From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!pmafire!mica.inel.gov!guinness!opal.idbsu.edu!holmes Fri Sep  4 09:41:33 EDT 1992
Article 6753 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: holmes@opal.idbsu.edu (Randall Holmes)
Subject: Re: _The Turing Option_
Message-ID: <1992Sep1.150201.290@guinness.idbsu.edu>
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Organization: Boise State University Math Dept.
References: <17lrnqINN91c@early-bird.think.com> <COSC176T.92Aug29235513@menudo.uh.edu> <Btuwx0.1I3@rice.edu>
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 15:02:01 GMT
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In article <Btuwx0.1I3@rice.edu> ratner@owlnet.rice.edu (Logan Joshua Ratner) writes:
>In article <COSC176T.92Aug29235513@menudo.uh.edu> cosc176t@menudo.uh.edu (Jason Asbahr) writes:
>>
>> Hans Moravec says:
>>
>>>   You're right, technology is making things worse.  Let's get
>>>   rid of television.
>>
>>I wouldn't mind getting rid of *most* of television, and changing
>>the nature of the rest.  An alarming (is it fashionable to be
>>alarmist?) portion of everyday television programming is fairly
>>mind-numbing stuff -- I try to avoid it whenever possible!
>
>
>Oh, I really feel I must disagree.  Personally, I find most aspects
>of Pop Culture academically fascinating.  Visual media especially so.
>Actually, there seems to be a large emphesis in studying Pop Culture
>within Postmodern thought (especially in Literary Circles.)  Seeing
>Jason posted to alt.cyberpunk I feel free to bring up postmodernism.
>
>In any case, I feel TV may in fact be the best window into the mass
>subconscious around.  Want to see what really moves a modern culture?
>Check out the top rated shows in prime time, then ask yourself, "Why
>does this sell?"
>
>To put it in 'punk terms, the masses can be useful if you know how
>to move them.  If that seems callous, well, thats the way thing run 
>in this group sometimes.
>
>There is a danger to all this, however.  Check out Gibson's short story
>"The Gernbeck Continumn" in the Burning Chrome collection.  Just because
>you are intellectually aware that you're viewing the mass subconscious 
>doesn't mean it won't reach you too.  Emotions are contagous...
>
>Well, know that I've made my plug for the day, I'm going to go rent 
>a really bad movie.  They keep the flying saucers away %-)
>
>					Ratner
>
>P.S. I'd love to recomend I book that deals with these ideas further,
>(especially the relationship between C.P. and postmodernism) but I 
>don't remember the author off-hand.  The title is Strange Weather, and
>it is non-fiction.  If anyone is interested, I'll look it up and let 
>you know who it's by.
>					Rat

What does any of this have to do with the philosophy of artificial
intelligence?  Just asking!
-- 
The opinions expressed		|     --Sincerely,
above are not the "official"	|     M. Randall Holmes
opinions of any person		|     Math. Dept., Boise State Univ.
or institution.			|     holmes@opal.idbsu.edu


