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From: Steve Casselman <sc@vcc.com>
Subject: Re: Theory #51 (superior(?) programming languages)
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> That's why I don't expect this thread to lead to any profund
> discoveries or conclusions, for most of us, at least. We believe
> whatever we do because we're either a human or a dolphin - and
> no amount of discussion will change that. If it could, then
> it's likely to have happened some time ago.

You sound like there is nothing and everyone is just running on
momemtum.
Look there is this new stuff called reconfigurable computing that lets
the
software programmer change the hardware on demand. It is so powerful in
some
ways that even the inventor of the microprossor said that reconfigurable
computing will rule the world(Fredico Faggin). If you look (not just
glance)
at http://dec.bournemouth.ac.uk/dec_ind/decind6/drhw_page.html you will
find
some stuff that might change your outlook. Under evolvable hardware look
for 
Adrian Thompson's page. In one experiment they randomly configured an
xc6200
fpga in analog mode only. The task was to discrimanate between a 1KHz
and 
10KHz signal and light a led for one frequency and not the other. They
ran 
the analog signal straight into the part and started the genetic
algorithm 
running. What happended was quite astounding. The part could tell the 
difference between the to different frequencys and it did it by sending
out
pulses that look just like the output of the human neuron. So a some
silicon
ended up acting just like the human brain. I'm pretty sure you will have
a 
hard time making any program running on any computer come up with the
same
output. There is something new happening and it has been worked on for
10
years. DARPA desided that reconfigurable computing deserved its own
program 
and is fund research at the tune of $120 Million.

Steve Casselman
Virtual Computer Corp.
http://www.vcc.com
