Re: Thought experiment with robots and monkeys


jaberwocky wrote:
sorry about the sensational header, but its a serious question. A bit
off topic, but I'm impressed with the versatility of those who post
here.

Imagine a future, say 50 years from now, where robots can sufficiently
raise monkeys. (or children if you don't mind the ethics) So, we set
up an experiment to help tease out some nature/nurture variables.

Clone a couple monkeys (children) and set up very specific matching
nurseries for each of them. The cloning allows us to minimize the
nature variables. These monkeys are raised by robots using an
algorithm that is consistent and non-adaptive in order to provide
nearly equal formative environment. (This program would be optimized
by previous research) This program would minimize the variablility in
the nurture of each organism. Then: conduct experiments to measure
intelligence, problem solving, creativity, and even free will.

Would you expect the subjects of the experiment to perform the same?
Would miniscule chaotic effects risk throwing them out of sync? Anyone
have ideas about what kinds of tests would provide greatest insight
into the nature of our existence.

I believe the experiment would help reveal a third variable in the
nature/nurture debate: chaos. We we would have to establish a
baseline variability in subjects, and then see what happens with small
tweaks in subsequent studies.

(please try to avoid the obvious religious/political/ethical banter
with this one)

Would you expect the subjects of the experiment to perform the same?

let's do it and find out!

I would expect them to behave differently because they are different.
Clones don't share the same brain structure. In principle though, were
you able to have a perfect replica of a child/monkey, we could consider
the two or twenty monkyes the same monkey, so they too could perform
differently depending on when you do the tests, what tests they are
etc, if they are exact clones (even personality and all) then they are
the same and you would be studying only one individual. I think that's
the way forward.

What if you Take only One individual and do identical tests (but
without the awareness of the mokey-child) so you are sure that the
structure is the same and see if you find a glitch in the consistency
of results. Repeat with as many monkeys as possible to get a number
that makes statistical sense. I am afraid I can't think of any
experiment that could be applied. Maybe subliminal messages... I don't
know really.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Thought experiment with robots and monkeys
    ... Imagine a future, say 50 years from now, where robots can sufficiently ... up an experiment to help tease out some nature/nurture variables. ... Clone a couple monkeys and set up very specific matching ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Who were the Olmecs
    ... And cats and monkeys and sheep and anything they could bend over. ... They were probably clones. ... And they mated with animals, and there you go Zecharia, ... there is your genetic engineering of species by the Anunaki. ...
    (sci.archaeology)
  • Re: Thought experiment with robots and monkeys
    ... resulted from the artificial parenting. ... While i don't think it's nessicary, we can imagine these robots to be ... up an experiment to help tease out some nature/nurture variables. ... As i recall the result was none of the monkeys ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Thought experiment with robots and monkeys
    ... Imagine a future, say 50 years from now, where robots can sufficiently ... up an experiment to help tease out some nature/nurture variables. ... As i recall the result was none of the monkeys ... tweaks in subsequent studies. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Programmed monkeys
    ... remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. ... And we're bloody robots, the lot of us. ... it's hard to predict because of the morass of overlapping interacting ...
    (uk.comp.sys.mac)