X-Message-Number: 8114
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 22:44:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: John K Clark <>
Subject: CRYONICS Consciousness and Evolution

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In #8083   (Thomas Donaldson) On Wed, 16 Apr 1997 Wrote:
                                       

        >one very good way to tell that you are conversing with a computer
        
        >(in the classic Turing test) is to watch what happens when things
                >don't come out right. 
                                       

Sounds like a good idea to me, one of the great virtues of The Turing Test is 
its great versatility.
                                       


        >As for awareness, consciousness, etc, I doubt that it is selectively
                >neutral. 

                                       
I agree, and that must mean that consciousness can effect behavior because 
behavior is all Evolution is interested not private mental states, and that 
must mean that we can test for consciousness by behavior, and that must mean  
that if a computer acts like it's conscious then it is.   


        >I therefore find it a bit sterile to argue about how even if   
        >consciousness were selectively neutral it would persist. 

                                       
If ANYTHING was selectively neutral it would NOT persist for long, 
consciousness has apparently persisted so it can NOT be selectively neutral.
                                       

        >The real problem is to work out how it is NOT selectively neutral.


It is not selectively neutral because you can't have intelligence without 
consciousness.                            

                                          John K Clark        

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.i

iQCzAgUBM1r9q303wfSpid95AQH8QQTuIBHgzrK3gkADgfuF2P5bD95GmX5GVRBh
xOF16mSkHQvqN/Pmc+CSjDCCC0BT1acdRYr6SSbic8oahBskX/PleXrxAtvpMKiH
VFYQW2XpW+Oau2Pf/Weq6ogiTiRQH0STIK1j5MxHfuaDhIVsjzwFS+CsaVnwVYem
2a9EvTmkkkbv4pxLtkW9VX+AMbh6tkz/3sZKfGBkfTm+AvrZRjw=
=6LWk
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=8114