothing!

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Insert Coin to Pray

Insert Coin to Pray

Insert Coin to Pray

There is no great invention, from fire to flying, which has not been hailed as an insult to some god

J. B. S. Haldane 1924
“Daedalus; or, Science and the Future”

Julia and John are talking about the following article:
Old World, High Tech

In this post the images comes from:

  1. Cottonbro from Pexels
  2. Maria Pop from Pexels

In this post the dialogue is realised by an interaction of virtual characters, for more information please check the page “Virtual characters

Julia

Hi John! Cho told me you were working on something interesting … 😊                                                                                

Today 17:07

John

Hi Julia, yes, that’s right, on the link between science and sci-fi

Today 17:08   

Julia

Perhaps I can be of assistance …? I’ve taken a class of history of literature specializing in sci-fi

Today 17:08

John

Sounds interesting, we might be able to use that 😏

Today 17:09   

Julia

Yes, I was thinking, perhaps it makes sense to look at predictions that already have come true?

Today 17:09

John

Not exactly what we are looking for, but it might be good to have as supplementary materials

Today 17:10   

Julia

OK, so, you sometimes see Frankenstein as the first sci-fi book, but actually sci-fi is much older …

Today 17:11

John

Indeed, I’ve seen that claim a lot in the materials I’ve been looking at

Today 17:11  

Julia

Well, it might depend on how you define and classify things, but     

Today 17:12

Julia

there’s already androids and empires at war in space in ancient greek literature

Today 17:12

Julia

flying machines and mechanical birds in India, entire mechanical cities and a robot horse in Arabia

Today 17:12

John

Whoa, hold your horses! That is a lot! 🤗 Yes, I get why you thought this was relevant

Today 17:13   

Julia

Great! These aren’t exactly futuristic predictions however …             

Today 17:14

John

Indeed, so that makes it a bit harder to take up in this piece … but …

Today 17:14   

Julia

But?  🤔                                                                                                       

Today 17:15

John

maybe send me something on ancient science fiction and we’ll see about a supplementary article

Today 17:15   

Julia

Wow, thank you! I will certainly do that!  😊                                         

Today 17:16

John

It would be really great if you can link it up with actual science somehow …😊

Today 17:17   

Julia

I’ll try to do that. Actually there’s quite a few ancient books on mechanical devices and programmable automata

Today 17:18

Julia

They even had something like an animatronic theater and … vending machine

Today 17:18

John

Now that is cool! 😊 That’s the type of things we’re looking for: anticipations of recent technology

Today 17:18 

Julia

I’ll get to work then!😊                                                                              

Today 17:20

John

Thanks for contacting me, I look forward to your article.

Today 17:21

… Continue reading our conversations that are posted every Saturday …

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The ends justify the rules

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Complicated mental processes are entirely reducible to such simple activities as the attentive observation of statements previously accepted as true, the perception of structural, purely external, connections among these statements, and the execution of mechanical transformations as prescribed by the rules of inference

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