From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!watdragon.uwaterloo.ca!logos.uwaterloo.ca!cpshelle Fri Oct 30 15:18:21 EST 1992
Article 7450 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: cpshelle@logos.uwaterloo.ca (cameron shelley)
Subject: Re: Brain and Mind (was: Logic and God)
Message-ID: <BwxznA.JAu@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca>
Sender: news@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca (USENET News System)
Organization: University of Waterloo
References: <1992Oct29.180815.16901@news.media.mit.edu>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1992 16:11:33 GMT

minsky@media.mit.edu (Marvin Minsky) writes:
[...]
> Christ, Wayne, what's wrong with patience.  But perhaps this
> counterexample will help you.  I presume that you believe that the
> Great Pyramids were built by divine intervention or by superhuman
> aliens.  Your critics maintain that certain techniques for quarrying
> and transporting limestone would suffice.  You then reply that if this
> were true, then  how come no one has created any new pyramids
> recently?  Surely the argument that this would be expensive and
> time-consuming is no answer.
> 
> BTW, the Sphinx is said to be in bad shape, and the Egyptians are
> having trouble raising funds to protect or restore it.  Perhaps there
> should be organized a worldwide prayer campaign to have it restored
> miraculously.

There was a brief article that came over the UIP lines a couple of
years ago regarding the deciphering of a particularly difficult
papyrus.  I still have it around, so I will reproduce it here:

	Universal International Press -:- Date: 09/13/90

	Title: Table-leg Tract Translated!

	Text: Table-leg Papyrus Deciphered: the so-called "table-leg
	papyrus" (so named due to the fact it was found supporting the
	uneven leg of a table in the otherwise opulent tomb of Pharoh
	Ptennisnet II) has finally been interpreted by egyptologists. 
	Prominent egyptologist Prof.  D.  Crypt of London University
	confirms that the papyrus is in fact a press release from the
	official news service of an alien race calling themselves the
	"Guyz".  Says Prof.  Crypt, "These Guyz apparently were the
	real builders of the pyramids, and not the Egyptians
	themselves, as we previously believed.  We still have to
	verify a few of the details of the translation, but I think
	things are reasonably clear now." At a special news
	conference, Prof.  Crypt released a full translation of the
	papyrus, reproduced below:

		Guyz News Universal -:- Date: 87763402.776

		Title: Pyramid Planet Project Postponed!

		Text: A large-scale job action at ThemeWorld Inc. 
		burofactory 12 has delayed the "Pyramid Planet" theme
		planet development on Earth.  Pyramid building had
		barely begun on Earth (previously owned by the
		BigLizard Meat Byproducts Corp.) when the buro workers
		walked off the assembly lines.  Management has not
		ruled out arbitration, and is confident that the job
		action will not delay the project for more than 5000
		years.  Negotiations are set to begin on Alpha Zygote
		III in approximately 8 centuries. 

	Prof.  Crypt denied that the translation is some kind of joke
	saying, "We egyptologists never joke, at least not very
	often." When asked why the Guyz were developing a Pyramid
	Planet, Prof.  Crypt speculated that the aliens may have
	pointy heads. 

Hope this helps.

</dev/cam
--
      Cameron Shelley        |"In the beginning, there was nothing.  Then
cpshelle@logos.uwaterloo.ca  | God said `Let there be light', and there
    Davis Centre Rm 3147     | was still nothing, but youse could see it."
 Phone (519) 885-1211 x3499  | --Dave Thomas, SCTV:_Sunrise Semester_


