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Article 3426 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: smoliar@maclane.iss.nus.sg (stephen smoliar)
Subject: Re: Strong AI and Panpsychism
Message-ID: <1992Feb3.101341.13151@nuscc.nus.sg>
Summary: Is animal instinct "'GPS' based?"
Sender: usenet@nuscc.nus.sg
Reply-To: smoliar@iss.nus.sg (stephen smoliar)
Organization: Institute of Systems Science, NUS, Singapore
References: <21879@life.ai.mit.edu> <1992Feb2.030815.1207@memstvx1.memst.edu> <1992Feb2.170040.6615@news.media.mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1992 10:13:41 GMT

In article <1992Feb2.170040.6615@news.media.mit.edu> minsky@media.mit.edu
(Marvin Minsky) writes:
>  Memory retrieval is complicated because
>different parts of the brain have so many different functions, but
>surely many retrivals are "GPS" based - that is, retrieved because
>they are stored in systems that are keyed by goals -- or, rather, in
>the Newell-Simon sense of goal, they are triggerred by the detection
>of a certain difference between a goal-target description and a
>description of the current situation.

I am curious as to whether or not this model applies to the behavior of
animals other than humans.  For example, what sort of difference reduction
goes on in Tinbergen's stickleback?  I have always worried that the GPS model
of goals and targets is a bit too simplistic.  Even if we assign it to
lower-level agents, can we even get it to accommodate the sort of variety
we encounter in animal behavior?  Perhaps a back-of-the-envelope sketch might
help me with this predicament.
-- 
Stephen W. Smoliar; Institute of Systems Science
National University of Singapore; Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Kent Ridge, SINGAPORE 0511
Internet:  smoliar@iss.nus.sg


