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From: andrewt@aisb.ed.ac.uk (Andrew Tuson)
Subject: Re: Roger Penrose's New Book (in HTML) 1.0
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Reply-To: andrewt@aisb.ed.ac.uk (Andrew Tuson)
Organization: Dept of AI, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
References: <37s8hp$mch@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> <JMC.94Oct18150624@white.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il> <CxzG2n.o5@cogsci.ed.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 1994 09:58:52 GMT
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.physics:97072 sci.skeptic:92431 sci.psychology:28248 comp.ai.philosophy:21188 sci.bio:22519 sci.philosophy.meta:14214

In article <CxzG2n.o5@cogsci.ed.ac.uk>, jeff@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Jeff Dalton) writes
# In article <JMC.94Oct18150624@white.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il> jmc@white.wisdom.
# weizmann.ac.il (McCarthy John) writes:
#
# >I see nothing in mind that requires more than classical physics.
# >Indeed it can all be done with ordinary computer programs.  Penrose's
# >arguments to the contrary in his _The Emperor's New Mind_ are
# >fallacious and ignorant of the entire artificial intelligence
# >technical literature.  Not one of his more than 200 references is to
# >that literature.  I would be surprised if he has read any AI for his
# >second book.
# 
# Most of AI has little, if anything, to do with these issues.
# 
# Indeed, most of AI would still make sense even if Penrose, Searle
# et al were right.
# 
# AI researchers should resist being tied to this philosophical
# dispute.


The biology community should also be concerned about the thrust of Penrose's
arguments. It seems to me to be one of those (doomed) attempts by physicists
to explain biology (in this case neuroscience) in terms of whichever
theory is currently in fashion!

Seems to be a case of if you can't explain it, quantum it!..:-)

Andrew Tuson (andrewt@aisb.ed.ac.uk)
Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh, UK.
My views are not those of the department.
