This week gave me an excuse to re-watch Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence. While before I thought it was a pretty entertaining movie (except the drawn out ending) this week's reading gave me a new perspective. Where the first time watching the differences between myself and the character played by Haley Joel Osment were black and white now I can see there are definitely shades of grey.
What really makes us that different. Now the only criterion that I can gather is that we as humans are the creators and that makes us superior, and for the record that is really what were searching for when we discuss the differences between humans and AI-- who is superior.
In the end we are superior because without humans AI could not exist. There may come a day when robotic surgeons replace its human counter-parts, just as robots are used now for dangerous combat missions in lieu of soldiers. Then AI could definitely be responsible for creating human lives. Those days however are not here yet, so as humans our position on the top of the food chain is safe-- for now!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Metaphysics
Wow after this week I'll have to think twice before I say that I'm losing my mind!!
This week was a little weird because I'm strating to see my goals for this course manifest. One of my greatest wishes was to challenge what I thought I knew and this week I did. Prior to learning about metaphysics I was convinced that there was a "mind" and separate "brain" and "body". Yeah, now I'm not so sure anymore. I cannot say that I have completely abandoned my old truth but I definitely have reason to doubt it.
I grew up in catholic school and I was taught that a human is composed of a body and a spirit. After all the bible and its teachings always make reference to letting God touch your "heart". Certainly that does not mean that believers should walk around with their chest cavities exposed to make for easier access, however, I had to reconcile what I was taught to believe with that which I have learned from biological science. Unfortunately, I was not able to reconcile my beliefs with that which I was taught.
I have seen first hand what mental disorders, accidents, and drugs can do to a person brain and body. I have yet to see a case where someone was exempt from such variables because their "mind" as opposed to their brain and body was not affected.
The ebst that I can come up with is that the body (including the brain of course) answers to the physical laws and the "mind" answers to the laws of the brain. So, yes the mind does exist but is not a separate entity from the brain but rather an extension. Similar to the computer games titled, "SIMS". Yes, the worlds that the gamers create are very real but they only continue so long as the computer is turned on and plugged-in. If the computer is unplugged the game ends similarly the mind exists so long as the brain functions. If the brain was to be damaged the mind would suffer accordingly.
Lastly, I might add even though I have adjusted course I will still continue to use the terms "mind" and "spirit". The reason being I remember when I was young I believed whole heartedly in Santa Claus. After many years I found out he was fictional but I cannot forget how good believing in him and everything that comes with the tradititon made me feel! So, I will continue to summon my "spirit" during trying times and while my heart will be open my hope is that my chest will remain closed.
This week was a little weird because I'm strating to see my goals for this course manifest. One of my greatest wishes was to challenge what I thought I knew and this week I did. Prior to learning about metaphysics I was convinced that there was a "mind" and separate "brain" and "body". Yeah, now I'm not so sure anymore. I cannot say that I have completely abandoned my old truth but I definitely have reason to doubt it.
I grew up in catholic school and I was taught that a human is composed of a body and a spirit. After all the bible and its teachings always make reference to letting God touch your "heart". Certainly that does not mean that believers should walk around with their chest cavities exposed to make for easier access, however, I had to reconcile what I was taught to believe with that which I have learned from biological science. Unfortunately, I was not able to reconcile my beliefs with that which I was taught.
I have seen first hand what mental disorders, accidents, and drugs can do to a person brain and body. I have yet to see a case where someone was exempt from such variables because their "mind" as opposed to their brain and body was not affected.
The ebst that I can come up with is that the body (including the brain of course) answers to the physical laws and the "mind" answers to the laws of the brain. So, yes the mind does exist but is not a separate entity from the brain but rather an extension. Similar to the computer games titled, "SIMS". Yes, the worlds that the gamers create are very real but they only continue so long as the computer is turned on and plugged-in. If the computer is unplugged the game ends similarly the mind exists so long as the brain functions. If the brain was to be damaged the mind would suffer accordingly.
Lastly, I might add even though I have adjusted course I will still continue to use the terms "mind" and "spirit". The reason being I remember when I was young I believed whole heartedly in Santa Claus. After many years I found out he was fictional but I cannot forget how good believing in him and everything that comes with the tradititon made me feel! So, I will continue to summon my "spirit" during trying times and while my heart will be open my hope is that my chest will remain closed.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Hey, Hey-- Norma Rae!
This week was interesting because I've heard many women and some men in my life time say that they considered themselves feminist. I am glad that I gained some knowledge in the area because now I can ask them specific questions about the movements. I would want to know what kind of feminist each considered themselves: Liberal or gender? I can only imagine the answers that I would receive. I wonder if in some respect gender feminists believe that liberal feminists are traitors to their own cause.
The pragmatists' section of the readings this week was pretty interesting. I enjoyed discovering the etymology of the word pragmatist as a political- junky I often hear politicians describe themselves as such. In some ways I always felt as if she/he (important to write it that way after the feminist reading) was saying that "I deal with reality and my opponent lives in a fantasy world." Now I know that this is not necessarily the truth; the reason being just because an idea can not be used now, does not mean that it can not become useful someday!
The pragmatists' section of the readings this week was pretty interesting. I enjoyed discovering the etymology of the word pragmatist as a political- junky I often hear politicians describe themselves as such. In some ways I always felt as if she/he (important to write it that way after the feminist reading) was saying that "I deal with reality and my opponent lives in a fantasy world." Now I know that this is not necessarily the truth; the reason being just because an idea can not be used now, does not mean that it can not become useful someday!
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