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From: push@mit.edu (Pushpinder Singh)
Subject: Re: Minsky's new article
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References: <3997dq$857@ecom2.ecn.bgu.edu> <39al9e$beq@coli-gate.coli.uni-sb.de> <push-0511942335420001@mind.mit.edu> <gyroCyw4Lu.9r9@netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 1994 00:28:11 GMT
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In article <gyroCyw4Lu.9r9@netcom.com>, gyro@netcom.com (Scott L. Burson) wrote:

> In article <push-0511942335420001@mind.mit.edu> push@mit.edu (Pushpinder
Singh) writes:
> >The average layman that reads Scientific American likely has a basic 
> >understanding of physics, biology, and chemistry, but the level of 
> >confusion over what minds are, well, boggles the mind.  Minsky would need 
> >more than just the few pages alloted him to undo the damage of souls, 
> >spirits, free will, and all such "single self" fallacies.
> 
> "Damage"?  Ah well.  It's as I said: very little communication seems to take
> place across the gulf that separates us.
>
> Do you really think you don't have free will?  I'm just curious...

I have never seen an even slightly coherent explanation of this concept.
As far as I can see, there's chance and there's determinism, and there's
nothing in between.
 
> >So instead he chose to write about ideas that would hopefully get people 
> >interested in the field, and that would in turn cause them to learn more 
> >about it themselves.
> 
> Well, one need not think that the soul is a "fallacy" to think that making
> computers more useful is an enjoyable challenge.

Hmm, I don't believe I implied that.  I'm sure there are at least a few
folks out there, who believe in souls, who are making computers more
useful.  Perhaps some of these people are even past students of Minsky's.
So what?

> >Eric Drexler was a student of Minsky's.  So were Danny Hillis, Gerry 
> >Sussman, Patrick Winston, and many other brilliant and original thinkers.  
> 
> Yeah, well, so was I (though he might want to disavow me at this point :-).

Curious.  What did you do for him? (feel free to take this off-line.)

-push
