tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post4552148959453896489..comments2023-09-27T07:44:19.769-04:00Comments on Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction: How to tell science from pseudoscienceSabine Hossenfelderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-72193551127285540132020-08-11T01:12:48.182-04:002020-08-11T01:12:48.182-04:00Keep going, keep going. Criticism is the essence o...Keep going, keep going. Criticism is the essence of Science.<br /><br />Einstein said : Cracking a personal opinion is harder than cracking an atom, and the hardest part in this cracking game is cracking your own opinions.<br /><br />Uli Dinklage Uli Dinklagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06648544034127335600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-86415857489183333322020-07-29T08:43:42.429-04:002020-07-29T08:43:42.429-04:00Plankalkül: We scientists are not "stigmatizi...Plankalkül: We scientists are not "stigmatizing EVERY attempt", we dismiss unscientific explanations. The theory of "Intelligent Design" is not scientific, it attempts to explain one mystery by laying it at the feet of an greater mystery, for which there is no evidence other than you don't understand the FIRST mystery. <br /><br />And apparently you have not actually READ Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-62567977074176371942020-07-28T16:39:29.365-04:002020-07-28T16:39:29.365-04:00"Let us look at some other popular example, D..."Let us look at some other popular example, Darwinian evolution. Darwinian evolution is a good scientific theory because it “connects the dots” basically by telling you how certain organisms evolved from each other. I think that in principle it should be possible to quantify this fit to data, but arguably no one has done that. Creationism, on the other hand, simply posits that Earth was Plankalkülhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06436729620905258626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-50372352914713268572020-07-06T04:11:08.710-04:002020-07-06T04:11:08.710-04:00Castaldo,
Once again, you show that you don’t kno...Castaldo,<br /><br />Once again, you show that you don’t know what symbols are. The <i>power</i> and the essence of a symbol is that it doesn’t exist in lawful relationship to anything: the written or spoken word “apple” does not exist in lawful relationship to anything. The word “apple” can only be understood by human beings who have pre-existing knowledge of how to interpret patterns in the Lorraine Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175567853773691970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-84968774689506565552020-07-05T10:11:38.031-04:002020-07-05T10:11:38.031-04:00Luis: Intelligence and consciousness does not requ...Luis: Intelligence and consciousness does not require either sight, hearing, or the ability to utter sound; nor does it require socialization or cooperation, although those do seem to promote it.<br /><br />All it requires is varied experience.<br /><br />Symbolism is NOT "the final product of thought". Symbolism begins with the most primitive of neural structures; an electrochemical Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-67852238446303792922020-07-04T12:31:48.031-04:002020-07-04T12:31:48.031-04:00The human being is a primate, and comes from this ...The human being is a primate, and comes from this group and inherits from it a primitive language of sound symbols that is extremely emotional; socialization and cooperation as a function that developed our consciousness is also very emotional although this type of emotionality seems attenuated; all subsequent symbology has been created on that basis; it is foolish to think that something like Luishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05491803947570764962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-91207563334064506532020-07-04T11:18:45.157-04:002020-07-04T11:18:45.157-04:00Dr. Castaldo, thanks to your efforts I can see my ...Dr. Castaldo, thanks to your efforts I can see my mistake now. I was using the term "visual cortex" incorrectly. When I said that in the first experiment the "visual cortex lit up in MRI scans" I should have said something like "a part of the brain in the occipital region, associated with vision" which is closer to what was actually said in the NOVA episode. I am JimVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10198704789965278981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-13570262718359076842020-07-04T07:00:55.656-04:002020-07-04T07:00:55.656-04:00JimV: The brain is capable of retraining; the &quo...JimV: The <b>brain</b> is capable of retraining; the "visual cortex" does not mean the entire visual system; it means a very small part of the brain.<br /><br />Google <i>Vision processing information BrainFacts</i> and take the link with the guy looking at a cup of coffee. From that article:<br /><br /><i>"Visual information from the retina is relayed through the lateral Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-39224183216124393152020-07-03T21:03:35.369-04:002020-07-03T21:03:35.369-04:00Lawrence,
“Qubit” is a concept which can be physi...Lawrence,<br /><br />“Qubit” is a concept which can be physically implemented in various ways. The physical implementation of the “qubit” concept requires a specially prepared quantum state in a special setup. So clearly, a “qubit” is not an elementary fundamental thing that exists in the world: what is called a “qubit” is actually a consequence of quantum mechanics, the preparation, and the Lorraine Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175567853773691970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-13446500255418555482020-07-03T16:18:10.047-04:002020-07-03T16:18:10.047-04:00Dr. Castalso, thanks for the additional reply and ...Dr. Castalso, thanks for the additional reply and additional information, which has broadened my horizons on the subject.<br /><br />You raise the possibility of extraneous use of the visual cortex in the blindfold example, which should be considered. However, that activity coincided with a measured increase in Braille-reading speed. Also, after the blindfold was removed and the same reading JimVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10198704789965278981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-19667209626804239862020-07-03T10:41:00.179-04:002020-07-03T10:41:00.179-04:00JimV: A blindfolded person that presumably can see...JimV: A blindfolded person that presumably can see (else a blindfold is unnecessary) has an intact visual cortex; activity there just suggests something well known: The brain is not just massively parallel, it is <b>not</b> organized as a DAG (for other readers, a Directed Acyclic Graph) in which signals travel in one direction. In a DAG there are no cycles so no feedback loops; no signal output Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-57001496757474541682020-07-03T07:22:48.132-04:002020-07-03T07:22:48.132-04:00In quantum mechanics the distinction between the m...In quantum mechanics the distinction between the medium for knowing and the subject to be known is lost. QM is such that ontology of the subject and epistemology on the subject are uncertain. With QM physics is in the domain of Wittegenstein's dictum the language is primary. Qubits = quantum states, and the subject is the language.<br /><br />The one thing clear about consciousness is if you Lawrence Crowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12090839464038445335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-87916558812329009162020-07-02T21:29:42.405-04:002020-07-02T21:29:42.405-04:00Dr. Castaldo, thanks for the reply and for all the...Dr. Castaldo, thanks for the reply and for all the detailed and interesting information provided in it.<br /><br />I am not sure how to resolve total im-plasticity of the visual cortex with the MRI scans showing activity there in the blind-folded grad student (which ceased during Braille-reading some time after the blindfold was removed, along with a decrease in her Braille-reading ability). JimVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10198704789965278981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-2878542013888356872020-07-02T18:04:23.942-04:002020-07-02T18:04:23.942-04:00That we grant consciousness to other humans is a s...That we grant consciousness to other humans is a social agreement of convenience. We don't normally want to have to wonder if the person on the other end of the line is human or not.<br /> <br />Likewise we grant consciousness to our pets but don't like to think about the consciousness of the animals we eat. <br /><br />Over time, as machines become more interactive ordinary people will Steve Bullfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13990244011256349875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-1035765679732856982020-07-02T09:43:29.435-04:002020-07-02T09:43:29.435-04:00Lawrence,
Re Lawrence Crowell 1:23 PM, July 01, 2...Lawrence,<br /><br />Re Lawrence Crowell 1:23 PM, July 01, 2020:<br /><br />It is not necessary to define consciousness in order to decide whether or not computers/ AIs are conscious. One merely has to ask: “what is the information content of this consciousness?” <br /><br />Seemingly, there are only 3 possible types of information that can be input to the sensory systems of living things. These Lorraine Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175567853773691970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-54499829841384708612020-07-02T07:36:43.604-04:002020-07-02T07:36:43.604-04:00Lawrence: I work on those systems; including Summi...Lawrence: I work on those systems; including Summit, the fastest supercomputer in the world, housed in Oak Ridge. <br /><br />Neural nets are still the AI of choice; they have just been modified with a new approach called "deep learning", which is more of a staged training protocol, not a change in the basic theory. As a math guy, you should recognize neural nets as pretty much just a Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-90764902898030472232020-07-01T21:07:30.507-04:002020-07-01T21:07:30.507-04:00Lawrence,
Re “the equivalency of qubits with qua...Lawrence, <br /><br />Re “the equivalency of qubits with quantum states”:<br /><br />You’ve made a very basic mistake there. Quantum states (in a quantum computer) might be said to genuinely exist, but the “qubit” is a man-made idea which only exists in the brain/mind, and this idea is not the same as the actual quantum state (in a quantum computer).<br /><br />Also, the symbolic representation (Lorraine Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175567853773691970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-57745440656853981642020-07-01T13:23:37.982-04:002020-07-01T13:23:37.982-04:00Knowing that other people are conscious is a proje...Knowing that other people are conscious is a projection. I can say I know another person, whether somebody in my family or anyone I pass on the sidewalk because I see them on the exterior as much the same as I am and I can imagine in a sense being them. I have 3 dogs and I agree they have a domain of mental awareness, which I do not think is as extensive as human mental conscious landscape. I Lawrence Crowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12090839464038445335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-434371545694855132020-07-01T07:41:41.929-04:002020-07-01T07:41:41.929-04:00Lawrence: I guess my point in that question was th...Lawrence: I guess my point in that question was that you DO know other people are conscious, by their actions and communications you can tell that, if they are remotely like you, they must be thinking and responding in ways that demand conscious attention.<br /><br />Even for unemotional topics like mathematics or solving a difficult equation. You know they are thinking. <br /><br />I suppose I Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-25516526686689354322020-07-01T07:30:45.699-04:002020-07-01T07:30:45.699-04:00I would say from the Shannon formula, Landauer'...I would say from the Shannon formula, Landauer's principle and the equivalency of qubits with quantum states that you are wrong about this. Information is not a purely subjective projection from the human mind. <br /><br />Can AI be really conscious? My answer is a resounding, "I don't know." I really see nothing fundamental that obstructs the possibility. On the other hand, Lawrence Crowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12090839464038445335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-22695332412651302992020-07-01T07:13:06.351-04:002020-07-01T07:13:06.351-04:00JimV: My PhD is in computer science. Your analogy ...JimV: My PhD is in computer science. Your analogy is only correct to a limited extent.<br /><br />The brain is not so much a computer system, but more analogous to the circuitry of a processor. All the neurons are physically hard-wired together. The reason learning takes us so long, for example, is that it is in large part an actual physical process of growing neurons, rewiring the brain to do Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-31066868821080178992020-06-30T19:26:54.620-04:002020-06-30T19:26:54.620-04:00Lawrence,
Binary digits and qubits don’t really e...Lawrence,<br /><br />Binary digits and qubits don’t really exist. Binary digits and qubits only exist as concepts in the human mind, and these concepts can be implemented by various materials which have special suitable properties. So called “binary digits” and “qubits” are just materials with special properties that can implement the binary digit and qubit concepts.<br /><br />A qubit is not “anLorraine Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175567853773691970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-79444406881693826402020-06-30T16:25:59.776-04:002020-06-30T16:25:59.776-04:00Sometimes to understand how a complex thing works,...Sometimes to understand how a complex thing works, it helps to work with simplified models of it.<br /><br />That has been the experience I have had in working with computers, from the CDC mainframe at Michigan State, to the GE 600 mainframe and GE-400 Process Control computers at General Electric, to the Apple II microcomputer, to Unix workstations with RISC processors, and so on. To the point JimVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10198704789965278981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-65510194043708631042020-06-30T13:03:12.828-04:002020-06-30T13:03:12.828-04:00How do I know that other people are mentally consc...How do I know that other people are mentally conscious? I don't know. Though to assume the opposite and that I am the only conscious entity is solipsism and not a terribly helpful way of going through life.<br /><br />A quantum bit can be a representation for another quantum bit. This is what happens in measurement. Entanglements have a feature similar to this as well, where measurements are Lawrence Crowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12090839464038445335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-70575247424822155012020-06-30T10:17:07.137-04:002020-06-30T10:17:07.137-04:00Lawrence: How do we know other people are consciou...Lawrence: How do we know other people are conscious? We've never met, I've never met Dr. Hossenfelder, yet I would wager a great deal you are both conscious beings, or at least were at the time of your writing.<br /><br />A symbol is a token that represents a model of something else. By that definition I don't see how there are any tokens in quantum physics, it is about the direct Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.com