Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ames!xanth!mcnc!decvax!decwrl!sun!pitstop!sundc!seismo!uunet!mcvax!hp4nl!htsa!fransvo From: fransvo@htsa (Frans van Otten) Newsgroups: comp.ai Subject: Re: Intelligence Summary: stop philosophy here / what intelligence really is about Message-ID: <640@htsa.uucp> Date: 6 Dec 88 09:36:35 GMT Reply-To: fransvo@htsa.UUCP (Frans van Otten) Organization: HTS A Amsterdam Lines: 60 We are way off from the subject intelligence. What is discussed now is philosophy. Let's get back to the subject. In my article <607@htsa.htsa> I wrote: > Besides, there is not just one kind of intelligence. I remembered I had read something about this (long ago), so I had to look it up (sorry for the delay, Shannon). Here's the story: Howard Gardner (Harvard Graduate School of Education) wrote (in Frames of Mind) about seven different kinds of intelligence. He includes logical/mathematical intelligence as well as 'spatial intelligence' (3D-insight). These kinds of intelligence are measured in IQ-tests. But he also includes physical expression, intra- and inter-personal intelligence, musical intelligence, and speech-ability. In his view, a kind of intelligence must be located somewhere in the human brain, and separately useable. I want to change my statement: not different kinds of intelligence exist in the human brain, but more then one 'expert system'. 'Intelligence' is a word with a very broad meaning. I propose the following definition: If a [system] can reach conclusions, it is intelligent. [system] = human being, animal, computer, ... An intelligent system consists of: (a). data (b). algorithm(s) to reach a conclusion based on this data A simple example: data = 3, 7; algorithm = addition; now this system can reach the conclusion that the sum of 3 and 7 is 10. How intelligent the system 'seems' to be depends on the amount of data and the algorithm(s). Making the system even more intelligent requires: (c). ability to update (add/delete/change) the data: - by the 'outside world' (a 'database administrator') - by the system itself, based on its own conclusions Now the system can calculate the sum of every two numbers. Isn't that intelligent ! Finally, to reach the highest grade of intelligence the system must also support: (d). the algorithm itself is data (thus can be changed) Many Expert Systems contain only (a) and (b). They seem pretty intelligent. But remember: they *only* differ from my Adding Expert System in the amount of data and algorithms ! (As how intelligent would my Adding Expert System have been regarded even a couple of hundred years ago, let alone in the early Greek times ?) -- Frans van Otten Algemene Hogeschool Amsterdam Technische en Maritieme Faculteit fransvo@htsa.uucp