X-Message-Number: 21338
Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 22:44:57 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Qualia and Information Processing

Robert Ettinger writes:

>The usual response of the uploaders is that our own inner experience is also
>"only" the shuffling of symbols such as signals in our brains. But my
>suggestion is that qualia do not arise from information processing as such,
>but require (are constituted by) specific physical processes or conditions in
>the brain, such as the right kind of standing wave (the self circuit).
>Analogy or metaphor or description won't do; you need the thing itself.

If some sort of standing wave was associated with human or animal 
consciousness, say, and you had an artificial system that simulated every 
aspect of consciousness including the standing wave, though it lacked a 
real standing wave, the system might appear to be conscious in all 
respects. It may be that you could never "prove" it conscious, but I see no 
way in principle you could prove it was not conscious either. My response 
to this is to grant the benefit of the doubt. For example, a carefully 
constructed robot cat might seem to be a cat externally, and would have a 
carefully simulated cat brain internally. (Note that this would place it 
far beyond the mechanical ducks of the 18th century and like devices, which 
certainly had no onboard computer or other such interactive mechanism and 
were not at all simulating neural processes in the manner I am suggesting.) 
A creature like this, then, would appear to enjoy being petted and have 
other feline attributes, so I would naturally think of it as having real 
feeling, not just an imitation.

Again, I see no way, in principle, of ever establishing scientifically 
whether you should think of such a creature as "really" conscious or just a 
good, but stone dead, imitation. This, of course, assumes no future 
scientific or conceptual breakthrough or other happening that would 
radically change our thinking. Qualia, then, *would* arise from information 
processing as such. You can't prove it, but then, you can't prove that 
anything besides perceptions exists. To me, it seems exciting and wonderful 
that information processing should suffice for feeling, plus, I think, 
offering greater prospects for future survival and enjoyment, when 
technology is more advanced. I accept the principle as a working hypothesis 
for now, and leave it at that.

Mike Perry

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