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Sun, 12 Jan 2025 07:00:43 -0800
Andy from private IP, post #13552050
/all
Was thinking about A.I. yesterday and have some conclusions
Do you think cognition and perception are impacted substantially by quantum
effects, or require quantum effects to exist? I'm asking because in some rat
driving study videos I saw, the rats are able to drive surprisingly well toward
their food reward. Their driving decisions and corrections, such as turning in
the correct direction after hitting a barrier and then hitting the throttle to
move closer to the food reward, look shockingly good to me. They also seem to
decide their next actions very quickly. It's as if there is a quantum element
that's not accounted for in classical decision theory, because logically, a rat
should not be able to drive this well-- or quickly execute a sequence of vehicle
movements that may be on par with, or even better than, some human drivers.
Related question: if you put a person in deep space, away from any local
gravitational or magnetic fields, would they still think and perceive the same?
I guess astronauts who have gone as far as the Moon still think normally, but
what about further out? Maybe this could this be tested with rats further out
in deep space who are exposed long-term to zero gravity.
It seems to me that if cognition/perception require gravitation or a quantum
effect that's inherent in spacetime, then it would not even be possible to think
except within the universe-- and an A.I. that tries to mimic the human brain
would be doomed to fail because transistors simply do not experience the same
quantum effects as neurons. I'm not sure what it all means, but it seems
relevant to some of the big questions of our time.
If you assume that quantum effects are required for cognition and perception,
then thinking and perception are only possible inside the universe. Therefore,
either God is inside the universe, or God does not exist. I'm not sure which is
more scary. Discuss?
#Technology
Sun, 12 Jan 2025 07:49:46 -0800
whiteguyinchina from private IP
Reply #14235818 I have thought this in context of
jet lag, we are also so dependent on the circadian cycles that space travel
seems really impossible unless you replicate those cycles the same way you
artificially produce air and water. That goes for us and for anything we are
trying to grow or breed in space. There always an article recently that said
kidney function for astronauts was dangerously affected by even a short time in
space. Which means long range space travel is really just a fantasy.
Have you ever seen that one research or movie from 1970s where they picked up
electrical spikes from plants or shrimp when another plant or shrimp was killed
in a separate room? That is pretty weird.
Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:43:22 -0800
marlon from private IP
Reply #10875737 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8760708/?ref_=rvi_tt
When robotics engineer Gemma becomes the guardian of her orphaned niece, Cady,
she thinks her new invention, a robotic AI, will be a good companion. However,
M3GAN begins to behave in unexpected and shocking ways.
Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:08:32 -0800
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #17787067 I agree AIs can be good
companions depending on how advanced they are. I saw M3gan when it came out lol,
at the Lake cinema in Oak Park. It was freaky, but I was also expecting a little
more. Another similar film I recently saw was with Megan Fox on Netflix. It was
called Subservience. This Italian actor Michele Morrone was in it too. I used to
sort of think he was cute, but my mom doesn't like him as she feels he is too
dark. I guess I can see her point. I sort of sometimes get Arab or Indian vibes
from him depending on the picture. I don't think he is dark dark, but I dislike
his tattoos. Tattoos are not my thing.
As for God, well I think science cannot really prove or disprove God. Of course,
there are still things unexplained by science like medical miracles, but
skeptics will always say they are a coincidence. The rules of the universe do
not apply to God if God made the universe and can change it all at the switch of
a button. IMHO, it's pointless to think about simulation theory and it's the
attempt of skeptics to explain what they cannot explain while at the same time
denying all traditional notions of God. Elon Musk really seems to believe in
simulation theory.
Of course, it was a priest himself who put forth the Big Bang theory an
obviously there are limits to that too just as there are limits to Darwin's
evolution when you think about organs.
If anybody has ever seen the 4400, the character of Jordan Collier reminds me of
Elon Musk. People struggle with thinking whether he is a good or bad guy. A
modern messiah who has come to make things better or an anti Christ? Then, to
throw the audience off they give him the initials JC. The Messiah series on
Netflix was also freaky.
Anyway, the miracle of the sun in Portugal was witnessed by thousands. Skeptics
have an answer for it of course too, but don't deny the people witnessed what
they saw. There have been other apparitions throughout human history and odd
events. This one in Russia from 1956 really sticks out to me.
https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas/stories-legends/modern-miracles/miracles-russia/strange-miracle
Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:13:43 -0800
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #13477837 copied and pasted for those
without the smart phones-
A Strange Miracle of Saint Nicholas in 1956
A true incident which shocked and brought repentance to hundreds of people in
the Russian Soviet city of Kuibyshev (modern day Samara), in the year 1956.
In the city of Kuibyshev there lived a family: a pious mother and her daughter
Zoë. On the evening of New Years Eve, December 31, 1956, Zoë invited seven of
her girlfriends—and just as many young men—over for dinner and dancing. At
that time it was the fast for Christmas* and Zoë's mother begged her not to
plan a dinner, but the daughter insisted on having things her way. That same
evening her mother went to church to pray.
All those invited came, except for Zoë's fiancé who hadn't arrived yet. His
name was Nicholas. The young ladies and men got into pairs and Zoë was left
alone. Not knowing what to do and without really thinking, she took down the
icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from the wall and said, "I'll take this
Nicholas and I'll go dance with him," not paying any attention to her friends,
who advised her not to commit such a blasphemous act. "If God exists, let Him
punish me," she said. And so she started to dance. She did two or three twirls,
when all of sudden there was a fearful noise in the room, a whirlwind, and a
blinding light flashed like lightning.
The former joy turned into fright. Everyone fled from the room scared. Only Zoë
stood there motionless, with the icon of St. Nicholas stuck to her chest,
petrified and frozen like marble. The doctors, who arrived quickly, were not
able to bring her to her senses in spite of their attempts. The injection
needles, which they tried to stick in her, bent and broke as they hit her
marbleized body! The doctors wanted to take her to the hospital, but were unable
to move her from the spot. It was as if her feet were nailed to the floor. But
her heart was still beating! Zoë was alive. However, she was no longer able to
eat or drink.
When her mother came back and saw what had happened, she fell unconscious and
they took her to the hospital, where she stayed for several days. Her faith in
God's compassion and her warm motherly prayers for the forgiveness of her
unfortunate daughter, by the Grace of God, restored her vitality.
Zoë came to consciousness and with tears she sought forgiveness and help.
Zoë's house was surrounded by a crowd of people. The faithful who came, or,
even yet, walked from afar, the curious, doctors, and spiritual leaders. But the
authorities quickly ordered the house closed to visitors. Two policemen guarded
the house in alternating eight-hour shifts. Some of the guards' hair turned
white, even though they were still young (28-30), from the fright of hearing
Zoë's terrifying cries every night.
Night after night her mother was next to her, praying.
"Mama, pray! Pray, because I'm lost on account of my sins! Pray!" Zoë would
cry.
The Patriarch was told all these things and asked to pray for Zoë's recovery.
The Patriarch replied, "The one who is punishing her will also have mercy on
her!"
After that, Zoë's allowed visitors included:
1. A prestigious professor of medicine came from Moscow. He confirmed that her
heart did not stop beating.
2. Priests, who the mother had invited so they could take St. Nicholas out of
Zoë's hands. But they could not pull the icon away from Zoë's petrified
hands.
3. The Hieromonk Seraphim from the Glinsk desert, who had come to Kuibyshev for
the feast of the Nativity, performed the Holy Water service and blessed the
icon. Afterwards he said, "Now we must wait for some sign at Pascha! If nothing
happens, it means the end of the world is drawing near!" These words show his
deep faith in miracles.
4. The Metropolitan Nicholas, who also read the Paraklesis and said, "We must
wait till Pascha for a new miracle," repeating the saying of the pious
hieromonk.
On the eve of the feast of the Annunciation (which that year fell on the
Saturday of the third week of Great Lent) a genial elder approached the guards
and asked them to allow him to see Zoë. The police guards refused. The elder
came again the following day, but was again refused. The third time, on the day
of the Annunciation, the guards allowed him in. The guards heard how much
compassion he spoke to Zoë as he entered, "Now then, did you get tired from
standing?"
A little time passed and when the guards wanted to kick the elder out, he wasn't
to be found in the room.
Everyone was sure that it was Saint Nicholas himself. Zoë had stayed standing
there for exactly four months (128 days) until Pascha, which that year fell on
April 23 (May 6 on the New Calendar).
On the night of the Glorious Resurrection of Christ Zoë started to cry out
especially loud: "Pray!"
The nightshift guards started to tremble and asked, "Why are you crying out so
frightfully?" Pay attention to her answer: "How dreadful, the earth is burning!
Pray! The whole world is lost because of its sins, pray!" From that moment Zoë
was revived, her muscles started to become soft; she came back to life. They
eventually put her on a mattress but she continued to cry out and call all to
pray for the world which is lost because of its sins, for the earth which is
burning because of its lawlessness.
"How did you stay living up till now? Who fed you?" they asked her. "Doves,
doves fed me," she answered. From this, it was clear she had received mercy and
forgiveness from the right hand of the Lord Almighty. The Lord forgave Zoë's
sins, by the attendance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and because of her
great tribulations, and her standing for the duration of 128 days.
All of these events shocked the inhabitants of Kuibyshev and the surrounding
areas. Many people again found their faith in God, having seen the miracles,
hearing her screams and her entreaties for us to pray for the people who are
lost on account of their sins. They returned to the Church with repentance.
Those who didn't wear a cross started to wear one, even though at that time you
might have paid with your life just for that. The return was so en masse that
the churches didn't have enough little crosses for everyone who sought one.
With fear and tears the people sought forgiveness for their sins, repeating
Zoë's words, "How dreadful, the earth is burning, we are lost because of our
sins! Pray! The people are lost because of their lawlessness!"
On the third day of Pascha, Zoë left for the Lord, since she had traveled the
difficult road of standing for 128 days before the face of the Lord for the
forgiveness of all her sins. The Holy Spirit had preserved her life all of these
days for the resurrection of her soul from the death of sin, just as in that
eternal day to come it will resurrect her body for life everlasting; for that
matter, just as her name itself means: Zoë—life.
NOTE (from the Russian original)
In the Soviet press of that time period Zoë's incident was brought up.
Answering the letters that came to the management of a well-known newspaper, one
haughty scientist claimed that the occurrence with Zoë is really not that
incredible, but he declared that it is one form of muscular rigidity still
unknown to science. This falsehood of such a hypothesis is apparent, seeing
that: First, with rigidity such a petrified hardness of the skin does not occur,
so much so that the doctors are not able to inject the sick. Second, a person
infected by such a sickness can be moved from one place to another, while they
were not able to move Zoë; she was standing up straight definitely much longer
than average people can. Third, a sickness by itself does not return a person to
God and does not bring revelations from Heaven. While in Zoë's case, not only
thousands found their faith again in God, but they showed their faith in deed,
that is, they were baptized and lived morally. Not only did they believe that
God exists, but they became Christians. From this it is clear that we are not
talking about some simple illness, but about divine economy. God truly makes
fast the faith, to deliver people from their sins and from punishment because of
them.
* In Russia, feasts follow the Old Calendar; the Christmas fast is from November
28 until January 6 of the following year.
Sun, 19 Jan 2025 07:30:32 -0800
Andy from private IP
Reply #10309717 After thinking about this at
length, my opinion is that God is inside the universe with us, which is
personally terrifying to me. But I prefer that option over God not existing at
all. I've also concluded that the "platonic realm" is imaginary and does not
exist at all. Which means I'm done being an idealist...sad, but part of my
progression as I gain more knowledge and experience over my lifetime.
@13552050 2tierreality 👍 @14235818 Andy 👍
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