So you would say that a thermostat (which process information about itself, ie its set temperature) is self-aware. (The term self-aware is more usual, and I take it to be what you mean by self-concsious).
This is an unusual definition, to say the least. Self awareness is usually applied to a situation where an agent uses itself as a model for what other similar agents might do. The really clever trick is to establish what you would do in a particular situation _without_ actually doing it and so giving the game away. There is some evidence that a few of the higher species of animals have this ability - apes, dolphins, maybe macaques - have this ability, but that is about it. It is an extremely rare ability in the animal world. On a neurology front, the phenomenon seems to be linked dwith the notion of "mirror neurons", giving a somewhat objective way of establishing its existence. Cheers On Sun, Jun 25, 2006 at 05:08:40PM -0400, Nicholas Thompson wrote: > Let's say we are in two dodgem's cars on an empty dodgem's thingy. Let's > say I am tryiing to collide with you. To manage a collision I have to make > all sorts of calculations that involve facts about me as well as facts > about you. For instance, if I do not not know the ratio of turning of the > steering wheel to turning of my car (or the ratio of my movement of my arms > to the turning of of the steering wheel), then I cannot manage the > collision, can I? That is all information about ME. > > I guess I have stipulated that I think that being self conscious is the > same as processing information about ME. > > Thanks for the oportunity to try and clarify. > > Nick > > Nicholas Thompson > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson > > > > [Original Message] > > From: Russell Standish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; The Friday Morning Applied Complexity > Coffee Group <[email protected]> > > Date: 6/26/2006 12:55:42 AM > > Subject: Re: [FRIAM] RE Self consciousness and Passive Darwinism. > > > > On Sun, Jun 25, 2006 at 12:19:13AM -0400, Nicholas Thompson wrote: > > > I have never understood the idea that animals are not self conscious in > > > some useful sense. Heck, self consciousness is a necessary part of any > > > feed forward system, isnt it? > > > > > > > Why do you say this? > > > > -- > > *PS: A number of people ask me about the attachment to my email, which > > is of type "application/pgp-signature". Don't worry, it is not a > > virus. It is an electronic signature, that may be used to verify this > > email came from me if you have PGP or GPG installed. Otherwise, you > > may safely ignore this attachment. > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > A/Prof Russell Standish Phone 8308 3119 (mobile) > > Mathematics 0425 253119 (") > > UNSW SYDNEY 2052 [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Australia > http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks > > International prefix +612, Interstate prefix 02 > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- *PS: A number of people ask me about the attachment to my email, which is of type "application/pgp-signature". Don't worry, it is not a virus. It is an electronic signature, that may be used to verify this email came from me if you have PGP or GPG installed. Otherwise, you may safely ignore this attachment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/Prof Russell Standish Phone 8308 3119 (mobile) Mathematics 0425 253119 (") UNSW SYDNEY 2052 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Australia http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks International prefix +612, Interstate prefix 02 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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