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Article 2196 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: geb@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Scaled up slug brains
Message-ID: <12745@pitt.UUCP>
Date: 17 Dec 91 15:07:44 GMT
References: <60435@netnews.upenn.edu> <351@idtg.UUCP> <40746@dime.cs.umass.edu>
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Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Computer Science Dept., University of Pittsburgh
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In article <40746@dime.cs.umass.edu> yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu (victor yodaiken) writes:
>
>Follows similarly (ie. not at all). There is no evidence to suggest that
>human thought is possible without the operation of human bodies. Can
>language develop without vocal chords (even in the deaf)? I don't know, but
>you don't either. Is there a major hormonal component to the development
>of thought? Is the interplay between movement and sensation key to
>development of brains? .... 
>
Those deaf from birth are called deaf-mutes because they never
learn to vocalize.  Yet they have normal language using signing.
Helen Keller's brain developed powerful cognitive skills despite
being blind and deaf.  Obviously there is interplay between movement
and sensation and these are key to development of the associated
skills.  Such interplay would have to be provided to any intelligent robot.


--
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Gordon Banks  N3JXP        | "When in danger, or in doubt
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu     |  Run in circles, scream and shout" --Heinlein
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