(urth) resurrecting a 2002 thread that posits an alternative lineage for Sev

[Gerry Quinn]

On 09/10/2014 15:02, António Marques wrote:
> You don't need to build a robot. Humans, animals and other critters 
> exhibit 'will', yet to a physician they work mechanically. You think 
> you raised your arm because you wanted to? Nay, it was because some 
> electrical current moved down some nerves, leading some muscles to 
> change their Calcium dynamics. NB I'm not discussing the 'mind/matter 
> interface'; I'm keeping strictly to the 'matter' side of it.

Yes, but it would be difficult or impossible to make predictions for a 
biological organism.  There's even wiggle room for some quantum chaos to 
work its way up into decision making.  A deterministic robot in a 
virtual environment could be simulated exactly.

- Gerry Quinn