daemon%houligan@houligan.UUCP (04/24/86)
* Keywords: feelings Summary: programmable feelings In article mit.eddi.1439, Joseph Mankoski writes: > Now, what does this mean for feelings? Well, I won't go that >far, but I would assert that a 'survival instinct' is a much simpler >thing that can be simulated on a computer. The space shuttle >computers could be thought of as programmed to survive, in just the >same way that evolution has programmed animals to survive. No >consciousness is necessary(yet), just a goal and a means to that goal. >It should be noted that the means of continuing survival available to >the space shuttle computers are very minimal right now, but even >animals must draw upon a limited set of defenses in order to survive. In addition to a survival instinct, consider this: one thing that would cause the shuttle computers to stop a countdown would be a buildup of carbon dioxide in the crew compartment. Since a CO2 buildup wouldn't pose a (direct) threat to the computers, it's difficult to label this as a survival-instinct type of action. However, a CO2 buildup would obviously pose a threat to the astronauts. So, here we find the computers taking action in a situation where the computers themselves aren't threatened, but the human occupants of the shuttle are. Can it be said that, in this case, the computers "care" for the astronauts? Dave Cornutt Gould Computer Systems Ft. Lauderdale, FL "The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer, not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary."
kort%hounx@hounx.UUCP (04/26/86)
It is not surprising that the space shuttle computers are taught to care not only for the survival of the machine, but for the survival of the crew as well. Mutual survival of man and machine leads to a preferred state of the world for both parties. A selfish survival strategy on the part of either machine or human would lead to a mutually detrimental state of affairs. QED. Barry Kort