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Article 6183 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: intertxt@network.ucsd.edu (Jason Snell)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy,rec.arts.startrek.tech
Subject: Re: Transducer Hypothesis, The Next Generation
Date: 9 Jun 1992 15:06:01 -0700
Organization: InterText Magazine
Lines: 57
Message-ID: <113a09INNsi0@network.ucsd.edu>
References: <1992Jun8.134537.468@cs.ucf.edu> <1992Jun9.183631.5422@csc.canterbury.ac.nz> <60796@aurs01.UUCP>
NNTP-Posting-Host: network.ucsd.edu

I'm sorry to cross-post this to a star trek group, but it DOES apply. As long
as it doesn't degenerate into a goofy trekker flame war...

throop@aurs01.UUCP (Wayne Throop) writes...
>> chisnall@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz (The Technicolour Throw-up)
>>> clarke@acme.ucf.edu (Thomas Clarke):
>>> the secret of the conscious (?) robot died with his creator.
>> Except that the Enterprise's computer systems was able to make a conscious
>> mind following a simple verbal request from Geordi.  Sheesh.  I mean why
>> bother employing zillions of federation scientists when a ship's computer
>> can solve your major research problems.  (Can you say continuity error?)

I think the idea behind this episode ("Booby Trap") is that Geordi had the
computer create a personality framework through which it could present him the
data, rather than just doing it on screen. Rather that create an "Enterprise
Computer Person" template from scratch, it used the actual engineer's
personality profile.

My view of this scene was not that Geordi was talking with a "living person,"
but that he was talking with the intelligence of the enterprise computer
itself, filtered through the superficial personality traits of a random human
female, Leah Brahms.

So Geordi wasn't given the answers by the computer-person-- he was just using
a more, uh, interactive form of computer assistance.

>And then there's the Holodeck, where simulated entities are very wooden
>and unlifelike, since after all they are "computer generated".
>
>The problem is, they keep slipping up, and examples abound: Moriarity,
>the designer of the enterprise's engine systems, the seductress used to
>manipulate Riker (and Picard by accident).

Moriarty is a stupid slip-up. If it's so easy to create holodeck
personalities, just by asking... 

I've countered the enterprise engine designer argument above; as for the
seductress, that was a specially-programmed computer enhancement, designed by
the Binars (binary computer people -- there's another thread. arrgh.) to
corral Riker and, with luck, Picard. It wasn't stumbled upon -- it was a
specially-designed program.

Moriarty is the only character that was a real slip-up.

>But how can you expect consistency from a show who's writers think
>it is plausible that Data can do all of the things he can do, but
>(of all stupid things) can't bring himself to use contractions.  Ghak.

No kidding. And don't you think that if a super genius like Dr. Soong could
make such an amazing android, he could also give him correct skin tone? Or
didn't the good doctor get a lot of sun?

-- 
    Jason Snell / jsnell@ucsd.edu / Ashamed owner of a Communication BA!
 InterText - A Net Fiction Magazine - ASCII or PostScript - Mail me for info!
            "I thought for a second that my monkey had rabies --
   It turned out he had just gotten into the Cool Whip." -- Dave Letterman


