Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!linus!mbunix!bwk
From: bwk@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Intelligence / Consciousness Test for Machines (Neural-Nets)???
Summary: A means for testing consciousness of your neighbor.
Message-ID: <40834@linus.UUCP>
Date: 11 Oct 88 13:20:01 GMT
References: <1141@usfvax2.EDU> <40680@linus.UUCP> <263@balder.esosun.UUCP>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Kort)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, Mass.
Lines: 15

In article <263@balder.esosun.UUCP> jackson@esosun.UUCP (Jerry Jackson) writes:
>Consciousness is a *subjective* phenomenon. 
>It is truly not even possible to determine if your neighbor is conscious.

I think the best way to determine if someone is conscious is to carry
on a conversation with them.  (The interaction need not be verbal.
One can use visual or tactile channels, or non-verbal auditory channels.)
There are interesting anecdotes about autistic children who were coaxed
into normal modes of communication by starting with primitive stimulus-
response modes.  The Helen Keller story also dramatizes such a breakthrough.

One of the frontiers is the creation of a common language between
humans and other intelligent mammals such as chimps and dolphins.

--Barry Kort