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From: dailey@buster.cps.msu.edu (Chris Dailey)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: AI - the real problem
Message-ID: <1991Feb28.193218.21879@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>
Date: 28 Feb 91 19:32:18 GMT
References: <1473@ucl-cs.uucp>
Sender: news@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu
Reply-To: dailey@buster.cps.msu.edu (Chris Dailey)
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Michigan State University
Lines: 41
Originator: dailey@buster.cps.msu.edu

Gordon Joly (G.Joly@cs.ucl.ac.uk) writes:
>Michael H Bender writes:
> > Marvin Minsky writes:
> > > There has been considerable discussion under this subject of
> > > differences between human and animal thought.  
> > > [...]
> > I think there is an analogy between what you are suggesting and other
> > reported limitations in human and animal thought. 
> > 
> > 	Example 1: It has been reported (I don't remember the source) that
> > 	crows can reliably count up to 4 (?) but not past this number. 
> > 
> > 	Example 2: The studies associated with "The Magic Number 7". 
> > Mike Bender
>
>Human intelligence is the sum, in part, of some all of previous
>thought, transmitted through language.

How about transmitted through experience?  Why limit yourself to just
language?  Is there not intelligence in knowing what the seasons
bring?  Or if you drink Mountain Dew then you get jittery?  These are
manifestations of human intelligence that may also be similar to
manifestations of intelligence in general.

How about this:  Human intelligence is the ability to recognize
patterns in the environment [in order] to make generalizations and
predictions about future events.

Maybe life could be defined as the desire of intelligence/ability in
order to assure one's survival and/or happiness and/or propogation of
the species.

These are not propositions for formal definitions, I'm just kicking
around some ideas.

>Gordon Joly                                       +44 71 387 7050 ext 3716
-- 
Chris Dailey   dailey@(frith.egr|cps).msu.edu
    __  __  ___       | "A line in the sand." -- The Detroit News
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 \__/\__/\__/         | "Allein in der sand." -- me