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Is the self an illusion?
mattersauce comments on May 22, 2018:
The cerebral cortex is the area of the brain known for consciousness. If everything else was stripped away, limbs, muscles, if organs in the torso could be, other areas of the head, and then other areas of the brain, that would be last. You could debate that memories are a part of your identity ...
jerry99 replies on May 22, 2018:
If you believe consciousness exists as a wave of neurons firing (as I do), then the self is what you get when you have enough of them working together to reach some threshold of self-organization where they’re able to operate independently and interdependently. This, I think, is what we’re expecting to happen in a few years when massive computer networks cross that boundary — the great singularity. Or maybe it’s all just a really good simulation?
mattersauce comments on May 22, 2018:
The cerebral cortex is the area of the brain known for consciousness. If everything else was stripped away, limbs, muscles, if organs in the torso could be, other areas of the head, and then other areas of the brain, that would be last. You could debate that memories are a part of your identity ...
jerry99 replies on May 22, 2018:
If you believe consciousness exists as a wave of neurons firing (as I do), then the self is what you get when you have enough of them working together to reach some threshold of self-organization where they’re able to operate independently and interdependently. This, I think, is what we’re expecting to happen in a few years when massive computer networks cross that boundary — the great singularity. Or maybe it’s all just a really good simulation?
Is the self an illusion?
Slappy_Longarms comments on May 22, 2018:
Consciousness = self.
.
Think it's all an illusion ?
Hit your hand with a hammer as hard as you can....
....tell us about it.
jerry99 replies on May 22, 2018:
That’s fine, but it still leaves the same question: what is one’s consciousness?
Slappy_Longarms comments on May 22, 2018:
Consciousness = self.
.
Think it's all an illusion ?
Hit your hand with a hammer as hard as you can....
....tell us about it.
jerry99 replies on May 22, 2018:
That’s fine, but it still leaves the same question: what is one’s consciousness?
What is the Origin of the Universe?
jerry99 comments on Apr 14, 2018:
Someone asked the Dali Lama if Buddhists believed in the BBT, and he answered, “yes, but bang, bang, bang.”
jerry99 replies on Apr 15, 2018:
I think there’s a fair amount of evidence for the BB, but I’m certainly unqualified to evaluate it. I’d prefer it if there were some evidence for a first cause, a trigger. Otherwise, it all seems like mysticism to me. In trillions of galactic/universe revolutions, I can imagine that random chance eventually brings circumstances together in such a way that anything is possible, but I can’t see how that could occur after the heat death of the universe.
As for parallel universes, it all seems like total speculation at this time. I’d love to hear about anything substantive.
jerry99 comments on Apr 14, 2018:
Someone asked the Dali Lama if Buddhists believed in the BBT, and he answered, “yes, but bang, bang, bang.”
jerry99 replies on Apr 15, 2018:
I think there’s a fair amount of evidence for the BB, but I’m certainly unqualified to evaluate it. I’d prefer it if there were some evidence for a first cause, a trigger. Otherwise, it all seems like mysticism to me. In trillions of galactic/universe revolutions, I can imagine that random chance eventually brings circumstances together in such a way that anything is possible, but I can’t see how that could occur after the heat death of the universe.
As for parallel universes, it all seems like total speculation at this time. I’d love to hear about anything substantive.
Has anyone seen Man From Earth?
AncientNight comments on Mar 18, 2018:
I read a book with the same premise. It might have been the same story. In the book, he wasn't sure how old he really was, because he didn't keep track of it for the first 2-3,000 years. He estimated his age at between 10-12,000. It was a really thought provoking book. I think that the author would ...
jerry99 replies on Mar 19, 2018:
Jerome Bixby wrote the story used for this movie.
AncientNight comments on Mar 18, 2018:
I read a book with the same premise. It might have been the same story. In the book, he wasn't sure how old he really was, because he didn't keep track of it for the first 2-3,000 years. He estimated his age at between 10-12,000. It was a really thought provoking book. I think that the author would ...
jerry99 replies on Mar 19, 2018:
Jerome Bixby wrote the story used for this movie.
Has anyone seen Man From Earth?
jerry99 comments on Mar 16, 2018:
Yes, it was a wonderful movie, well-written and well-acted. A sequel was released recently, "The Man from Earth: Holocene" which I found disappointing. And there's a TV series possibly in the works.
jerry99 replies on Mar 16, 2018:
I got it from their Kickstarter campaign. I think the DVD is available.
jerry99 comments on Mar 16, 2018:
Yes, it was a wonderful movie, well-written and well-acted. A sequel was released recently, "The Man from Earth: Holocene" which I found disappointing. And there's a TV series possibly in the works.
jerry99 replies on Mar 16, 2018:
I got it from their Kickstarter campaign. I think the DVD is available.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 85 and no signs she'll retire from Supreme Court
jerry99 comments on Mar 15, 2018:
She's wonderful but should have retired during the Obama admin. Too damn old!
jerry99 replies on Mar 15, 2018:
Hell, of course it applies to men! We don’t need Trump appointing more right-wing ideologues! I thought all of the likely last presidential candidates were too damn old: Hillary, Bernie, Trump, Biden, ... I’m 72 and I know what it’s like!
jerry99 comments on Mar 15, 2018:
She's wonderful but should have retired during the Obama admin. Too damn old!
jerry99 replies on Mar 15, 2018:
Hell, of course it applies to men! We don’t need Trump appointing more right-wing ideologues! I thought all of the likely last presidential candidates were too damn old: Hillary, Bernie, Trump, Biden, ... I’m 72 and I know what it’s like!
Are we living in a computer simulation?
Lovecraft comments on Feb 22, 2018:
Kinda irrelevant. interesting, but irrelevant lol. its the problem of solipsism, but its not really a problem, since whether or not life is real we all seem to be experiencing it the same way, objects are permanent even when you leave the room. you could all be figments of my imagination, but it ...
jerry99 replies on Feb 23, 2018:
Yes, of course. We don't go around murdering people because they might just be a simulation. Still, I think keeping the possibility in mind gives us a bit more perspective on what really matters: finding happiness and adding to other people's happiness. Also, we can laugh at ourselves a bit more easily when we screw-up.
Lovecraft comments on Feb 22, 2018:
Kinda irrelevant. interesting, but irrelevant lol. its the problem of solipsism, but its not really a problem, since whether or not life is real we all seem to be experiencing it the same way, objects are permanent even when you leave the room. you could all be figments of my imagination, but it ...
jerry99 replies on Feb 23, 2018:
Yes, of course. We don't go around murdering people because they might just be a simulation. Still, I think keeping the possibility in mind gives us a bit more perspective on what really matters: finding happiness and adding to other people's happiness. Also, we can laugh at ourselves a bit more easily when we screw-up.
Are we living in a computer simulation?
mordant comments on Feb 22, 2018:
If we are in a simulation I don't see that as relevant because it's not actionable. What are we going to do, escape the simulation?
Reality is "experienced as real", and that's for practical purposes the same thing as "real".
So to me the mechanism by which reality comes to us is rather beside...
jerry99 replies on Feb 23, 2018:
Yes, why not try to break out of the simulation? Or maybe we could find a way to communicate with the operator, say put up a notice that says "please make me young, beautiful, smart and wealthy." Or is that what they call praying to god? :)
mordant comments on Feb 22, 2018:
If we are in a simulation I don't see that as relevant because it's not actionable. What are we going to do, escape the simulation?
Reality is "experienced as real", and that's for practical purposes the same thing as "real".
So to me the mechanism by which reality comes to us is rather beside...
jerry99 replies on Feb 23, 2018:
Yes, why not try to break out of the simulation? Or maybe we could find a way to communicate with the operator, say put up a notice that says "please make me young, beautiful, smart and wealthy." Or is that what they call praying to god? :)
Are we living in a computer simulation?
KKGator comments on Feb 22, 2018:
I think that's as much bullshit as there being an all-powerful deity.
jerry99 replies on Feb 22, 2018:
If we were part of a simulation then I guess the entity running it would fit most definitions of a supreme being: all-knowing and all-powerful. I'd like to think that such an entity could still lose control of its creation and not be so omnipotent.
Also, some thinkers have speculated on simulations being able to create more simulations. So, we couldn't even tell how deep we were in the simulation hierarchy if there were such a thing!
KKGator comments on Feb 22, 2018:
I think that's as much bullshit as there being an all-powerful deity.
jerry99 replies on Feb 22, 2018:
If we were part of a simulation then I guess the entity running it would fit most definitions of a supreme being: all-knowing and all-powerful. I'd like to think that such an entity could still lose control of its creation and not be so omnipotent.
Also, some thinkers have speculated on simulations being able to create more simulations. So, we couldn't even tell how deep we were in the simulation hierarchy if there were such a thing!
I'd like to have my morning coffee and web surf just one day without being assaulted with another ...
Akfishlady comments on Feb 13, 2018:
I hear that. I just kind of tune out, do yoga THEN face that hurdle.
jerry99 replies on Feb 13, 2018:
I’ll give that a shot, thanks.
Akfishlady comments on Feb 13, 2018:
I hear that. I just kind of tune out, do yoga THEN face that hurdle.
jerry99 replies on Feb 13, 2018:
I’ll give that a shot, thanks.
I'd like to have my morning coffee and web surf just one day without being assaulted with another ...
Charlene comments on Feb 13, 2018:
Add some Bourbon to your coffee..it takes the Drumpf edge off..
jerry99 replies on Feb 13, 2018:
Sure, but there goes the whole morning!
Charlene comments on Feb 13, 2018:
Add some Bourbon to your coffee..it takes the Drumpf edge off..
jerry99 replies on Feb 13, 2018:
Sure, but there goes the whole morning!
I'd like to have my morning coffee and web surf just one day without being assaulted with another ...
Jack-of-scythes comments on Feb 13, 2018:
Unplug.
jerry99 replies on Feb 13, 2018:
Nah, too wired!
Jack-of-scythes comments on Feb 13, 2018:
Unplug.
jerry99 replies on Feb 13, 2018:
Nah, too wired!
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