X-Message-Number: 11801 Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 17:44:30 -0700 From: Jeff Davis <> Subject: Binding of space and time Dear Dr. Ettinger, As I understand it, you have questioned the ability of a computer to achieve consciousness because of the its asserted inability to "bind space and time". First, would you please explain what you mean by "bind space and time"? And second, it appears that the brain may be a "meat machine": a wholly physical mechanism which provides the phenomenon of consciousness without the requirement of some vitalistic, mystical, higher dimensional, or other key "magical" feature inherently inaccessible to science and technology. Perhaps there is some unique feature of the organically-constructed brain, something about the structure or function achieved by the particular use of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosporous, etc.--the "organic" materials--which simply cannot be achieved in an alternate medium. But barring that, and supposing a thorough understanding of the details of structure and function of the one machine, what would suggest that a second machine of alternate--dare I say "better"--materials would not be theoretically designable and constructable? Whenever it is suggested that the achievement of synthetic consciousness is beyond reach--or even difficult--I suspect a sort of anthropic elitism. The fact that we want to believe that we are special, that life is special, that consciousness is special, and that they are too special to be reducable to nuts and bolts, numbers and diagrams--is a friendly old prejudice to be at once sadly and gladly let go of. Having eaten of the apple, our footsteps lead us--looking back--ever further from eden, looking forward--ever onward to the stars. Jeff Davis Socket Science 322 Princeton Avenue Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-4039 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=11801