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Article 2208 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: How does one model anesthesia in AI?
Message-ID: <60554@netnews.upenn.edu>
Date: 17 Dec 91 19:51:08 GMT
References: <59809@netnews.upenn.edu> <12665@pitt.UUCP> <60022@netnews.upenn.edu> <12686@pitt.UUCP> <60318@netnews.upenn.edu> <322@tdatirv.UUCP>
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Reply-To: weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
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In-reply-to: sarima@tdatirv.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)

In article <322@tdatirv.UUCP>, sarima@tdatirv (Stanley Friesen) writes:
>Most neural blockers only block *one* neurotransmitter, or perhaps a family
>of related ones.  Perhaps the neural transmitters that transmit the 'learn'
>signal are not effected by the currently used general anesthetics.  Or they
>do not effect the modulation effects of the glia.

So you are proposing multiple networks using the same wiring but different
signals and weights?  Admit it, you don't believe in Occam anymore!

>In short, the 'odd' features of anesthetics are due to the particular physical
>mechanism used in living brains, and is not relevant to cognition per se.

On general principles, I am dubious of biological intelligence existing
without consciousness and vice versa.  Why not?  Evolution seems to have
given us both together.  I conclude that if an animal has enough intelli-
gence, it will categorize itself in a unique manner, leading to conscious-
ness, and that if an animal is conscious of itself, it will accelerate the
selection process for intelligence.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu)


