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From: kort@hounx.UUCP (B.KORT)
Newsgroups: net.ai,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: A halting problem
Message-ID: <510@hounx.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Jan-86 09:43:45 EST
Article-I.D.: hounx.510
Posted: Thu Jan 16 09:43:45 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 06:31:45 EST
References: <2175@aecom.UUCP> <1084@bunker.UUCP>, <2750@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
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Xref: watmath net.ai:3177 net.philosophy:3789

In order for advanced computers to routinely detect an infinite
loop and abandon that line of computation, we have to endow them
with the ability to grow tired of the same old thing.  That is, 
we have to endow them with the attribute of "being interested"
in new things.  If a machine has higher level function (call it
"awareness") that does pattern recognition on the states of the
machine, then that higher level function could detect a repeating
loop.  Such a monitor function would undoubtedy be called "deja-vu".
If the "deja-vu" process included its *own* state space, would we
say the system was "self-aware"?  Are we moving toward a clearer
understanding of machine consciousness?  Is not the desire to get
on with new state patterns a characteristic of "sentience"?
				-- Barry Kort
				...ihnp4!houxm!hounx!kort

	A door opens.  You are entering another dementia.
	The dementia of the mind.