From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!pitt!geb Mon Dec 16 11:02:04 EST 1991
Article 2138 of comp.ai.philosophy:
Path: newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!pitt!geb
>From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Scaled up slug brains
Message-ID: <12708@pitt.UUCP>
Date: 15 Dec 91 15:54:24 GMT
References: <60044@netnews.upenn.edu> <12689@pitt.UUCP> <40650@dime.cs.umass.edu>
Sender: news@cs.pitt.edu
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.
Lines: 29

In article <40650@dime.cs.umass.edu> yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu (victor yodaiken) writes:

>Appears to whom? I must say that you have an interesting approach
>to science. We understand a tiny bit of how system X works, system
>Y is vastly more complicated than system X but contains similar looking
>structures --- so assume that some unproven model of X is also a model of
>Y.

Put it this way.  We understand the way system X(1) works.  System X(2)
is a little bit more complex than X(1).  It is a good bet that it
works the same way, but is just more complex.  X(3) is a bit more
complex than X(2).  And so on until we get to humans X(n).  There
isn't really any place where you can draw the line since as you
look at different organisms, there seems to be a pretty smooth progression
in complexity.  The place most people who draw lines draw it is between
say, the chimp and man, but there are obvious problems there too.
You want to draw it between the worm and man because there is so
much difference there it is easy to convince yourself that the same
principles aren't involved.  But if you draw it there, you have
the problem of deciding at which phase of evolution this *radical*
difference in the way nervous systems operate occurred, and why.
Care to take a crack at this?


-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


