🚀 go-pugleaf

stephen@inmos.co.uk (Stephen Collyer) writes:
: In article <1992Jul31.154324.22928@news.media.mit.edu> minsky@media.mit.edu
: (Marvin Minsky) writes:
: 
: [Stuff about Hanna Maria and existence deleted]
: 
: >    To see why this is serious, imagine the predicament of a person
: >like Tron (or you, or me) that is actually being simulated by a
: >Virtual Reality Program inside some computer C.  I'm not joking.
: >Clearly, you couldn't tell whether you were absolutely "real" or
: >'just' a program inside some computer C.  Because there's no way to
: >detect C itself.
: 
: Of course, you surely first have to show that it *is* possible to
: simulate a human inside a computer, and then that the simulation
: is conscious and self-aware. I think it's fair to say this is an open
: question at the moment. It's fairly pointless making this kind of
: argument until you have shown that, IMHO.

Okay, I'll make a weaker argument...

We know it is possible to have a 'reduced' artificial reality in a computer.
All that is required is a pair of 3-D glasses and a data glove, and you
can manipulate and 'touch' things which you perceive to have some solidity
and appearance, but is really only an abstract set of electrical pulses.

Now, how then, can you determine that the reality you now percieve is not a
'reduced' artificial reality, ie, that in actuality, you are a being that
has the resources and capabilities of building a 'computer' that can handle
the complexity of this 'reality'?

--
  Trent Tobler - ttobler@unislc.slc.unisys.com  ttobler@csulx.weber.edu