A-Typical male's journal.

Ok, so I'm not working much, but then not many people are. There's only three or so people actually here today, in my little area. More when you consider the whole IT department, but still...it's dead. Personally, I've been gearing up for this trip to Arkansas.

I've never been to Arkansas before, so I'll get another notch on the 'places I've been' map. I might try to put together a graphic of it, when I get back. I'll let you know, when/if I get it done.

The hardest part tonight, will be the 12 hour drive (or however long a drive it is). I can't do any of the driving, like we'd hoped, since I never got my license back.

We have a plan, though, I'm going to read to her. It should be interesting.

I have an odd hobby. I don't talk to people about it much, because it mainly engenders strange looks. You know the kind where people look at you oddly as they move to the other side of the room? Well, maybe you don't, but I'm a geek, so...

I'm interested in Artificial Intelligence. I'm really interested in the philosophy that surrounds the supposition "Artificial Intelligence is possible." I mean, it's about questions like "What does it mean when we say, 'X is alive'?" [Speaking here about an area of AI called Artificial Life, or a-life for short.] Or, the even harder question, "What do we mean when we say 'I think'?" or "What is free will?" There are lots of philosophical questions that we can gain insight into through AI, and with the proper philosophical background, we might find ways to create AI, or prove that it's impossible.

[I told my brother, who is in the military, That I wanted to study Artificial Intelligence. He asked me, "Why would you want to make it up?" If there was ever any doubt he was in an entirely different culture than I am, it was cleared up that day]

Why am I writing about this? Well alife, which is one of my favorite topics has been used in a couple of good books lately. Otherland by Tad Williams is one. Another is Permutation City by Greg Egan. Both have large computer simulations that are based on automata, or alife.

Then of course, there's the question of whether that life can be intelligent or not. Roger Penrose (or Penrose Tile fame) wrote a book called The Emperor's New Mind {Yes, it's packed to go with me.} in which he attempts to refute the possibility that Intelligence is possible. He does this by attacking the dualism that the AI people have set up, perhaps unknowingly. That is, according to the Strong-AI concept, everything the human mind does, is an algorithm running on a particular machine--namely the brain. In Computer Science there's a concept that any computer can run any algorithm (there are some assumptions here that the machines are capable of the input and output required by the algorithm). Therefore, the brain is a computer, and we could write the 'Generic Joe' algorithm to be run on any sufficiently advance computer.

This is dualistic because it means there are two kinds of things: matter (which make up the body/computer) and 'algorithm' which defines who I am. It's easy to see how close this is to the idea of a soul--and is therefore somewhat mystical. I doubt that the proponents of AI meant it this way at all.

Just like most things in philosophy, this concept of dualist goes all the way back to Plato. {So, I'm taking the Republic with me on the trip.} I feel pretty strongly, and have since my first philosophy class, that there must be a way around this dualistic philosophy. A way in which we can have algorithms and brains, but not dualism. I'm not sure of the answer, maybe one day I'll figure it out.

Another favorite philosophy book of mine, one which also takes on, and argues against Plato, is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Pirsig. It's an excellent book, and while it's somewhat dated, the central theme is still a problem today. The books is about technology, and how inaccessible it can be, partly because the way we perceive and interact with it on a day to day basis is so different from the way the constructors of technology perceive it. So there is a gap in understanding. He tries to find a synthesis of these two views {and I'm not sure he's wholly successful}, but there's a lot there, if you can learn to switch between the two views. I've found it invaluable with dealing with non-computer people. He has them pegged, right on the money. Once you realize they aren't stupid, but looking at it a whole other way, it changes the way you deal with them.

And this is the book that Azura asked me to read to her. It will help keep us awake on the trip tonight, and give us something to talk about. I'm ready to read it again, anyway, and reading it to her is a plus. We'll see how it goes tonight.

It's supposed to snow sometime this weekend in Arkansas, where we are going. I hope it does, it'd be great to have a white Christmas. I doubt the weather will be obliging, but Azura is hyped. We'll probably see some snow this weekend, anyway.

*SIGH*

The 'net is acting up, and I can't get this page up. It will have to wait until I return. I hope you can forgive me, but I've got a 12 hour trip ahead of me, and I need to get going...

Generic Joe's A Typical Male