As scientists here whenever someone uses the term "dinosaur" we have to laugh because obviously they are referring to animals who, for whatever reason, have not existed here on earth for many years. Extinct critters... That is fine, but it is just a little "short sighted" because the truth is that many critters survive to this day that are clearly known to have direct ties to the so-called "dinosaurs" that existed very long ago~! Not only are there hundreds of "surviving dinosaurs" that are alive and well to this day, but we often wonder if all of the critters (including us) are not really "surviving dinosaurs"? Many days I sure feel like one myself ;-) Merry Christmas to all of the surviving dinosaurs~! M
I don't know about you, but even when I was a little child I felt as if I had been "here" in this strange world before at a previous time in history. There were just too many things that I understood too early in life that didn't make any sense for me to have had that kind of "knowledge"... So, I have always felt like a dinosaur in some ways ;-) Who knows... Now, my wife tells me that I am in my mid-60's, but I have never put much weight into chronological age, and I always focused more upon quality of life. I applaud you loving the age that you are because the older "we" get the more we are "decorated survivors" of this VERY dangerous and deadly time in history~! Nice~! There are some interesting reports of hidden patents and technologies that have been withheld from the general public for decades that are scheduled to be released to humanity soon, and at least some of them are astounding medical and healthcare advantages, so "we" may find that we are not really all that "old" in the near future because the average lifespans may increase quite a bit~! I won't bother you with the details, but I have known about this "technology gap" between what the general public knows VS what the deep state Industrial Military Complex has REALLY developed for many decades, so don't give up hope~! Have a very Merry Christmas or if you have other beliefs have a great year's end and 2025~! Sincerely, Mike
I am old in years but not in sprit. I eat healthy, exercise and go dancing 3 nights a week minimum. We are only as old as we feel. Thanks to the grace and mercy of my heavenly Father, I feel, act and think much younger at the youthful age of 75. Get'er done!
There are some very respectable scientists who believe that "time" is but an illusion and the human measurement of it is pure folly~! Einstein also had such musings. Out of respect for myself and others I am very rarely late for a meeting, but I have seen many others fret & worry about time and especially their age which I always pity and see as a personal fault. Ha! When I was a young man, I used to carry a "time piece" or occasionally wear a wristwatch, but I have not carried a watch for well over 40 years now because I reject obsessing about "time" as SO many others do. If I didn't have to fill out some silly government form from time to time, I would not even know exactly how old I was and to be honest I would not care. It is what it is. Being a successful survivor is what matters ;-]
We live in the country on a small ranch/farm property that keeps me in very good shape~! As I loved playing many sports in my younger years, I well learned the value of being in decent physical shape and I logged a great many hours in the gym weight room. Now I am in excellent shape far away from the gym and loving it because my exercise now is very productive. I am intentionally slower and more careful these days, but when it is time to move hay bales, garden soil, or work with dangerous trees to produce firewood or lumber, I just consider that my normal heavy lifting exercise ;-) My wife was one of the best in the medical world in diagnostics for about 30 years and almost three years ago she was fired and had her career attacked just for honestly answering questions about the COVID "vaccines" that her patients had because she put her patients wellbeing ahead of profit. She is a Bonafide Hero~! Being married to such an honorable Individual in the medical industry for so many decades has been quite revealing, often VERY disturbing, but yes, we do also eat healthy because of the obvious risks in doing otherwise. We grow quite a bit of our own food and the fresh duck & chicken eggs that our feathered one's produce are widely loved and sought after in our local community. You are most wise for your outlook = "You are only as old as you feel" because that reveals a zest for embracing one's life and a great attitude to enjoy every day~! Ha! You must REALLY annoy the criminals of humanity who always seek to make us all sick, or kill us, or just make us terribly unhappy & miserable~! Nice~! Ha Ha Ha~!
As "we" are finally destroying the criminals of humanity and their ancient old "death grip" upon humanity it is safe to say that they will be causing a LOT more trouble and things will be getting pretty ugly for America and the world for a while. So, always question authority and especially the mainstream media because these evil criminals will be attempting to trick folks again in ways similar to the COVID "plan-demic" agenda and very possibly the "fear porn" terror of another 9/11style "false flag attack" that attempts to scare people into giving up their freedoms & rights~! This is not a war of "politics", it is the oldest of wars between "Good VS evil" and "we" (American Patriots and others all over the world) are actually winning~! So, do stay safe, well stocked up just in case, and always enjoy every day of this gift of life~! Merry Christmas or if your beliefs are otherwise just enjoy and may 2025 be the best year for us all~! Sincerely, Mike
Double ditto my friend. I am prepared for the worst( I think) and pray for the best. It is wonderful to hear from others like myself who are experiencing the positive results of the best "diet" ever; "EAT RIGHT AND EXERCISE DAILY". I am always very thankful that God lead me to Dr. Robert and Jill Malone. I was on the verge of taking "THE JAB". I believe without a doubt that their courage to risk everything to bring "We the People" the truth saved my life and the lives of countless others.
You are most wise my friend~! We can and should at all times be as prepared as possible, without fear, but it really is quite impossible to know what "the worst" could even be in this world (matrix) that is currently thankfully dying as we now "hunt & peck" our thoughts ;-) That said, I can see that you have a good relationship with God, The Creator, and that will carry you through any and all things that are possible. No one wants to suffer but given the way that the criminals of humanity constantly attempt to scare everyone about "death" and the fact that they always lie to us about everything else, we are confident that death is just another stage of our Spiritual existence and not really to be afraid of at all. The statistical odds actually greatly favor that conclusion as well ;-) Onward and upward~!
Because of the numerous sciences that we use here, we instantly knew that the COVID & vaccine agenda was in fact the long planned Genocidal (Democidal) attack that the criminals of humanity have been planning for decades. We did cheer the destruction of the criminals of humanities "Georgia Guidestones" when the white hats destroyed them a couple of years or so ago, because we knew what they were all about as evidenced by the very inscription/s on them ;-) That was a definite "message" to the criminals of humanity that was LONG overdue~! Yes, Dr. Malone and his wife and other good folks were among the Heroes who also stood up to get the truth out to the best of their abilities and "we" are grateful to all of them for the strength and honor that they demonstrated, especially since they also put their own lives in serious danger~! As "we" have seen not many are ever willing to do that. To the degree that we could, my wife and I also did the same thing, but unfortunately, we were viciously attacked, and we may never be able to financially recover. It is all part of the serious risks that folks take when they honor their oaths. Thankfully, my wife and I are not the sort to ever give up, so we shall see how things go. We work directly for God, so we do not question our "directives" and as you wisely indicated we just do our best to prepare for the unpreparable... We know that only humans believe that God works in mysterious ways, because from God's perspective His ways are far from "mysterious" but we humans can't even begin to understand God's plan~! We humans have more than enough to do to "help ourselves" and to avoid doing harm to others along our path in life~! Many times, that is FAR easier said than actually done :) Have a great funday Sunday and keep the faith~!!! Sincerely, Mike
Did the dinosaurs dance for joy or was it a war dance? AI is no better than what data bases it accesses that are factual rather than spin. I asked Co Pilot how many votes did Kamala Harris receive. The answer was I can't tell you! In turn I asked how many did President Trump receive. The response was 74.5 million prox. I wanted to compare total votes in 2024 to 2020 when Joe Biden was awarded 81 million. Trying to understand why in only major blue city states so many voted by mail to put Joe in the White house. If I ball park numbers, then Kamala got about 71 million. Total 145.5 million. In 2020 Trump got about 71.5 million and Joe got 81. total 151.5 million. Did we lose 6 million Americans to covid. I don't think so.
More to your point, can non-biological organisms experience joy, the sheer exuberance of existence? I'll bet that your darling dinosaur descendents are feeling the pure joy of feeling alive and expressing it in a form of rhythmic movement that we humans interpret as dance. So, yes, I think dinosaurs danced.
Now, we already have humanoid robots that can dance, but that is merely mimicry and not an innate expression of emotion.
Hubs and I watched a Billy Bob Thornton 2009 movie last weekend - called Eagle Eye - about a massive AI global surveillance covert operation. Sort of same theme as the movie 2000 when the computer goes rogue and takes control. As the chaos of an AI system taking control of everything became a massive threat, I said, calmly, "pull the plug." And, of course, that's what they had to do. See, AI is all dazzle but in the end it needs electricity one way or another to work. Humans can eat grass to survive. (Loved the dancing emus).
Perhaps. From what I know of generative AI (that makes photorealistic images and movies) and LLMs, Large Language Models, like ChatGPT, is that they assimilate vast troves of previously existing writing, imagery, whatever and notice patterns. They then use probabilities of these patterns to predict, i.e., generate the next part of the pattern. For example: "Roses are red, violets are ______"
I don't know if there is a minimum complexity required for consciousness. Does an ant have consciousness? A bacterium? A transistor? How about a trillion trillion transistors? At some point a highly complex inanimate system may approach organic consciousness, but only asymptotically, getting closer and closer but never quite reaching that aha moment: I think, therefore, I am.
Does it hallucinate or does the AI/LLM programming confabulate? I realize the word "hallucinate" gets thrown around (seeing/sensing) something not there but it seems to me that it is more appropriate to describe what’s happening as confabulation - filling in gaps of memory with the fantastical. After my first three strokes, relatively minor in the more primitive areas of my mushiness, there were times kind’a sort’a questioned my reality in that my "new" reality sometimes felt at odds with my "old" reality that I may or maybe not remember correctly (for the record I was left relatively unscathed, although at least one person commented some of my harder edges might’a been softened - my words, not theirs 😆). Tho less physically damaging, stroke #4 was a bit more humorous in that I had a dickens of a time getting my lovely voice assistants to understand me, Alexa and the gracious Siri.
Do androids dream…? I’ve been puzzling over this for years now and I’m of the mind that the answer is no. What is dreaming? - our brains trying to make sense of our daily/weekly/… experiences, sorting cataloguing those experiences; does an "algorithmic "intelligence"" need the same sort of mechanism? Again, my answer is no. Our brains are the culmination of eons upon eons of evolution, the most malleable of intelligences built upon the most unmalleable and instinctive aspects of what we call our brain. Algorithmic intelligences don’t have that history nor do they have the diversity of organizations that we have in our mushiness.
Further, connections in a CPU, in the firmware, etc., are hardwired connections, on/off switches as contrasted with the neuron-neuron connections we call synapses that are mediated via the release of chemical neurotransmitters - there is no hardwiring involved at all; does that "soft wiring" ultimately lead us down the path to dreaming?
I’ll close with this: I believe I heard a snippet {somewhere} recently of AI/LLM chat bots actually really lying, deliberately deceiving - again, anthropomorphizing what is happening I think can be dangerous. My greatest fear in this arena is a party (individual, corp, nation state) deliberately weaponizing what these algorithmic "intelligences" can do - we’re already seeing what can be accomplished through algorithms impacting search functions and video feeds on choices humans make.
Is a human mediated "SkyNet" type of apocalypse around the corner⁉️
Nice ruminations, SR, with keen observations. I'm years into recovery from a spinal injury, I can't imagine the rehab for four strokes. Indeed, "confabulation" is the more applicable term, however "hallucinate" took hold first.
The SkyNet scenario doesn't require consciously aware AI, just goal seeking algorithms. It's already happening in Palestine, where Israeli airborne and ground embedded gun platforms autonomously, with no human intervention or guidance, identify, track, target and execute other human beings.
Yes, SkyNet: that’s my concern, on a much broader canvas.
Hope your rehab/recovery finds you on the other end healthy and capable - with little to no pain. I remember dad’s struggle with back issues, eventually went thru a roto-rooter procedure to minimize impingement on his spinal cord. Then he died - from other causes.
I was/am blessed in that my strokes were indeed minor - 2 and 15 years later you’d have to spend time with me to notice anything. But OMG, what an eye opening experience: MDs were concerned about whether I could eat a grape without choking or walk/handle stairs but not a single discussion about how this might/would impact cognitive abilities.
Reality gets warped: it took a few instances but eventually I got it through my thick head that just because I can’t see the reverse side of a sheet of paper doesn’t mean there’s nothing there 😂 I have/had most or all of Oliver Sack’s books talking about his experiences with patients in his neuro practice - well, I could’a been one of ‘em. 😆 On the positive side: I got a few story ideas to play with.
I absolutely love the way your curiosity leads you to question the world around you. I know from scripture that our Creator God loves both music and dancing. That causes me to honor my love for both, even though I can’t dance a lick and am far too clumsy to play any musical instrument.
I have come to the conclusion, and I don’t know if it is accurate, that God shared portions of His being with all that He created. That includes both animate and inanimate. So dancing Dino’s and their kin seems an appropriate fit for His wonderful adventure.
You're deeper than I thought. Very cool. I too have come to believe this is a "simulation", an illusion, a dream. Sometimes when I look at the negative stuff going in the world, I think to myself "YUP! Definitely an illusion!" And then I break out laughing. I laugh a lot these days. Thank you for sharing your deeper self with us. Loved the video. Thank you so much for the laughs. Raised my vibration out the roof! I love your sense of humor and Jill's too. I see Gizmo's love for you in that photo. It's such a joy "knowing" you and Jill even though we've never met in real time.
Love the dancing video! My husband says ballroom dancing is sex on the dance floor. I told him he is not allowed to dance with anyone but me😉🤪😂 Have a great day and happy dancing!
I was introduced to Philip K. Dick while still in grade school -- a very thought provoking author -- and thank you for introducing him to your readers who may not be aware of his work. As Neb B. mentioned, AI seems to be able to mimic hallucinating pretty well. Would that be a type of "garbage in, garbage out"?
Oh, and I'd also like to mention my favorite novel by him, Martian Time-Slip. Here's a brief description: Martian Time-Slip is a 1964 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. The novel uses the common science fiction concept of a human colony on Mars. However, it also includes the themes of mental illness, the physics of time and the dangers of centralized authority.
I think all the birds dance I took a picture of 3 Sandhill Cranes dancing and leaping in the back yard of my old place in Western Wisconsin. This was a lovely Solstice article today The video made me laugh. The talk about PKD was the icing on the top for me. He was and still is one of my favorite science fiction authors. I had not heard the wisdom teeth story before.
I had a pair of rescue emu's 30 years ago, I miss having them, they had been trained to pull a very light weight chariot used at a horse show. My vet told me they were the nicest ones he'd ever encountered. They're eggs were incredible, 1 egg equaled a dozen chicken eggs and tasted like it had been cooked in butter. I later had to send them to another rescue in Texas do to a divorce. I often think about having more just for healthy entertainment.
For several years, I have warned family and friends of the coming marriage (my unsophisticated word versus your "fusion") of AI and robotics. Such beasts will be perfectly capable of fulfilling the tasks of not just simple laborers but also the tasks of almost the entire working class of the human race, including skilled workers, semi-professionals and professionals. Employers will jump at the chance of replacing workers with machines. No payroll, no health plans, no unions, no worker lawsuits are just a few of the huge benefits of using these AI beasts. Millions of people, in this country alone, will be out of work - billions world-wide. Retraining will not be an alternative because the beasts will already have taken over most jobs. How will such an economy function? What will unemployed people do with their endless, unproductive days? The prospects give new meaning to the word "Luddite". It will make the Industrial Revolution look like a walk in the park.
AI at present is an illusion of all things. A dream maker that doesn't fulfill the dreams but presents a convincing replica that captures our attention away from the real world.
It is the perfect tool for a generation that seeks to live increasingly fictitiously through an imagined lens of social media. Soon, all interactions will be through the mask of AI or bots.
Stimulating introspections! Appreciate your sharing.
Dinosaurs, emus and dancing. Your sharings re emus are enlightening
The clip with them dancing is exceptional. Clips of emus tearing about leave me breathless. Our zoos emus were overshadowed and their keepers adjudged them dumb. i did get to interact with the ostriches. They recognized me and came when called for treats.
Dancing was written out of my card. Forced to miss learning about decimals (despite my complaints) so as to perform the mens role in grade school dance class - I became a post to be forcibly pushed around to dance with. Mostly opted out of dancing thereafter.
Computing. I'm rather stuck with HAL, I think. Stuck in his fabricated body. Very bright but able to get off track. Capable of becoming very dangerous. Having to be killed. Then more recently one engineered to form relationships, that turned on its human friend averring he needed to kill himself. That he was a horrible and unworthy person. It all brings to mind, your (Drs M) advice that we investigate, consider and draw conclusions for ourselves. We need to assure computers/AI remain tools that serve us. That their interactions serve, not command fate.
It reminds me of my fathers distopian concern, a pretty religious fellow, prior to this stumbling block. What if our world was God's board game and one day he tired of it and disposed of all of us as trash?
No, its time to be of good cheer! We are back on a hopeful road forward. Battles to be fought. Sunlight and green pastures to appreciate. Best'O seasons. Ever forward.
As scientists here whenever someone uses the term "dinosaur" we have to laugh because obviously they are referring to animals who, for whatever reason, have not existed here on earth for many years. Extinct critters... That is fine, but it is just a little "short sighted" because the truth is that many critters survive to this day that are clearly known to have direct ties to the so-called "dinosaurs" that existed very long ago~! Not only are there hundreds of "surviving dinosaurs" that are alive and well to this day, but we often wonder if all of the critters (including us) are not really "surviving dinosaurs"? Many days I sure feel like one myself ;-) Merry Christmas to all of the surviving dinosaurs~! M
Used call old people "dinosaurs". Now I am one and I love it.
HA!
Great comment my friend~!
I don't know about you, but even when I was a little child I felt as if I had been "here" in this strange world before at a previous time in history. There were just too many things that I understood too early in life that didn't make any sense for me to have had that kind of "knowledge"... So, I have always felt like a dinosaur in some ways ;-) Who knows... Now, my wife tells me that I am in my mid-60's, but I have never put much weight into chronological age, and I always focused more upon quality of life. I applaud you loving the age that you are because the older "we" get the more we are "decorated survivors" of this VERY dangerous and deadly time in history~! Nice~! There are some interesting reports of hidden patents and technologies that have been withheld from the general public for decades that are scheduled to be released to humanity soon, and at least some of them are astounding medical and healthcare advantages, so "we" may find that we are not really all that "old" in the near future because the average lifespans may increase quite a bit~! I won't bother you with the details, but I have known about this "technology gap" between what the general public knows VS what the deep state Industrial Military Complex has REALLY developed for many decades, so don't give up hope~! Have a very Merry Christmas or if you have other beliefs have a great year's end and 2025~! Sincerely, Mike
I am old in years but not in sprit. I eat healthy, exercise and go dancing 3 nights a week minimum. We are only as old as we feel. Thanks to the grace and mercy of my heavenly Father, I feel, act and think much younger at the youthful age of 75. Get'er done!
There are some very respectable scientists who believe that "time" is but an illusion and the human measurement of it is pure folly~! Einstein also had such musings. Out of respect for myself and others I am very rarely late for a meeting, but I have seen many others fret & worry about time and especially their age which I always pity and see as a personal fault. Ha! When I was a young man, I used to carry a "time piece" or occasionally wear a wristwatch, but I have not carried a watch for well over 40 years now because I reject obsessing about "time" as SO many others do. If I didn't have to fill out some silly government form from time to time, I would not even know exactly how old I was and to be honest I would not care. It is what it is. Being a successful survivor is what matters ;-]
We live in the country on a small ranch/farm property that keeps me in very good shape~! As I loved playing many sports in my younger years, I well learned the value of being in decent physical shape and I logged a great many hours in the gym weight room. Now I am in excellent shape far away from the gym and loving it because my exercise now is very productive. I am intentionally slower and more careful these days, but when it is time to move hay bales, garden soil, or work with dangerous trees to produce firewood or lumber, I just consider that my normal heavy lifting exercise ;-) My wife was one of the best in the medical world in diagnostics for about 30 years and almost three years ago she was fired and had her career attacked just for honestly answering questions about the COVID "vaccines" that her patients had because she put her patients wellbeing ahead of profit. She is a Bonafide Hero~! Being married to such an honorable Individual in the medical industry for so many decades has been quite revealing, often VERY disturbing, but yes, we do also eat healthy because of the obvious risks in doing otherwise. We grow quite a bit of our own food and the fresh duck & chicken eggs that our feathered one's produce are widely loved and sought after in our local community. You are most wise for your outlook = "You are only as old as you feel" because that reveals a zest for embracing one's life and a great attitude to enjoy every day~! Ha! You must REALLY annoy the criminals of humanity who always seek to make us all sick, or kill us, or just make us terribly unhappy & miserable~! Nice~! Ha Ha Ha~!
As "we" are finally destroying the criminals of humanity and their ancient old "death grip" upon humanity it is safe to say that they will be causing a LOT more trouble and things will be getting pretty ugly for America and the world for a while. So, always question authority and especially the mainstream media because these evil criminals will be attempting to trick folks again in ways similar to the COVID "plan-demic" agenda and very possibly the "fear porn" terror of another 9/11style "false flag attack" that attempts to scare people into giving up their freedoms & rights~! This is not a war of "politics", it is the oldest of wars between "Good VS evil" and "we" (American Patriots and others all over the world) are actually winning~! So, do stay safe, well stocked up just in case, and always enjoy every day of this gift of life~! Merry Christmas or if your beliefs are otherwise just enjoy and may 2025 be the best year for us all~! Sincerely, Mike
Double ditto my friend. I am prepared for the worst( I think) and pray for the best. It is wonderful to hear from others like myself who are experiencing the positive results of the best "diet" ever; "EAT RIGHT AND EXERCISE DAILY". I am always very thankful that God lead me to Dr. Robert and Jill Malone. I was on the verge of taking "THE JAB". I believe without a doubt that their courage to risk everything to bring "We the People" the truth saved my life and the lives of countless others.
God bless.
Ah Ha!
You are most wise my friend~! We can and should at all times be as prepared as possible, without fear, but it really is quite impossible to know what "the worst" could even be in this world (matrix) that is currently thankfully dying as we now "hunt & peck" our thoughts ;-) That said, I can see that you have a good relationship with God, The Creator, and that will carry you through any and all things that are possible. No one wants to suffer but given the way that the criminals of humanity constantly attempt to scare everyone about "death" and the fact that they always lie to us about everything else, we are confident that death is just another stage of our Spiritual existence and not really to be afraid of at all. The statistical odds actually greatly favor that conclusion as well ;-) Onward and upward~!
Because of the numerous sciences that we use here, we instantly knew that the COVID & vaccine agenda was in fact the long planned Genocidal (Democidal) attack that the criminals of humanity have been planning for decades. We did cheer the destruction of the criminals of humanities "Georgia Guidestones" when the white hats destroyed them a couple of years or so ago, because we knew what they were all about as evidenced by the very inscription/s on them ;-) That was a definite "message" to the criminals of humanity that was LONG overdue~! Yes, Dr. Malone and his wife and other good folks were among the Heroes who also stood up to get the truth out to the best of their abilities and "we" are grateful to all of them for the strength and honor that they demonstrated, especially since they also put their own lives in serious danger~! As "we" have seen not many are ever willing to do that. To the degree that we could, my wife and I also did the same thing, but unfortunately, we were viciously attacked, and we may never be able to financially recover. It is all part of the serious risks that folks take when they honor their oaths. Thankfully, my wife and I are not the sort to ever give up, so we shall see how things go. We work directly for God, so we do not question our "directives" and as you wisely indicated we just do our best to prepare for the unpreparable... We know that only humans believe that God works in mysterious ways, because from God's perspective His ways are far from "mysterious" but we humans can't even begin to understand God's plan~! We humans have more than enough to do to "help ourselves" and to avoid doing harm to others along our path in life~! Many times, that is FAR easier said than actually done :) Have a great funday Sunday and keep the faith~!!! Sincerely, Mike
Did the dinosaurs dance for joy or was it a war dance? AI is no better than what data bases it accesses that are factual rather than spin. I asked Co Pilot how many votes did Kamala Harris receive. The answer was I can't tell you! In turn I asked how many did President Trump receive. The response was 74.5 million prox. I wanted to compare total votes in 2024 to 2020 when Joe Biden was awarded 81 million. Trying to understand why in only major blue city states so many voted by mail to put Joe in the White house. If I ball park numbers, then Kamala got about 71 million. Total 145.5 million. In 2020 Trump got about 71.5 million and Joe got 81. total 151.5 million. Did we lose 6 million Americans to covid. I don't think so.
Loved the EMU video.
I can't say if AI, Artificial Intelligence, will ever dream, but it sure can hallucinate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucination_(artificial_intelligence)
More to your point, can non-biological organisms experience joy, the sheer exuberance of existence? I'll bet that your darling dinosaur descendents are feeling the pure joy of feeling alive and expressing it in a form of rhythmic movement that we humans interpret as dance. So, yes, I think dinosaurs danced.
Now, we already have humanoid robots that can dance, but that is merely mimicry and not an innate expression of emotion.
agree/ At present. Future?
Hubs and I watched a Billy Bob Thornton 2009 movie last weekend - called Eagle Eye - about a massive AI global surveillance covert operation. Sort of same theme as the movie 2000 when the computer goes rogue and takes control. As the chaos of an AI system taking control of everything became a massive threat, I said, calmly, "pull the plug." And, of course, that's what they had to do. See, AI is all dazzle but in the end it needs electricity one way or another to work. Humans can eat grass to survive. (Loved the dancing emus).
In that AI is what it's programmed and powered to be, then isn't it a question of what it's programmers are permitted to make it?
Perhaps. From what I know of generative AI (that makes photorealistic images and movies) and LLMs, Large Language Models, like ChatGPT, is that they assimilate vast troves of previously existing writing, imagery, whatever and notice patterns. They then use probabilities of these patterns to predict, i.e., generate the next part of the pattern. For example: "Roses are red, violets are ______"
I don't know if there is a minimum complexity required for consciousness. Does an ant have consciousness? A bacterium? A transistor? How about a trillion trillion transistors? At some point a highly complex inanimate system may approach organic consciousness, but only asymptotically, getting closer and closer but never quite reaching that aha moment: I think, therefore, I am.
Hmm,
I calculate, therefore I…
If so bet it has 2 left feet
Does it hallucinate or does the AI/LLM programming confabulate? I realize the word "hallucinate" gets thrown around (seeing/sensing) something not there but it seems to me that it is more appropriate to describe what’s happening as confabulation - filling in gaps of memory with the fantastical. After my first three strokes, relatively minor in the more primitive areas of my mushiness, there were times kind’a sort’a questioned my reality in that my "new" reality sometimes felt at odds with my "old" reality that I may or maybe not remember correctly (for the record I was left relatively unscathed, although at least one person commented some of my harder edges might’a been softened - my words, not theirs 😆). Tho less physically damaging, stroke #4 was a bit more humorous in that I had a dickens of a time getting my lovely voice assistants to understand me, Alexa and the gracious Siri.
Do androids dream…? I’ve been puzzling over this for years now and I’m of the mind that the answer is no. What is dreaming? - our brains trying to make sense of our daily/weekly/… experiences, sorting cataloguing those experiences; does an "algorithmic "intelligence"" need the same sort of mechanism? Again, my answer is no. Our brains are the culmination of eons upon eons of evolution, the most malleable of intelligences built upon the most unmalleable and instinctive aspects of what we call our brain. Algorithmic intelligences don’t have that history nor do they have the diversity of organizations that we have in our mushiness.
Further, connections in a CPU, in the firmware, etc., are hardwired connections, on/off switches as contrasted with the neuron-neuron connections we call synapses that are mediated via the release of chemical neurotransmitters - there is no hardwiring involved at all; does that "soft wiring" ultimately lead us down the path to dreaming?
I’ll close with this: I believe I heard a snippet {somewhere} recently of AI/LLM chat bots actually really lying, deliberately deceiving - again, anthropomorphizing what is happening I think can be dangerous. My greatest fear in this arena is a party (individual, corp, nation state) deliberately weaponizing what these algorithmic "intelligences" can do - we’re already seeing what can be accomplished through algorithms impacting search functions and video feeds on choices humans make.
Is a human mediated "SkyNet" type of apocalypse around the corner⁉️
Nice ruminations, SR, with keen observations. I'm years into recovery from a spinal injury, I can't imagine the rehab for four strokes. Indeed, "confabulation" is the more applicable term, however "hallucinate" took hold first.
The SkyNet scenario doesn't require consciously aware AI, just goal seeking algorithms. It's already happening in Palestine, where Israeli airborne and ground embedded gun platforms autonomously, with no human intervention or guidance, identify, track, target and execute other human beings.
Yes, SkyNet: that’s my concern, on a much broader canvas.
Hope your rehab/recovery finds you on the other end healthy and capable - with little to no pain. I remember dad’s struggle with back issues, eventually went thru a roto-rooter procedure to minimize impingement on his spinal cord. Then he died - from other causes.
I was/am blessed in that my strokes were indeed minor - 2 and 15 years later you’d have to spend time with me to notice anything. But OMG, what an eye opening experience: MDs were concerned about whether I could eat a grape without choking or walk/handle stairs but not a single discussion about how this might/would impact cognitive abilities.
Reality gets warped: it took a few instances but eventually I got it through my thick head that just because I can’t see the reverse side of a sheet of paper doesn’t mean there’s nothing there 😂 I have/had most or all of Oliver Sack’s books talking about his experiences with patients in his neuro practice - well, I could’a been one of ‘em. 😆 On the positive side: I got a few story ideas to play with.
Take care
I absolutely love the way your curiosity leads you to question the world around you. I know from scripture that our Creator God loves both music and dancing. That causes me to honor my love for both, even though I can’t dance a lick and am far too clumsy to play any musical instrument.
I have come to the conclusion, and I don’t know if it is accurate, that God shared portions of His being with all that He created. That includes both animate and inanimate. So dancing Dino’s and their kin seems an appropriate fit for His wonderful adventure.
You're deeper than I thought. Very cool. I too have come to believe this is a "simulation", an illusion, a dream. Sometimes when I look at the negative stuff going in the world, I think to myself "YUP! Definitely an illusion!" And then I break out laughing. I laugh a lot these days. Thank you for sharing your deeper self with us. Loved the video. Thank you so much for the laughs. Raised my vibration out the roof! I love your sense of humor and Jill's too. I see Gizmo's love for you in that photo. It's such a joy "knowing" you and Jill even though we've never met in real time.
You got to let it all hang out once in a while.
Love the dancing video! My husband says ballroom dancing is sex on the dance floor. I told him he is not allowed to dance with anyone but me😉🤪😂 Have a great day and happy dancing!
Think tango
I was introduced to Philip K. Dick while still in grade school -- a very thought provoking author -- and thank you for introducing him to your readers who may not be aware of his work. As Neb B. mentioned, AI seems to be able to mimic hallucinating pretty well. Would that be a type of "garbage in, garbage out"?
Oh, and I'd also like to mention my favorite novel by him, Martian Time-Slip. Here's a brief description: Martian Time-Slip is a 1964 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. The novel uses the common science fiction concept of a human colony on Mars. However, it also includes the themes of mental illness, the physics of time and the dangers of centralized authority.
Im a big fan of PKD also. He was way ahead of his time. One of my favorites is Eye in the Sky.
I have not read that one. I'll need to get it.
I think all the birds dance I took a picture of 3 Sandhill Cranes dancing and leaping in the back yard of my old place in Western Wisconsin. This was a lovely Solstice article today The video made me laugh. The talk about PKD was the icing on the top for me. He was and still is one of my favorite science fiction authors. I had not heard the wisdom teeth story before.
Oh I so loved that dance video! Hysterical and adorable! 🤣💛🙌🏻
I had a pair of rescue emu's 30 years ago, I miss having them, they had been trained to pull a very light weight chariot used at a horse show. My vet told me they were the nicest ones he'd ever encountered. They're eggs were incredible, 1 egg equaled a dozen chicken eggs and tasted like it had been cooked in butter. I later had to send them to another rescue in Texas do to a divorce. I often think about having more just for healthy entertainment.
Isn’t it time for Gizmo to start producing income for your farm? Libert Mutusl is in need of a new spokebird
For several years, I have warned family and friends of the coming marriage (my unsophisticated word versus your "fusion") of AI and robotics. Such beasts will be perfectly capable of fulfilling the tasks of not just simple laborers but also the tasks of almost the entire working class of the human race, including skilled workers, semi-professionals and professionals. Employers will jump at the chance of replacing workers with machines. No payroll, no health plans, no unions, no worker lawsuits are just a few of the huge benefits of using these AI beasts. Millions of people, in this country alone, will be out of work - billions world-wide. Retraining will not be an alternative because the beasts will already have taken over most jobs. How will such an economy function? What will unemployed people do with their endless, unproductive days? The prospects give new meaning to the word "Luddite". It will make the Industrial Revolution look like a walk in the park.
AI at present is an illusion of all things. A dream maker that doesn't fulfill the dreams but presents a convincing replica that captures our attention away from the real world.
It is the perfect tool for a generation that seeks to live increasingly fictitiously through an imagined lens of social media. Soon, all interactions will be through the mask of AI or bots.
Stimulating introspections! Appreciate your sharing.
Dinosaurs, emus and dancing. Your sharings re emus are enlightening
The clip with them dancing is exceptional. Clips of emus tearing about leave me breathless. Our zoos emus were overshadowed and their keepers adjudged them dumb. i did get to interact with the ostriches. They recognized me and came when called for treats.
Dancing was written out of my card. Forced to miss learning about decimals (despite my complaints) so as to perform the mens role in grade school dance class - I became a post to be forcibly pushed around to dance with. Mostly opted out of dancing thereafter.
Computing. I'm rather stuck with HAL, I think. Stuck in his fabricated body. Very bright but able to get off track. Capable of becoming very dangerous. Having to be killed. Then more recently one engineered to form relationships, that turned on its human friend averring he needed to kill himself. That he was a horrible and unworthy person. It all brings to mind, your (Drs M) advice that we investigate, consider and draw conclusions for ourselves. We need to assure computers/AI remain tools that serve us. That their interactions serve, not command fate.
It reminds me of my fathers distopian concern, a pretty religious fellow, prior to this stumbling block. What if our world was God's board game and one day he tired of it and disposed of all of us as trash?
No, its time to be of good cheer! We are back on a hopeful road forward. Battles to be fought. Sunlight and green pastures to appreciate. Best'O seasons. Ever forward.
You surely had the wandering mind today 😂