Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site west44.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!vaxine!wjh12!genrad!decvax!mcnc!unc!ulysses!mhuxl!cbosgd!ihnp4!drutx!houxe!hogpc!houti!ariel!vax135!ukc!west44!greenw From: greenw@west44.UUCP Newsgroups: net.ai Subject: Human models Message-ID: <243@west44.UUCP> Date: Fri, 22-Jun-84 09:44:56 EDT Article-I.D.: west44.243 Posted: Fri Jun 22 09:44:56 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 19-Jun-84 01:15:07 EDT Organization: CS Dept., Westfield College, London Lines: 54 [The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things...] Consider... With present computer technology, it is possible to build (simple) molecular models, and get the machine to emulate exactly what the atoms in the `real` molecule will do in any situation. Consider also... Software and hardware are getting more powerful; larger models can be built all the time. [...Of shoes and Ships...] One day someone may be able to build a model will be an exact duplicate of a human brain. Since it will be perfect down to the last atom, it will also be able to act just like a human brain. i.e. It will be capable of thought. [...And Sealing Wax...] Would such an entity be considered `human`, for, though it would not be `alive` in the biological sense, someone talking on the telephone to its very sophisticated speech synthesiser, or reading a letter typed from it would consider it to be a perfectly normal, if not rather intelligent person. Hmmmmmm. One last thought... Even if all the correct education could be given it, might it still suffer from the HAL9000 syndrome [2001]; fear of being turned off if it did something wrong? [...of Cabbages and Kings.] Jules Greenwall, Westfield College, London, England. from... vax135 greenw (UNIX) \ / mcvax- !ukc!west44! / \ hou3b westf!greenw (PR1ME) The MCP is watching you... End of Line.