X-Message-Number: 7963
From: 
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 12:07:15 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Coetzee, Perry

1. Although I have never met Jan Coetzee, I hope to do so one day--and
preferably before we are both frozen. Best wishes for his current major
health problem (Cryonet #7958).

2. Dr. Perry (Cryonet #7961 et prec) has now convinced me of something
potentially important--that we might devise a language, of essentially
unlimited scope, that could in principle be decoded by advanced aliens
without any Rosetta Stone.

Briefly paraphrasing his discussion, one could begin by sending binary
messages with simple strings, such as the first several prime numbers. From
there, one could build to mathematical statements or theorems. One could
also, for example, write strings representing the atomic numbers and mass
numbers of the elements (isotopes); eventually, the aliens would figure out
that a certain symbol meant hydrogen, another helium, etc. Then  we could
build molecules. In some manner (I haven't gotten down to the details of
this) we could convey representations of vectors and trajectories, momenta
and energies. At this point, we are practically home free; combinations of
the above would represent events and systems, which essentially means
everything. Congratulations, Mike! I know this is not totally original with
you, but you have made a nice contribution.

3. However, the above does not vitiate the objections of Thomas Donaldson and
others that "mere symbol manipulation" in a computer cannot constitute real
thinking or understanding or contain real meaning. The (present day) computer
cum program has NOT been through Dr. Perry's tutorial and could have no
conception of what the symbols represent, even if it could support the
concept of representation.

4. Even if an alien intelligence were to go through Perry's tutorial and
"know" what the symbols represent, still, in the absence of a self
circuit--in the absence of feeling--that "meaning" would not be on the level
of life; there would be no subjectivity, no qualia. Without a self circuit
(or the equivalent, if there is an equivalent, which may not be the case),
then we have a system which, however capable and "intelligent," cannot
experience pleasure or pain or anything at all, and therefore has no claim on
our empathy.

Robert Ettinger

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