If you recognize that, in certain terms, believing certain things has positive instrumental results even if they’re not true, why can’t you simply abolish the false beliefs and just create those results directly?
Human brains are (loosely speaking) Universal Turing Machines—they can emulate any computation. So if we’re looking for a particular set of results, we’re not tied to a way to reach them that’s invalid. There’s always a valid path that gets us to where we want to be.
Human brains are (loosely speaking) Universal Turing Machines
You’d have to be speaking very loosely for that comparison to be correct. Unless you’re talking about creating posthumans, we’re tied to all sorts of non-universal cognitive architecture. You go to war with the brain you have, not the brain you want.
I suppose I should grant that—the principle of charity does not permit me to assume anyone thought there was an equivalent to an infinite tape in reality.
I’ve thought a lot about this question. How about this: a small portion of our brain is dedicated to universal computation, and the rest is dedicated to shortcuts/heuristics that allow us to actually function.
Not just loosely speaking—the brain IS a Universal Turing Machine. Or at least as much a one as currently exists—the key definition is the universality of computations—the infinite tape is a visualization mechanism.
If you recognize that, in certain terms, believing certain things has positive instrumental results even if they’re not true, why can’t you simply abolish the false beliefs and just create those results directly?
Human brains are (loosely speaking) Universal Turing Machines—they can emulate any computation. So if we’re looking for a particular set of results, we’re not tied to a way to reach them that’s invalid. There’s always a valid path that gets us to where we want to be.
You’d have to be speaking very loosely for that comparison to be correct. Unless you’re talking about creating posthumans, we’re tied to all sorts of non-universal cognitive architecture. You go to war with the brain you have, not the brain you want.
But those good ol’ frontal lobes permit universal computation. We can do it. We’re just not very good at it.
If you can emulate arithmetic, the only limit is memory capacity. Ignore that issue, and you’re a UTM.
I suppose I should grant that—the principle of charity does not permit me to assume anyone thought there was an equivalent to an infinite tape in reality.
I’ve thought a lot about this question. How about this: a small portion of our brain is dedicated to universal computation, and the rest is dedicated to shortcuts/heuristics that allow us to actually function.
Not just loosely speaking—the brain IS a Universal Turing Machine. Or at least as much a one as currently exists—the key definition is the universality of computations—the infinite tape is a visualization mechanism.
Is that you, Caledonian? (Said without looking at email address.)