Recent Comments

Don't see it that way, Thor. To be aware in a real sense is not a program, it's part of the possibilities of Life.
Computers are not living things and perhaps, only living things can truly be aware of their own awareness on their own free will, not programed to be or appear to be, so.

No arguments about their usefulness processing large amounts of date in unique ways.

PS, the USB-C connection is for Recharging? . . . Yes/No?

Not sure how to judge the comment. USB-C connection? Wanna see a self-interested AI, no problem. Arguing they can create? Not a good position.
The best argument presently is that they have trivial resources compared to humans. Yet, leveraging these trivial resources, they can achieve a lot. A lot more than the mean of humans in particular areas.
The rejection that consciousness will be achieved is just arrogance, of the same kind that argued the earth doesn’t rotate around the Sun, or humans didn’t evolve from other species.

Imitation in a profound sense but still, not the real thing and still not a true cosmological entity.
Remember, it requires a physically created and maintained power source.

But, we have yet to see a USB-C connection on those quantum entities. Self Generating or perhaps they are the a power source . . .

I agree and to some degree it is observable.
The body and physical brain, under certain circumstances, (perhaps an environment free of strong cosmic radiation) achieve self introspection, sight of self and a modicum of control over the physical biological functioning (behavior?) giving that entity an integrated self.
I have often observed and said that many human looking entities are in fact only 2 parts of a 3 part equation. Mind Body and Brain =ing a Conscious Human Being versus just a brain in a body =ing a Humanoid . . . much like many were in Old Testament Times; . . given good behavior only due to fear of things unseen.

It's a huge subject, thus it is a pleasure to hear that someone other than myself observes the subject this way.

All in a sudden it strikes ne kinda weird that we're talking sheep and also today I saw and bought some lambchops.
I haven't ate lamb anything for maybe two or three years. Southerners rarely eat lamb though I do like it.
Name of the grocery store? Piggly Wiggly. Oops!

Bear attack fashions! Great! 👍
Thank you, OUC!

Interesting. Ayn Rand said there are two fundamental existents in the Universe--existence and consciousness. They are irreducible although every professional neuroscientist seems to insist that consciousness can be reduced entirely to the brain. That does not mean that consciousness is independent of existence. Just that (I am speculating) that when consciousness emerges from a certain biological complexity (I do not think a silicon complexity), it becomes a fundamentally different existent--in this case, the mind. But mind can still be dependent upon existence.

You know, without researching it, I have only my "impression," but my impression is that real estate has been the prime investment and hedge against inflation, more so than other investments, for most Americans. For all that I invested and saved and tried stocks and gold...the home I bought in East Hampton for entirely personal reasons, ended up saving my retirement years. Over time, investments in Bitcoin have been perhaps the most wildly speculative, and wildly successful, of any. $5000 in Bitcoin 15 years ago would be $444 billion, now. That means nothing to anyone. It means that Bitcoin is not conceivably "money." Gold, by contrast, has acted perfectly as "real money" and has been among the best (sane) investments you could make. Thanks for taking a moment to comment!

Bet ya Archie was never welcomed home with a congrats on the parole for molesting a sheep farm after a day of playing Toilet Shoes . . .

Even when insulting each other, Archie Bunker and George Jefferson would never even think of cancelling each other out for "hate speech."
As for Meme #3 top, it looks like Orange Man Bad may be happier being called Casper The Friendly Ghost.

Thank you!

I'll raise a toast to that...

Amen

If they take a surf perch and test it now it's got prozac and birth control in it. We don't process it out in the sewage processing.

Sorry to hear that...

My question is what will replace real estate as a hedge on inflation? Classic cars? Haha...I jest a little. But, these are relevant questions now...

This is one hell of a probing, intelligent discussion my friends. There is a part 1 to this article, also. AI can do many things that in a human being would indicate consciousness. I make the tentative case in the article that probably there can be no awareness without a sensory system, no thinking by a nonliving entity. You cannot be aware if you are not aware of reality and you cannot be aware of reality without a sensory system. And a sensory system requires feelings, which require values. There is no awareness/consciousness that begins at the level of symbol manipulation. Words that do not refer to one's experiences of some kind do not "mean" anything to the entity using them although they do to others hearing and reading them. Again, very informed discussion!

As I argue in the article, nothing will make Bitcoin, or crypto, a replacement for gold. The answer to the question in the title is "NO." My son mentioned today that at an Objectivist summer seminar 15 years ago, a guy urged him to put just $5000 in Bitcoin. That would be worth $444 billion today. That is not money. It represents NOTHING in the real world but speculative frenzy over a novelty. But the blockchain itself has many valid uses.

ALL of Americas Children should watch this about pre-civil war deep south plantation life.

https://archive.org/details/Songofthe...

Will AI break crypto or make it better?

Publick edjukayshun is the "existential threat" that will doom Amerikuh to an 'upper double digit IQ' rather than the previous mid to upper level triple digit IQs of our parents and grandparents

Actually, it is in the water.
When People flush their old meds down the toilet,
It eventually shows up in the ground water in minute, but measurable amounts.

Oh, forgot that one, a very important one.
Including all the Trans-drugs that are causing epic suicide rates and the social media that pushes the Trans and furry psychosis.

For good or ill, we are what God made us.
Denying that reality by trying to change it, is giving God the finger.

My grandfather always said that no one under the age of thirty had any sense. I think he was overestimating 30- to 200- year olds. Remember what George Carlin (the greatest philosopher of the 20th century) said:
“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”

Sorry to hear that you're going through that, NealS. It took 45 years, but the agent orange finally took out my brother-in-law about 4 years ago. My sympathies to you and all the other guys out there that are coughing up the same.