"Back in the day" when DoS attacks were [more] frequent, and big sites like Yahoo and eBay were getting hit, everyone and their mothers denounced it, saying it gave internet users a bad name and painted a black picture of the "true" nature of the lack of rules and legislation for the Internet. Steve Gibson was probably one of the more vocal anti-script-kiddies individuals (you can check out the story here).
How fickle people are, and willing to sway even principles when a organization like the RIAA gets hit -- now it's okay to DoS someone? Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with the RIAA's practices, nor do I condone their methods of "reining in" so-called criminals and music-thieves.
But the way I see it, this attack will only serve to strengthen their case in the push for legislation against THEIR customers: us! That's all I have to say. Any comments are welcome...
Dr. Wallace wrote in the answer to the first question: "Significantly, no one has ever proved that the brain is a *good* computer. It seems to run some tasks like visual recognition better than our existing machines, but it is terrible at math, prone to errors, susceptible to distraction, and it requires half its uptime for food, sleep, and maintenance.
It sometimes seems to me that the brain is actually a very shitty computer. So why would you want to build a computer out of slimy, wet, broken, slow, hungry, tired neurons? I chose computer science over medical school because I don't have the stomach for those icky, bloody body parts. I prefer my technology clean and dry, thank you. Moreover, it could be the case that an electronic, silicon-based computer is more reliable, faster, more accurate, and cheaper.
I find myself agreeing with the Churchlands that the notion of consciousness belongs to "folk psychology" and that there may be no clear brain correlates for the ego, id, emotions as they are commonly classified, and so on. But to me that does not rule out the possibility of reducing the mind to a mathematical description, which is more or less independent of the underlying brain archiecture. That baby doesn't go out with the bathwater. A.I. is possible precisely because there is nothing special about the brain as a computer. In fact the brain is a shitty computer. The brain has to sleep, needs food, thinks about sex all the time. Useless!
I always say, if I wanted to build a computer from scratch, the very last material I would choose to work with is meat. I'll take transistors over meat any day. Human intelligence may even be a poor kludge of the intelligence algorithm on an organ that is basically a glorified animal eyeball. From an evolutionary standpoint, our supposedly wonderful cognitive skills are a very recent innovation. It should not be surprising if they are only poorly implemented in us, like the lung of the first mudfish. We can breathe the air of thought and imagination, but not that well yet.
And remember, no one has proved that our intelligence is a successful adaption, over the long term. It remains to be seen if the human brain is powerful enough to solve the problems it has created. "
It's not that I don't appreciate Dr. Wallace' contributions to the field of A.I., nor am I ignoring his obvious expertise in his programming and computer science skills. Those skills have made him the foremost expert on A.I. today. Yet he has denigrated the very organ by which he is able to formulate his thoughts, and seems to see little, if any, use in modelling or even studying its structure and arrangement to gain any insight into the possible ramifications for A.I.
I just find it interesting that we humans, as rational beings, with certain innate intelligences and thinking abilities, often rail against the very things that allow us the liberty and (dare I say) privilege of saying them.
That was my only complaint - the interview was insightful and interesting, a great read.
Though I am definitely not into Japanese anime music for the most part, the Cowboy Bebop music is some of the best original jazzy/bluesy sound I've heard in a long time. Yoko Kanno is pretty well respected and doesn't write the kind of crap you're talking about...I agree, most of that stuff is gay jpop mixed with the japanese-obsession-with-American-80's music/pop-culture-tears-for-fears-esq garbage.
Another good soundtrack to check out is for the anime Noir. I haven't seen the anime, but the music is pretty moody and there are some really good songs on there, although there is more singing than just plan instrumental pieces.
So according to the EULA, whether car or computer, we can't even "change the oil", to extend the metaphor? Maybe the EULA is not binding, as it does not involve signatures.
Slashdot Mirror
How fickle people are, and willing to sway even principles when a organization like the RIAA gets hit -- now it's okay to DoS someone? Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with the RIAA's practices, nor do I condone their methods of "reining in" so-called criminals and music-thieves.
But the way I see it, this attack will only serve to strengthen their case in the push for legislation against THEIR customers: us! That's all I have to say. Any comments are welcome...
It sometimes seems to me that the brain is actually a very shitty computer. So why would you want to build a computer out of slimy, wet, broken, slow, hungry, tired neurons? I chose computer science over medical school because I don't have the stomach for those icky, bloody body parts. I prefer my technology clean and dry, thank you. Moreover, it could be the case that an electronic, silicon-based computer is more reliable, faster, more accurate, and cheaper.
I find myself agreeing with the Churchlands that the notion of consciousness belongs to "folk psychology" and that there may be no clear brain correlates for the ego, id, emotions as they are commonly classified, and so on. But to me that does not rule out the possibility of reducing the mind to a mathematical description, which is more or less independent of the underlying brain archiecture. That baby doesn't go out with the bathwater. A.I. is possible precisely because there is nothing special about the brain as a computer. In fact the brain is a shitty computer. The brain has to sleep, needs food, thinks about sex all the time. Useless!
I always say, if I wanted to build a computer from scratch, the very last material I would choose to work with is meat. I'll take transistors over meat any day. Human intelligence may even be a poor kludge of the intelligence algorithm on an organ that is basically a glorified animal eyeball. From an evolutionary standpoint, our supposedly wonderful cognitive skills are a very recent innovation. It should not be surprising if they are only poorly implemented in us, like the lung of the first mudfish. We can breathe the air of thought and imagination, but not that well yet.
And remember, no one has proved that our intelligence is a successful adaption, over the long term. It remains to be seen if the human brain is powerful enough to solve the problems it has created. "
It's not that I don't appreciate Dr. Wallace' contributions to the field of A.I., nor am I ignoring his obvious expertise in his programming and computer science skills. Those skills have made him the foremost expert on A.I. today. Yet he has denigrated the very organ by which he is able to formulate his thoughts, and seems to see little, if any, use in modelling or even studying its structure and arrangement to gain any insight into the possible ramifications for A.I.
I just find it interesting that we humans, as rational beings, with certain innate intelligences and thinking abilities, often rail against the very things that allow us the liberty and (dare I say) privilege of saying them.
That was my only complaint - the interview was insightful and interesting, a great read.
Another good soundtrack to check out is for the anime Noir. I haven't seen the anime, but the music is pretty moody and there are some really good songs on there, although there is more singing than just plan instrumental pieces.
Pretty cool... Who knew Kevin Costner has a hand in the development of energy sources in this country!
Only in certain instances...
So according to the EULA, whether car or computer, we can't even "change the oil", to extend the metaphor? Maybe the EULA is not binding, as it does not involve signatures.