Neocortex

Reading Jeff Hawkins "On Intelligence" served as an introduction to Daniel Dennett's "Consciousness Explained". More accessible to the layman and full of revealing details on the internals of human intelligence (I mean, any neocortex possessing creature...). Repetitive at times, but I believe that is so ignorants on the subject (like myself) get to understand the concepts presented.

The book reinforces the idea that consciousness is no more than a natural phenomenon, and bases on the principle that awareness of your environment and self awareness is built on the neocortex capacity to recall memories.

One more stone on the mausoleum of religion, pseudo-science and mysticism, specially after his explanation on how the neocortex creates a world model used as the basis for prediction of the environment.

I hope I will still be alive when his an similar researches bears fruit. It will be fascinating to see the effect it will have on our lives and on the way we see intelligence.

The Next Level

It may sound rather preposterous to some, but evolution will not be exclusive to the organic media. This wonderful mechanism has already proven to be of use in many fields, computing, economics, ideas; because ultimately they are linked to ourselves, another part in the evolutionary dance...

We are no more than a stepping stone in evolution, and it makes me wonder how long it will take for us to spawn the next species, that will (maybe) take our memory far beyond the boundaries of our solar system; a more resilient, virtually immortal and inorganic species.

Many of you may be amused by this, but stop and think for a moment, what refrains something being alive in a media other than flesh? “But if it was possible, don't you think it would have already happened?”, maybe not, maybe the inorganic life needs an organic foundation to start, maybe the organic needs to achieve a specific technological level to become the enabler of the inorganic (I prefer “inorganic” other than artificial, as it would be removed from the evolutionary path).

Since we are products of natural evolution, the thought that technology created by us is subject to the same laws is not difficult to follow. Think for example of self altering computer viruses, or replicating nanomachines (Not there just yet, but close...)

New Toy...

For the past month or so all my telecommunication needs have been catered by my new acquisition (actually, it was a free upgrade)... I was never a fan of Finn made mobile phones, and always preferred the Swedish or American makes. But the Nokia E61i has really impressed me, not for its multitasking Symbian OS, nor for its super slick grown up design; but for the simple fact that it has the ability to make VoIP calls over WiFi. In my opinion, so far this is the best email enabled smartphone I have come across.
I cannot help but to remember my very first mobile phone in this country, my trusty old Ericsson GA628. And I cannot also help but to be in awe at the speed this technology has evolved. Just to think I carry in my pocket more computing power than a supercomputer of the 70's...

Pizza Delivery

Copyright Angeli

Music to the ears (Literaly...)

It was a nice half Sunday, shame we were too tired and too worried about Monday to stay until the end, when (of course) the best bands and solo players appeared on stage. But overall Homefires IV at the Conway Hall was a good experience to the ears. I particularly regret having missed Andrew Bird and Bat for Lashes, but hey, that is life...

I will not go into much detail but an agreeable review of the day can be found here.


Enjoy

Among Equals

Yesterday, I have been to an open lecture at the LSE titled "Secularism and Reason" by Prof. Simon Blackburn. It was one of those rare occasions in which I felt I was among people that shared the same values and ideas.
Mr. Blackburn gave us an interesting overview on how moral values and common sense are not necessarily connected with (or dependent of) faith. Quite the contrary, faith guided moral values can be quite narrow minded and destructive (e.g. same sex couples and gender equality).

Another point risen was how the Labour government - Maybe with good intentions - managed to increase racial and ethnic tensions in this country by supporting faith schools, and by doing so indirectly segregating pupils. I agree one hundred percent with Mr. Hawkins in this point; there should be an addition to the national curriculum, where schools would impartially teach about the majority of faiths and their roots, not in a biased mystical context but in a historical and anthropological one.

One other thing that impressed me, was the fact that there were no spaces left in the room where the lecture was being given; and some unfortunate (or late...) individuals were barred entry... Shame, as in this kind of occasion, the more the merrier.

Violence

Three weeks ago, my younger brother was mugged in a common behind my house; and his mobile phone and wallet taken from him after been hit with a bottle. Thankfully, it didn't shatter, leaving him with "just" four stitches on his forehead. Nevertheless to say after the pandemonium of blood, police constables, paramedics and bank card/mobile phone cancellations; we were guests until two in the morning to the delightful NHS (Heavy sarcasm intended...).

I never felt so powerless...

How fortunate the man with none...

You saw sagacious Solomon
You know what came of him,
To him complexities seemed plain.
He cursed the hour that gave birth to him
And saw that everything was vain.
How great and wise was Solomon.
The world however did not wait
But soon observed what followed on.
It's wisdom that had brought him to this state.
How fortunate the man with none.

You saw courageous Caesar next
You know what he became.
They deified him in his life
Then had him murdered just the same.
And as they raised the fatal knife
How loud he cried: you too my son!
The world however did not wait
But soon observed what followed on.
It's courage that had brought him to that state.
How fortunate the man with none.

You heard of honest Socrates
The man who never lied:
They weren't so grateful as you'd think
Instead the rulers fixed to have him tried
And handed him the poisoned drink.
How honest was the people's noble son.
The world however did not wait
But soon observed what followed on.
It's honesty that brought him to that state.
How fortunate the man with none.

Here you can see respectable folk
Keeping to God's own laws.
So far he hasn't taken heed.
You who sit safe and warm indoors
Help to relieve out bitter need.
How virtuously we had begun.
The world however did not wait
But soon observed what followed on.
It's fear of god that brought us to that state.
How fortunate the man with none.
[Anonymous]

Forever there...

One day, while traveling with a friend through London, I was asked one of those cyber-existential questions: "Do you think it's possible to transfer your mind to a new body, so you could have an extended lifespan?"
"It would not be you in the new body anymore...", and I noticed my friend's disappointment towards my reply; to which I expanded, "You would continue to be your 'old' self, and the new one would be a completely separate entity. Although the mind state at the moment of the transfer would be carried forward by the new body...".

My friend then spent the rest of the train travel computing my answer. But I would like to expand the idea here a bit further. Certain lines of thought in the philosophy/science of the mind field propose the following (in a nutshell): The mind is composed of a myriad of competing/collaborating processes (or entities...), and the byproduct of these processes interactivity gives us consciousness. One would conclude then that these processes can be related to specific brain locations and neuronal networks...

Now, taking that in consideration, one possible solution to the longevity/mind transfer problem, would be to substitute these individual components one by one. If individual functions can then be mapped to another media (e.g. electronics, artificial cells) the transfer would be gradual.

Waking Up...

How could it be explained... There are certain stages in one's life when you "wake up", maybe a more appropriate term would be "Enlightened". It's comforting to think everybody passes through such phases, but sadly that is not the case...

I was quite lucky (if one believes in such things as luck...) to have had a neutral and reasonable (as in full of reason) education from my parents, and so did my brothers.
And I regret having pestered them every month for the next volume of "The Encyclopedia of the Occult"... At least now I can look back to my teenage years and chuckle.

The enlightenment in this case, amounts to sufficient accumulated knowledge, enough to change a subject's world view drastically, or to "elevate" the conscious state.