tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post2104614816963781460..comments2023-09-27T07:44:19.769-04:00Comments on Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction: Book review: You are not a Gadget by Jaron LanierSabine Hossenfelderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-65444533545709691872010-08-26T22:15:18.526-04:002010-08-26T22:15:18.526-04:00This comes a bit late but gets to the essence of o...This comes a bit late but gets to the essence of our not being "gadgets" - ie, whether we are just "computational intelligences" the minds of which are totally explicable in AI terms of processing bits like computer programs. Lanier has inspired a certain appreciation against that view, that I develop into the following point:<br />A purely computational intelligence (as some Neil Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04564859009749481136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-22189252231064896262010-08-26T10:09:14.877-04:002010-08-26T10:09:14.877-04:00It seems to be a general truth that any mechanism,...It seems to be a general truth that any mechanism, preferring by its very nature uniform inputs and outputs, will project uniformity both upstream and downstream.<br />A factory canning peas will not only produce uniform units that fit onto a store shelf, but project that need for norms into the farmer's field specifying choice of seed and time of harvest.<br />So it goes.Don Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04814669413022486958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-26698549584877443382010-08-23T21:30:38.653-04:002010-08-23T21:30:38.653-04:00Thanks for the 60's flashback, Phil! 2001:a SO...Thanks for the 60's flashback, Phil! 2001:a SO never gets old, does it?Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL. <br />HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that. <br />Dave Bowman: What's the problem? <br />HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do. <br />Dave Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL? <br />HAL: This mission is too important for me Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-54084845804306806332010-08-23T20:58:25.843-04:002010-08-23T20:58:25.843-04:00Hi Bee,
This has become totally weird as now all ...Hi Bee,<br /><br />This has become totally weird as now all three of my attempts to post the comment in question have suddenly appeared and with all of them dated and sequenced as they originally should have been. It has one to wonder about this cloud Google is building to ask may they have missed that it’s become sentient:-) A little more seriously perhaps this might be how artificial Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-9280734757314272892010-08-23T20:49:35.497-04:002010-08-23T20:49:35.497-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-76775123864995918042010-08-22T04:33:55.887-04:002010-08-22T04:33:55.887-04:00Hi Bee,
Yes a very curious bug indeed. However I...Hi Bee,<br /><br />Yes a very curious bug indeed. However I’m fairly convinced it has something to do with Bloggers recent launch and implementation of new antispam software being applied to some blogs. That is now that I look back at my comment it could be deemed as promotional in respect to my friend, although it doesn’t contain any hotspots or links as to do so I myself would have consideredPhil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-4475291043930275612010-08-22T03:08:45.350-04:002010-08-22T03:08:45.350-04:00And while I'm at it, here's my reply: Yes,...And while I'm at it, here's my reply: Yes, in my experience editors also often improve things, that was the point I was trying to make. It's his first book, lazy editor, outcome unconvincing. Best,<br /><br />B.Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-11867812003441188742010-08-22T03:04:28.460-04:002010-08-22T03:04:28.460-04:00So, here's Phil's comment
_______________...So, here's Phil's comment<br /><br />__________________<br /><br />Hi Bee,<br /><br /><br />”Maybe it's not Lanier's fault after all, maybe one should blame the editor.”<br /><br />From my experience if editors have any effect it is more often to improve things rather than have them worsened. Actually I’ve discovered quite often they are the unsung heroes as having an old friend Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-35080374586894927432010-08-22T03:03:30.908-04:002010-08-22T03:03:30.908-04:00Hi Phil,
This is an odd bug indeed. There is only...Hi Phil,<br /><br />This is an odd bug indeed. There is only one comment missing here, which is yours. Actually, all 4 repetitions are missing. I'll try to copy it and see if that works. Best,<br /><br />B.Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-80616731183024152072010-08-21T12:13:02.075-04:002010-08-21T12:13:02.075-04:00Hi Bee & Steven,
It looks as if my relieve wa...Hi Bee & Steven,<br /><br />It looks as if my relieve was premature as now I find my original comment won’t hold as although it shows up in the recent comments list it’s not to be found in the actual comments. The mystery continues????<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />PhilPhil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-89683322114711827982010-08-21T11:40:35.586-04:002010-08-21T11:40:35.586-04:00Hi Bee,
”Maybe it's not Lanier's fault a...Hi Bee,<br /><br /><br /><i>”Maybe it's not Lanier's fault after all, maybe one should blame the editor.”</i><br /><br />From my experience if editors have any effect it is more often to improve things rather than have them worsened. Actually I’ve discovered quite often they are the unsung heroes as having an old friend of mine that has been a free lance editor for years. She usually Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-40622579494405490262010-08-21T11:34:37.057-04:002010-08-21T11:34:37.057-04:00Hi Steven,
That poster was me, thanks for trying ...Hi Steven,<br /><br />That poster was me, thanks for trying to help and if this post doesn’t hold then I’ve got to do a little more thinking.<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />PhilPhil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-40589055416431815372010-08-21T11:32:51.571-04:002010-08-21T11:32:51.571-04:00http://arxiv.org/abs/1008.2399
This proposal might...http://arxiv.org/abs/1008.2399<br />This proposal might be testable to ambiguity.<br /><br />http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/erotor1.jpg<br />This proposal is falsifiable in 90 days.<br /><br />Uncle Al is intolerent of gods whose priestly collection agencies spend the swag on themselves. Google and Microcrap+Yahoo are in a search engine advertising war. The former has proven technology, the Uncle Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05056804084187606211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-85645021260200903632010-08-21T11:24:44.035-04:002010-08-21T11:24:44.035-04:00Has there been a problem posting here? One of your...Has there been a problem posting here? One of your regular posters said they had trouble to me at my own website.Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-71826557715559246122010-08-21T07:32:13.020-04:002010-08-21T07:32:13.020-04:00Hi Bee,
”Maybe it's not Lanier's fault a...Hi Bee,<br /><br /><br /><i>”Maybe it's not Lanier's fault after all, maybe one should blame the editor.”</i><br /><br />From my experience if editors have any effect it is more often to improve things rather than have them worsened. Actually I’ve discovered quite often they are the unsung heroes as having an old friend of mine that has been a free lance editor for years. She usually Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-29113414203407491692010-08-21T07:05:28.486-04:002010-08-21T07:05:28.486-04:00Hi Bee,
”Maybe it's not Lanier's fault a...Hi Bee,<br /><br /><br /><i>”Maybe it's not Lanier's fault after all, maybe one should blame the editor.”</i><br /><br />From my experience if editors have any effect it is more often to improve things rather than have them worsened. Actually I’ve discovered quite often they are the unsung heroes as having an old friend of mine that has been a free lance editor for years. She usually Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-61801138605041728942010-08-20T21:47:29.747-04:002010-08-20T21:47:29.747-04:00See, having spent the money to buy and the time to...<i>See, having spent the money to buy and the time to read it, I am inclined to find something of value in it now. </i><br /><br />Good line :)Arunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03451666670728177970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-67931548250433128922010-08-20T12:04:37.039-04:002010-08-20T12:04:37.039-04:00Hi Al,
You wrote:
What do you want? Most people d...Hi Al,<br /><br />You wrote:<br /><i>What do you want? Most people don't know, cannot imagine what they want.</i><br /><br />Most people <i>re</i>act, not <i>act</i>. Marketeers* and Politicians depend on that. There is much money to be had.<br /><br />Which is why we have <i>spin</i>.<br /><br />Someone should write a book about YOU, Al (have they?). I find your prose the singularly most Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-84990319454274061862010-08-20T11:38:45.501-04:002010-08-20T11:38:45.501-04:00Software should not be facile and useful. Softwar...Software should not be facile and useful. Software should be a tightly regulated dysfunctional nightmare overseen by a centralized bloated bureacracy imposing mandatory ownership and use, with constant revision, against a background of rampant criminality that can never be staunched: US tax codes, US CFR, US FEMA, NASA, HHS, Department of Education; Word Perfect key assignments, the slash arrowUncle Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05056804084187606211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-33403296565967377752010-08-20T08:33:26.194-04:002010-08-20T08:33:26.194-04:00Thank you, Bee. Thanks for "falling on the sw...Thank you, Bee. Thanks for "falling on the sword" for the rest of us as well. We'll probably enjoy the book more than we would have now thanks to you and your tight review, because you've exposed its flaws so forewarned is forearmed so to speak. <br /><br />So its not Macbeth. That's good to know going in, and we're sorry you didn't. It's just a collection of Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-9178537302736604792010-08-20T08:18:57.968-04:002010-08-20T08:18:57.968-04:00Hi Phil,
It is all well and fine with me if someb...Hi Phil,<br /><br />It is all well and fine with me if somebody voices their concern in a book, I just expect more from a book than just that. I want the author to give me an overview on the issue they're worried about, I want them to lay down the facts, and construct an argument. I'm not expecting a scientific paper of course, then I'd read a review article. But take for example <a Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-43723285623971814422010-08-20T08:08:53.447-04:002010-08-20T08:08:53.447-04:00Hi Steven,
I'd give 2 stars.
No, I didn'...Hi Steven,<br /><br />I'd give 2 stars. <br /><br />No, I didn't mention what Lanier's proposed fix for the financial system is because, as I said, I don't really feel competent to judge it. I'll just quote the relevant paragraph:<br /><br /><i>"One idea I'm contemplating is to use so-called AI techniques to create formal versions of certain complicated or innovative Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-12081535643363228172010-08-20T07:48:34.891-04:002010-08-20T07:48:34.891-04:00The first Review for the book at Amazon is this:
...The first Review for the book at Amazon is this:<br /><br />"Fabulous - I couldn't put it down and shouted out Yes! Yes! on many pages . . . This is a landmark book that will have people talking and arguing for years into the future."<br />... Lee Smolin<br /><br />and...<br /><br />"Edgar Allen Poe is the Father of Cosmology! If you want to find out why, buy my Books!!"<Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-52170017101968672862010-08-20T07:36:28.232-04:002010-08-20T07:36:28.232-04:00Hi Bee,
A well written review of a book that I pr...Hi Bee,<br /><br />A well written review of a book that I probably wouldn’t have read and in all likelihood still won’t. That is for me there are far too many who write books and create documentaries that voice some specific concern and consider them as ominous dangers which some shadowy individual or group is having perpetrated upon the unwitting masses. That is I find the trend today is to havePhil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-16247475020690317142010-08-20T07:30:00.294-04:002010-08-20T07:30:00.294-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.com