Re: Is there enought happenning in the brain for self awareness?


"Ian H Spedding" <ian.spedding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1134161749.065680.75590@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> al wrote:
> >
> > <unrestrained_hand@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > news:1134015995.324479.244310@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >
> > > al wrote:
> > > >
> > > > "Ian H Spedding" <ian.spedding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > > news:1133993300.830499.99030@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > >
> > > > > Richard wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Out self-awareness is said to arise from what is happening in
the
> > > > > > brain.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Can enough happen in the brain to produce self-awareness?
> > > > >
> > > > > Unless there is evidence of self-awareness existing separately,
the
> > > > > most likely explanation is that it is an epiphenomenon of the
physical
> > > > > brain.
> > > > >
> > > > > Given that, in the human brain, there are around 100 billion
neurons
> > > > > each connected to several thousand of its neighbours - one
estimate
> > > > > puts the number of synapses at 240 trillion - the number of
possible
> > > > > 'circuits' must be an astronomical figure. Is it so hard to
imagine
> > > > > self-awareness emerging from that sort of processing power?
> > > >
> > > > Yes, the brain is not a PC.
>
> No, it is far more powerful than a PC.
>
> > > Neither is it a transistor radio. We know it processes data; we know
it
> > > stores data, and we know the neurons act something like circuits
(altho
> > > not binary).
> > >
> > > Your analogy to a radio is silly, especially in light of this
> > > complaint.
> >
> > You reply is silly especially in the light of the fact that nothing is
known
> > scientifically about self awareness or consciousness.
> > Ask the AI bods.
>
> That's not entirely true.
>
> We can say, with some certainty, that behaviours we identify as
> self-awareness or consciousness have only been observed as properties
> of brains that have been described as the most complex objects in the
> known universe. We also observe that damage to or destruction of these
> brains has a corresponding effect on the properties of self-awareness
> or consciousness exhibited by them. Whilst, strictly speaking, this is
> only a correlation it suggests that a causal connection between the
> brain and consciousness is a hypothesis worth investigating.
>
> Ian
>
> --
> Ian H Spedding

Spedding, you are very funny.
>


.

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