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From: nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather)
Newsgroups: net.ai
Subject: Re: The Halting Problem
Message-ID: <766@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 31-Oct-83 10:52:43 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.766
Posted: Mon Oct 31 10:52:43 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 3-Nov-83 04:32:08 EST
Organization: UTexas Astronomy Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 15

A common characteristic of humans that is not shared by the machines
we build and the programs we write is called "boredom."  All of us get
bored running around the same loop again and again, especially if nothing
is seen to change in the process.  We get bored and quit.

         *--->    WARNING!!!   <---*

If we teach our programs to get bored, we will have solved the
infinite-looping problem, but we will lose our electronic slaves who now
work, uncomplainingly, on the same tedious jobs day in and day out.  I'm
not sure it's worth the price.

                                    Ed Nather
                             ihnp4!{kpno, ut-sally}!utastro!nather