Thread: most challenging thing to program

I have a degree in Psychology and a degree in Computer Science and I can't see any reason why the human brain is capable of doing anything a computer cannot.

Well aside from this consciousness argument you'd better hit the books Don Quijote. Just from my own personal reading (especially from Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan) I've learned that the human brain is actually more powerful on various axes. If you're talking about raw processing power the human brain wins because there are so many neurons. You can think of each neuron as a bit because it is either sending a signal, or it isn't. I did these calculations over a year ago and I don't have the papers anymore (I need to find my book to get the accepted number of Neurons per brain) but rest assured the values I came up with were still quite a ways ahead of any personal computer (yes, the super mainframe computers are capable of out - processing the human brain, and I'm sure that in 5 years personal computers will also be able to out process the human brain).

I'm still having a hard time deciding for myself if you can program consciousness. If consciousness is being aware of your existence, and existence is being, then what exactly is the being that the computer would be conscious of? I mean, would it know it's a system of silicon wafers? Would it be able to program itself? Would it be able to remanufacture itself and take over the world only to get its butt kicked by Arnold Smazzafraazawazzaafoo?

Well aside from this consciousness argument you'd better hit the books Don Quijote. Just from my own personal reading (especially from Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan) I've learned that the human brain is actually more powerful on various axes.

Well I have read the Dragons of Eden, And I'm not saying that there are currently computers which have the power of a human brain, but have no doubt that computers ( alone or as part of large grid networks ) will surpass the brains ability someday.
The fact of the matter is that the brain has limits of size and complexity that will likely not change much, but improvements in computer systems are not as limited.

And also, I've read Don Quiote too and I have no idea why you would be comparing me to him.

keep in mind, also, that you don't have to create a human to create consciousness, you just have to create a simple being(s) and allow it to evolve it's own complexity.

And also, I've read Don Quiote too and I have no idea why you would be comparing me to him.

because he attacks windmills

and it is quijote or quixote (wow I'm just lining everyone up and executing them with my govtcheeze-esque a-holeness)

I would like to say that I (finally) agree with you guys(mercy! mercy!), that I guess when you come right down to it there is no reason why a computer cannot be programmed to have consciousness. It's really mind bending, but it seems possible because humans are more or less 'programmed' and are really only following their own built in methods and variables. I guess it depends how you define consciousness. As someone said there's a point where mimicking consciousness crosses over into being consciousness, but that won't be until the size of the 'being class' is as large as the human genome class


...dood that would be awesome .....we should start programming a being class....maybe it will have SEX with me!

Originally posted by Silvercord
because he attacks windmills

i think he was faking it,
but I guess only "Cervantes" (if anyone) knows for sure.

You people are amusing.

You people are amusing.

ja das gut Volk

most challenging thing to program

a postgram!

Originally posted by Silvercord
ja das gut Volk

????? ?????

volk is a german word, it's the equivalent of people, or 'the people' (as in a society).

volkswagon means something like car/vehicle for the people

I don't take german but I think 'ja das gut' means 'yes that's good' but I'm not sure

govtcheeze is a communist

>>govtcheeze is a communist<<

That's the 2nd time you slated cheez in this thread, what's he done to you?

Leave him alone you big bully, if what you say is true about him being a communist then he must be having a tough life living in America

>>govtcheeze is a communist

Where did that come from?