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Discussion on: Thinking Humans as a Computer Program

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bartmr profile image
Bartmr

When you start seeing human activities as blocks of stuff, it's already too black and white. Yes, everything in a world is a complex puzzle of macro and micro cosmos, where everything is a collection of more everything. But when you try to decipher human stuff through the lens of logic, your making yourself blind to all the grey areas of humans. This is the origin of mild sociopathies, and maybe the explanation to the old stereotype that programmers are weird people with black and white views on life. Even in code is dangerous to see stuff just logic.

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havarem profile image
André Jacques

There is a big difference between boolean logic and "logic" at large. The way I understand your statement is that they are the same, but they are not. At the atomic level, boolean logic is simple, but when you add state and time in the equation, it becomes complex very fast. For instance, the heap management in a computer can be considered as non-deterministic since it depends on so many factors it is basically impossible to predict. Hence what you might call the "grey area".

There is also a lot of bias we encountered has human beings. One example I just learn this week is the Survival bias. During WWI, airplanes were coming back with bullet holes. The way I understood it was some people were asked to define the best place to put shielding. At some point, someone realized that the place where they were no hole where the place who needed the most shielding since no plane would come back with them, the other part were not that affected. This kind of reasoning can not be explained easily by arithmetics and boolean logic. There is probably an algorithm for that, but it is more likely very complex.

Anyway, the brain is a complex entity that we do not know much about how it works. We know what region of the brain is responsible for what purpose but the how is still a mystery. There are people who, like Muhammad, believe it is basically a computer. There are other people who believe that Quantum mechanics is in play (well, very disputed considering the temperature the brain operates) and a lot of studies talking about "behavioural neuroscience", which I don't understand at all.

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th3n00bc0d3r profile image
Muhammad • Edited

I think this is complex

and this is a human brain

Its just lots and lots of fat and we have made it exists way above our heads, it should only be in our heads, not out of it. That would be a very little underlying principle of modesty.

I would really like an environment, where everybody should help everyone without expecting anything from anyone. Its kinda idealistic, but even a 10% of such idealism is effective and i can plainly say, create miracles, isnt that what an open source is aswell!

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havarem profile image
André Jacques

I am not sure I get your point. A computer is connected to its surroundings using Ethernet, WiFi, BlueTooth, USB and so forth. But usually speaking, all "nodes" are complex elements. For instance, a computer has a lot of computational power and is equipped with an Operating system, capable of running many programs at the same time. Connected to it are my Bluetooth headphones, which can decode the data stream and convert it into an analog signal to the speakers.

In comparison, a brain is made of neurons connected with each other via synapses. There is basically billions in our brain and they are pretty basic in functionality: they take inputs and produce outputs. A single "node" couldn't decode a stream of data and produce the analog equivalent, it would need a lot more than one neuron.

What is fascinating is that there are actual people with brains implants that are able to control a mouse in a computer. The brain does not need a driver to communicate, it adapts. And at the current rate, computers are not close to being able to connect to something without knowing its nature and "adapt" to it. It needs standards, protocols and they must be rigorously followed.

So my point is very simple: we just don't know how the brains work. Having similarities with a computer doesn't mean it works the same. Identifying the function of a brain section is analog on discovering the law of Electro-magnetism: we know the what, how to use it in our advantage but we don't know why or how.

Here some link that might be useful.

  1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mind
  2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_n...
  3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computationa...

For the rest of your message, I'm not quite sure what you want, about your ideal environment. I have difficulty linking it to the main subject.

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th3n00bc0d3r profile image
Muhammad

I do like your enthusiasm and push towards directing things but just think about for moment you are on a time where there was no computer and a person brings to you a device the simplest and tbe first of its kind a computer, how woild you react and think to it.?

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th3n00bc0d3r profile image
Muhammad

One Question: how do you solve a bigger problem?
One Answer: You divide into small problems because they are easier to solve.

Now the human brain is no doubt complex, but it has similarities, to what a computer is, therefore by dissecting the psychological process to metaphor a device, is easier for many to comprehend.

I think morality is more of a rational and logical aspect than something other. It is only logical for the existence and survival of our species to co-exists, and to co-exists means to fulfill the errors of oneself, before taking a leap to fill the gaps of errors of others.