Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!ckgp!thomas
From: thomas@ckgp.UUCP (Michael Thomas)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: how many distinct thoughts can a person have?
Summary: thought = molecules (Uh...NO!)
Message-ID: <607@ckgp.UUCP>
Date: 20 Jun 91 23:28:54 GMT
References: <1991Jun19.033316.18773@athena.mit.edu> <1991Jun19.195149.19583@panix.uucp>
Distribution: usa
Organization: CKGP Assoc. Inc. Birmingham, MI
Lines: 42

In article <1991Jun19.195149.19583@panix.uucp>, yanek@panix.uucp (Yanek Martinson) writes:
> In <1991Jun19.033316.18773@athena.mit.edu> mlevin@jade.tufts.edu writes:
> 
> 
> >at one point, he states something like: "the number of distinct human
> >thoughts is uncountable." Does anyone have any arguments for or
> >against the idea that the number of possible distinct human thoughts
> >(or mental states) is uncountably infinite? Note I do not mean
> >"astronomicallly large" - I mean infinite (and perhaps uncountably so)
> >in the strict mathematical sense. It seems plausible to me; does
> >anyone have a good argument either way?
> 
>If you assume that all thoughts or mental states are physical events, states
>and connections of molecules in the brain then, because the number of molecules
>in your brain is finite, and states of every individual molecule (it's position
>charge, orientation, chemical bonding, whatever) are finit, then the number of 
>possible permutations is very large, but finite. Most likely uncountable using
>today's technology, but not infinite.

Wait a second, 8^) did you say that all thoughts or mental states are 
physical events? You didn't really say that states and connections of 
molecules in the brain are thoughts then? I'm sorry but there is no
way on earth that you are going to be able to make me believe this.
YES, I understand what you are saying, but to directly tie thought&&
idea directly to connections of molecules in the brain, is not going
to "fly."  I am sorry 8^) but since the brain works with stimulus
and all stimulus is a wave/frequency you will have a hard time turning
a frequency into a single molecule. Plus the brain is a "living",
"moving", "growing", "breathing" thing. It is always in motion and
not sitting still in molecules. And even if you are correct mathmatically
the combination of those molecules activity and their pattern of
activity. Thought isn't a single event but an on going one. so when
you count up the growing combinations of molecules and add there activity
across the spectrum of their pattern of activity you get an infinite
number of thoughts still.

thanks for listening....

-- 
Thank you,
Michael Thomas
(..uunet!ckgp!thomas)