Friday, March 17, 2006

Look What I Found!

Well, folks, here at the Underground Logician it's spring cleaning! The cave is getting a complete going over! I'm finding all sorts of things, tapes and CD's without their cases, old pens, a debit card receipt dating to August of 2003, a rawhide dog bone my dog Cassie hid under my shelves, and a strange little box, with leather hinges. Very heavy and very old. I'm wondering if it's an artifact from the time of Socrates! It certainly is a treasure box and my thought is to use it as such.

My thought is to take suggestions from you folks of topics of things that really matter to people. I know that from time to time, I get burnt out from political news; the rhetoric is exhausting. I want to know what things matter most to you. What topics would you like to see on this site that can be discussed using the principles of logic? You'd be surprised as to how practical logic can be in problem solving!

So, here's your chance to give the UL a piece of your valuable mind! I will continue to put things up I think are of value to us all, however, I know you have this capacity as well. Let me know what you think! I'll put your mental treasures in my new found box and use them from time to time when I am at a loss as to what to comment on.

Thanks for your input and happy St. Patrick's Day!

10 Comments:

At 7:03 PM, Blogger Saur♥Kraut said...

Happy St. Patty's Day! Well, I think the most important topics to everyone is themselves. Perhaps you could become a logical Ann Landers! ;o)

 
At 7:30 AM, Blogger Underground Logician said...

*LOL*

Yes, I'm aware of that! Wouldn't hurt to try, or have a weekly "talk with Uncle UL!" I think people would be surprised how much logic can help in relationships, problem solving, faith journeys,etc.

As to "Uncle UL," maybe it should be Ewell instead of UL. Clever? Whataya think?

 
At 5:39 PM, Blogger Saur♥Kraut said...

;o) Not bad! I think you should seriously consider it.

 
At 5:46 PM, Blogger Tyson said...

i am really interested to know what you think about artificial intelligence. let's assume that scientists will be able to create conscious computers--would that challenge a christian worldview?

 
At 7:34 PM, Blogger Underground Logician said...

That's deep!

The question that differentiates us and computers is we can question our own programing. We have free will. How do you get a machine to question its own programing without programing it to do so? I suspect it would be more than a machine; it would be a life. Which opens a Pandora's box of moral implications.

As to it challenging a Christian worldview, I'm not sure what you mean. Our ability to create life in a machine, true life doesn't alter who we are in respect to God and our inability to save ourselves. It would mean that we have bridged the gap in knowledge on where life comes from. That is impossible for me to consider.

What do you think?

 
At 11:22 AM, Blogger Saur♥Kraut said...

Oooh,ooh, and me! And me! What if we find an Extra Terrestrial on the White House lawn tomorrow? How will that effect theology?

 
At 6:22 PM, Blogger Underground Logician said...

Saur:

We'll just have to invite the "visitors" to church now, won't we? And to an old fashioned potluck!

 
At 10:57 PM, Blogger Tyson said...

i think we are not far from creating computers with more sheer processing power than human minds ... but the trick is seeing those machines reaching consciousness.

big name computer scientists believe that once computers are able to design themselves, then they will be much faster and better at it than human engineers. then those improved computers will design even better ones and so forth.

if you think about it that way, it gets interesting. the question is whether human spirits are simply a function of biochemical processes. if so, then i believe they could be replicated. if we have an etheral component (spirit), which i believe we do, then no computer will ever be conscious in the same way we are.

i believe this is a very interesting space to watch!

 
At 2:12 PM, Blogger Underground Logician said...

I think it's a waste of time TS. You are talking about life, and human life is more than a chemical machine. Makes for great science fiction, but a waste of time for a vocation.

 
At 10:56 AM, Blogger Underground Logician said...

TS:

I'm sorry if it's sounding like I'm denegrating your idea. I need to be more clear. When it comes to programing a machine, unless we can bring "life" to the machine, we can never create something with a life of its own to question its own programing. We'd have to program it to question it, except the program to question it. What happens as a result is an infinite regress...we'd have to program to question the program to question the program to question, etc. to infinity.

I mean, you can look into it, but as a Christian with a solid vocation in your life, is this what you want to spend your time doing?

If you find philosophical stuff about this, bring it on over to my cave. I just don't want to spend a lot of time on it.

Thank you for dropping by, bro!

The sometimes impatient UL (sorry)

 

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