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From: scot@catzen.gun.de (Scot W. Stevenson)
Subject: Re: Review of Shadows of the Mind
Followup-To: sci.physics,alt.sci.physics.new-theories,alt.consciousness,sci.cognitive,comp.ai,sci.philosophy.tech,sci.skeptic
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Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 15:51:15 GMT
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Hello David,

: Then around 1840, Wohler performed an experiment where he synthesised an
: organic compound (a component of urea) from an inorganic compound.

If my chemistry book is right, it was 1828 when the German chemist 
F. Woehler 'created' urea by heating ammoniumcyanat. Of course people
started to make fun of him, including the Swedish chemist Berzelius who
wrote some things about 'life originating from urin' he might have even 
lived to regret.

The idea that there must be something special about conciousness and
thought that cannot be duplicated by 'mere matter' is just more of the same, 
and will share the same fate. After being forced to retreat from every other
organ and system in the human body, the believers in the cult of vitalism 
have dug in the human brain for a last stand. In another 100 years they
will look just as foolish as Berzelius.

Y, Scot

--
          Scot W. Stevenson  scot@catzen.gun.de  Essen, Germany
                 "How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice. 
    "You must be," said the Cat, "or you would not have come here." 
