Quote:
Originally Posted by avandonk
Craig we cannot even define consciousness definitively yet let alone its core mechanisms. I prefer to think of it as an inevitable property that emerges out of complexity. The ghost in the machine is the best analogy and for centuries the devil dodgers held sway with their concept of spirit.
My dog is winging as I type as he has a plate of dry dog food to eat but he wants the chicken he knows is in the fridge. His sense of smell beats any hermetically sealed door!
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Hmm … yep .. I like this definition …. complexity isn't necessarily the product of Evolution and Evolutionary time scales … and its not necessarily exclusive from either. Cool.
I've noticed recently that there's something called the
mirror test. I'm wondering whether the mighty Jack Russell would pass it as a measure of self-awareness ? (I'd reckon so).
Quote:
Originally Posted by avandonk
My forte at the work I did for many years was the ability to instantly discount the myriad of possible blind alleys and point out the highways that may show promise. I do not know to this day how this talent worked. A lot of the time it saved a lot of wasted work and got our lab ahead of the rest of the world. My colleagues often commented publicly on this curious ability I seemed to have.
Bert
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I could have used some of this recently, myself .. sometimes I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to ignoring such strong instincts .. it seems life is more a quest of balancing instinct with learned skill, eh ?
Cheers