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From: bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: talk.philosophy.misc,comp.ai,sci.bio,sci.psychology
Subject: Re: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligence
Summary: The number of scientists and the scientist of numbers.
Keywords: Children and Scientists, Man and Number
Message-ID: <43577@linus.UUCP>
Date: 13 Jan 89 09:10:49 GMT
References: <564@soleil.UUCP>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort)
Organization: International Malefactor and Fulminator, Roaring Rapids, ME
Lines: 35

In article <564@soleil.UUCP> peru@soleil.UUCP (Dave Peru) opines:

 > To say "Numbers seem rather fixed to me"
 > seems fixed or closed minded to me.

In Howard Rheingold's book, _Tools of Thought_, there is a sketch
of the neurophysiologist and pioneering cyberneticist, Warren McCulloch.
As Rheingold repeats the story, McCulloch was an abnormally gifted and
colorful person who had a firm background in mathematics.  A teacher
asked McCulloch what he wanted to do with his obviously brilliant
future.  "Warren," said he, "what is thee going to be?"  And I said,
"I don't know,"  "And what is thee going to do?"  And again I said,
"I have no idea, but there is one question I would like to answer:
What is a number, that man may know it, and a man that he may know
a number?"  He smiled and said, "Friend, thee will be busy as long
as thee lives."


 > What distinguishes childlike from adultlike?

On weekends I work as a volunteer in the Children's Discovery Room
at the Boston Museum of Science.  Occasionally I ask a parent,
"What is the difference between a child and a scientist?"  Most
of them quickly respond, "No difference?"

I often feel sorry for adults who have lost their childlike curiousity
somewhere along the way.  Fortunately a few children grow up to be
scientists.  It is a shame that so many people become adulturated
enroute to maturity.

--Barry Kort

Today's Quote:	"Nothing is as simple as it seems at first,
		 or as hopeless as it seems in the middle,
		 or as finished as it seems in the end."