Interestingly there is an article on the building of an artificial brain in this months focus magazine which has the quote " there are no processes in the brain that cannot be replicated in silicon"

Thank you, Gen and Apo. You've given me much to consider and contemplate.

Chad. This needlessly convoluted OP that you started is simply mental masturbation. Philosophy is dead compared to the very real and pragmatic testing of scientific method.

Dawkins, and rightfully so blames much of humanity's flawed thinking on Plato. Plato thought that if you simply thought about something deeply enough you could find it's "essence". The problem withe merely thinking about something is it is meaningless unless acted upon with testing and control groups and independent verification.

All your OP does is speculate. It is not enough to simply say "thoughts have no mass or weight". DUH and thanks for the update. But like I said, speed has no mass or weight either because speed, like thoughts, are NOT THINGS, but outcomes.

"If ifs and butts were candy and nuts we'd all have a party". You cant simply speculate, you have to be able to test and falsify a claim and then take that claim to independent peer review sources and let them kick the shit out of the claim as well. Otherwise all of us get to make up shit just because it sounds "fancy/intellectual". There is lots of elaborate crap people fall for, what you posted in the OP is merely one of lots of elaborate crap people fall for.

I'm so glad you joined this forum, Brain37. Really am!

Philosophy is meant to be a tool for knowledge, not the answer ffs!

(June 4, 2012 at 6:33 am)Ace Otana Wrote: I'm so glad you joined this forum, Brain37. Really am!

Considering how sucky my life off the net is right now, that really makes me feel better. When I say sucky, one can always compare their lives to others and know I have it better than many, but you can still get down no matter your lot in life.

But in all seriousness, I really needed that. Thanks.

That's bromance right there

(June 4, 2012 at 6:47 am)LastPoet Wrote: Philosophy is meant to be a tool for knowledge, not the answer ffs!

Philosophy WAS a tool, but it has way past it's use by date. Speculation did lead to modern method, but now that we have it speculation can only be just that until testing acts upon it.

Philosophy to science is what an abacus is to math today.

"Philosophy" is just a fancy word for "brain storming". But it is totally meaningless unless you can test it and verify it.

(June 4, 2012 at 6:51 am)Brian37 Wrote:

(June 4, 2012 at 6:33 am)Ace Otana Wrote: I'm so glad you joined this forum, Brain37. Really am!

Considering how sucky my life off the net is right now, that really makes me feel better. When I say sucky, one can always compare their lives to others and know I have it better than many, but you can still get down no matter your lot in life.

But in all seriousness, I really needed that. Thanks.

No worries mate. Life can suck, I know all to well. Things improve over time with a little effort though. I spent a whole year trying to get over someone I used to love. Finally got there though. Can't even remember her face.

Anyway, you're welcome.

Agree completely with what you said. Philosophy doesn't provide answers, nor proves anything. When compared to testing, measurements, observation and peer review, it's an old, out dated redundant method of understanding things. I think you only really use it with the application of the knowledge you already have.