Re: A question for tomorrow

Posted by Frank Wimberly-2 on
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/A-question-for-tomorrow-tp7593073p7593090.html

I would hate to have to demonstrate that a modern computer is an instance of a Turing Machine.  Among other things they usually have multiple processors as well as memory hierarchies.  But I suppose it could be done, theoretically.

On Sat, Apr 27, 2019, 9:43 AM Nick Thompson <[hidden email]> wrote:

Frank,

 

Well, that’s a little blunter than I feel comfortable with because it identifies “answering questions” with consciousness.  I like better, “Imagine a computer, however complicated you care to make it, however skilled in its execution of human behaviors in human contexts, can such a computer be conscious?”  I would assume from past conversations with you, you would say, “No.” 

 

By the way:  Am I using the language correctly if I say that a computer is an “instantiation” of a Turing Machine? 

 

Nick

 

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology

Clark University

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

 

From: Friam [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Frank Wimberly
Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2019 7:33 AM
To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] A question for tomorrow

 

I will channel Nick based on our conversation yesterday.  "A computer is a Turing machine and it can answer questions."* I apologize, Nick, if that's not your position.

 

*Alexa, Siri, Hey Google

-----------------------------------
Frank Wimberly

My memoir:
https://www.amazon.com/author/frankwimberly

My scientific publications:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Frank_Wimberly2

Phone [phone]

 

On Sat, Apr 27, 2019, 7:22 AM <[hidden email]> wrote:

Maybe I've missed it, but has no one pointed out that a "Turing Machine"
is a mathematical formalism?  I may be a stick in the mud, but I refuse to
extend the definition of "know" so far as to make "A Turing Machine knows
[something]" a meaningful statement.  You might as well ask what a Goedel
Enumeration knows, or what The Classification of Finite Simple Groups
knows.  Hell, what does the integer 1 know???

Now maybe in you-alls' circles, "Turing Machine" is used to refer to some
kinds of physical implementations of particular Turing Machines.  But
that's a pernicious identification that can only lead to tears.


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Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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