X-Message-Number: 5788
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 21:06:05 -0800
From: John K Clark <>
Subject: Intelligence

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I want to say to Thomas Donaldson that I'm happy you're back on
Cryonet.  I often disagree with you and message #5776 is no
exception, but that's OK  because you do keep things from
getting dull. I hope you enjoyed Australia.
		

		>The intelligence lies in the creator of the computer or the
		>calculator, not in the machines themselves.
		

I have a great regard for teachers, I think they deserve a lot
of the credit for their pupil's achievements, but I don't think
they should hog all the glory, those who actually accomplish 
great things deserve at least a little respect.
			

		>If we start breaking down "intelligence" into specific
		>abilities, it no longer looks so clear that consciousness
		>is needed to do them.
		       

Well, if you keep breaking down anything into smaller and
smaller parts, even something as complex and wonderful as
consciousness, eventually you will come  to a point where the
parts are really very simple and not at all wonderful. 
		 

		>Even the recent chess match between Kasparov and Deep Blue
		>wasn't  really a match between Kasparov and a machine: it
		>was a match between Kasparov and the engineers who built
		>Deep Blue.

		 
Kasparov had nothing to do with it and deserves none of the
credit for the victory, it was all due to Kasparov's parents.
They are the ones that supplied the genes and even the
environment for his most important formative years and those
things are what made him what he is today. The only other  thing
that could be involved is chance and nobody can take credit for that.
		       

		>it is our desires and feelings which make us intelligent


I think that's true, although I can't prove it. I think it
works the other way too, intelligent behavior implies desires
and feelings, otherwise I can see no reason why evolution would
bother to gave those emotions to us at all.
		      

		>The word [intelligence] is put about so much, but no one
		> seems  to know what it really means
		 

I certainly don't know what intelligence means, but I can
recognize it in other people and when they have it I will be
able to recognize it in machines.


					  John K Clark        

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